New-York tribune., 1911-03-19
western Capitalist Dies Sudden
" After Joking with His
Physician.
End COMES IN HOTEL HERE
porn in This State-Going to
Denver, He Became Leader
in Banking, Mining and
Railroad Building.

leader IN banklng' hliiihs anu '"''
,uuSpg in the West, die suddenly
the Hotel Belmont Yesterday at lo;4o
o'clock. His death was unexpected even
:. his phvsician. DR.. Peter ibbons,
.horn ne had urged TO allow him to get
,c When the physician told him he
s,ov in bed he laughed and made
,ote about his stubbornness. but appar-
,,,,v with no idea of disobeying.
Then will take snooze,' he SAID
and turned his face toward the wall. !
nr Gibbons said he was dead a few
moments later when he thought tc take
look at him.
Tho immediate cause Of his death. DR..
Gibbons said last night was weak |
hear, which was further affected by a |
sight attack Of grip contracted a Few
aays ago. developing touch of pneu- !
nona that his age could not Withstand. .
pr. hack of this he added. was the great !
,ref no had suffered oyer the death in
rsud succession of number of his old
friends and associates.
Shortly after he left Denver in Janu- !
sry. to come 10 New York one of his !
elosest friends. Colonel l.. \. Eicholtz.
director of Mr.. Moffat's bank. the First |
National Of Denver. died. Soon after
.ord came the deaths of Senator Charles !
I Hughes. of Denver: Senator Elkins,
., West Virginia. and just recently, in
Chicago. another director of his bank
nr Gibbons declared that every time
,be news was brought to him of the |
dsath of one of these old friends he was
dseply affected. and his health seemed
n break perceptibly. He said he re-
marked to him on one of those occasions
that the lightning was striking all
around him, and he would soon be alone.
Mr. Moffat had come To New York 70
attend 10 business. He was accompanied
only by William G. Evans. vice-presideht
Of the Moffat road. as the Denver
Northwestern & Pacific is called. MT.
Evans was out at the time Of his death
there being present only DR.. Gibbons and
two nurses. DR.. +. y. Wilson and Dr.
H. NJ. Gillespie, Mr.. Moffats grand
nephew. were called early in the week
but they agreed with DIR. Gibbons that
there seemed TO be nothing serious about
his illness. The body will be sent 10 Den |
vrto-day. where his family lives.
David H. Moffat was recognized as the
leading citizen OF Colorado so long that
the memory of the present generation IN
that state hardly goes back TO the time
when any other was more prominent than
he in that commonwealth.
He was born in New York State. but
moved westward early in his life and then
still further westward. and il was his CON
nection with the development Of Colorado
that gained him his greatest renown and
Won for him the title Of Empire Builder. !
Perhaps his greatest recent work OF that
character was the Denver, Northwestern |
4 Pacific Railroad, known as the Mohat
road in his honor. which Is 10 extend from
Denver 10 Salt Lake and has been COM
pleted beyond Steamboat Springs. Col.
Indeed his activities as railroad builder
we're marked he helped construct the
Denver & Pacific Railroad. connecting Den !
yer with the Union Pacii: in Cheyenne; |
the Denver q South Park. now part OF the |
Colorado & Southern system the Boulder /,
Valley and the Florence & Cripple Creek. /
and for many years was president OF the
Denver Rio Grande.
II was banking. however. that engaged |
Ms earliest attention. and mining. mer-
ehandsing and real estate operations also |
came in for no little share OF the almost !
wonderful energy which he possessed. lie !
was said 10 he interested IN more than one |
hundred mining companies at the height |
Of his activities
Mr. Moffat was rated many times q mill !
phaire. his wealth being estimated as high !
az 100000. He was born in Washington |
Vile. Orange County. y Y, on July 90 |
NY He left home when only twelve years |
:" age. and came 10 this city and obtained |
Place as runner. or messenger, in the |
Hew i9k Exchange Rank. now the New |
ioTk National Exchange Bank There /
we're no telegraphs, telephones. nor district !
messenger service in those days there /
s"e t0e job was arduous. but he proved |
DC equal 10 it and won advancement. |
oentuany reaching the post of assistant /
e'er, equivalent under pre- sent methods to I,
uat OF assistant cashier
"h elder brother had cmigrated in the /
.dh'imc 20 what then was the new state |
IOWA, and he wrote 10 David TO join |
. .'h IN Des Moines. where a place as |
N"er IN the bank OF \. J. Stevens d 60. /
.a' been secured for him There he at |
,ea the attention # H. T. Allen. who /
'' bank In Omaha. and he offered |
.suhs Moflat the cashiership, which he |
sceep,ed.
''0hat was only seventeen lie re-
'"'u The place four years, and in the !
,"hs Of 1851. when the tide Of Pixies ,
uhlSfaiion began to impel thousands /
"u the Rocky Mountains. he formed /
6, 'a'heTship with G. &. Woolworth. Of /
'oSeph. Mo, in book and stationery |
So, venture and, loading an assorted 1
OF such goods into four wagons. he |
,''u The plains with two or three com
s' and on March II of that year
a, 'he house Of Woolworth & Mofat, |
!, 'Hy street. Auraris now Donverj. /
~. &c" years this modest beginning grew |
sh, '"e u the largest and most profit /
!. faniile institutions ~ the city.
m Mr Morat was appointed cashier
N rrst National Bank OF Denver and !
o. a"e lis president In 1851.
a. iN's Mr.. Monat was more exten-
IN. interested than any other person In ,
a.s'e'opmont cf mineral deposits IN |
f,..ne' and later became q prominent |
rr,,. p" 'he great mines of Aspen and |
Mint. 'f'ek. col. Though he took M |
ss,"' more from The force Of ,rcum-
p,,,s'. "'an desire. lie brought the same |
,. 'ns energy and methods to bear upon |
e.s.,'. made all his other ventures sue
t.,, ana his pecuniary rewards we're 1
,"hsurate with hie onor,