Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-04

Gus beings on earth. He Is one OF the
richest men in the world, and one Of
the biggest Of spectators. His income
is reckoned at $6,O00,OOO a year. Yet
very few persons know anything at all
about him. He Is a Wall-street plum
ger of the real plunger type, and the
most picturesque Of all. He has mani
pulated or participated In the manipu-
lation Of the cotton market from his
yacht in the Indian ocean and in the
southern seas, from hotel in Egypt,
from a watering place in Germany,
from chalet In the Alps, from
shooting lodge in the Black Forest, and
from various places in Asia, and Aus
tralia. He spends his life in travel, yet
he keeps In active touch with the
worlds affairs. The government has
pretty fair idea of Col. Thompson's
activities, for he was one Of the men
indicted for the cotton corner Of a few
years ago.
Thompson gave a water party a few
years ago that was unique. He char
| tered the ocean steamer Manitoba and
transformed her into floating hotel.
Then he invited a party Of friends
numbering about 100 and took them for
trip around the world. Thompson's
has been caught for $2,0OO,0O0 or $3,-
100000 in the decline In cotton recent
ly, but 1t is probable that he is not
giving the matter much thought. He
is so extraordinarily rich that the loss
Of a few millions Is Of little conse-
quence.
Colonel w. P. Brown and Frank
Hayne are two more important figures
in the little group that have been DOM
mating cotton, but do 80 10 longer.
They have been the longest in the game
and have been in the center Of the stage
the most. Brown Is big, black-mus-
tached southerner, Of fiorid appearance
and rather lively mein. Hayne Is
smaller, quieter and more thoughtful.
There are those who think that in the
many campaigns in which Brown and
Hayne have been engaged Hayne has
done the thinking and Brown the spec
tacular work. At any rate, they, too,
were caught by the sudden change in
the aspect of the cotton crop. The rains
have washed away a lot Of their prof.
it's and forced them into at least tenn
porary obscurity.
Mike Thomas is another big specula-
tor who has made and lost two or three
fair sized fortunes He has made
considerable money the last year-a
million or two-but he was shaken out
with the rest of the bulls in the recent
great decline In prices. Another man
who played quite a part in the mani
pulation of cotton was the Rothschild
who was instrumental in having
prominent New York firm Of cotton
brokers ruled of the exchange not
long ago for not carrying out his or
ders. He, too, made a good deal Of
money when the bull group was In
control Of the cotton market, but, like
all the rest, saw good deal Of 1t van
ish when the news of the bumper crop
came after years Of shortage.
Even James A. Patten, who made
millions in wheat and was credited as
being one Of the few men Of recent
times whose judgment was not impair
ed by successes so that he knew when
to unload, also was caught mapping like
all the rest. He appeared in New York
little more than a year ago and got
into the cotton market, despite the
resolution that he once expressed of
going into retirement in Colorado when
he got $6,OOO,O0O to the good-Eew
York Evening World.