The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1911-02-28
B|[LIOAA|RE
HARDLY KNOWN
Frederick Weyerhauser Report
a 10 be Critically III
RICHER THAN ROCKEFELLER
A Nan Little known IN His On City
and the Public In General 4 Lum.
her Dealer He Became Master Of
the Forests Of the Northwest
Worth About sI,ssO,oeO,o 900.

st. Paul. MIMI. Feb. 27.-Although
Frederick weyerhauser. the billion
aire lumberman who Is reported criti-
cally III at Pasadena, Cal. has made
his home In 81. Paul for many years.
he is almost as little known 10 the
people OF this city as 10 the public In
general. And this despite the fact
that he Is believed to be the richest
man I'm the United States. richer prob
ably by some millions Of dollars than
John ID. Rockefeller. whose name is
synonymous for riches In almost every
part OF the cIsIilzed world. Weyer-
hauser with HIS timber land posses
sions aggrogaiing 3o0oo.o0o acres, is
said 20 be worth close 10 $780,
100000. which al The present rate OF
advance In lumber 10 increasing by
leaps and bounds.
The personality Of Frederick wey-
erhauser Ia little known. He Is a re-
cluse and his own business associates
have never shared his secrets. His
home life in this city Is quiet and
simple Even 10 those who know him
best be Is a living puzzle. an enigma,
a mystery.
Born q. Neldersaulheim. hamlet
OF Southern Germany. In 1884. he
worked as farm laborer until his
eighteenth year, when he made up his
mind 10 seek his fortune 10 a land
where freedom played more proml-
nent part than !, did In South Ger
many al that time. SO Ia 1852. ac-
companied BY his mother and sisters,
he crossed the ocean.
Settling first In Erie. Pa. he found
work In a brewery. bu; migrated -four
years later 20 Rock Island. III. where
he got employment AZ 81 day piIlne
slabs in sawmill In a little more
than year he owned the mill. In q
feiiow-worker at the mill, +. c. A
Denckman. weyerhauser found fel-
iow-countryman. destined In after
years 10 be 4 close ally In all his
schemes aud enterprises Together
they bought the other men out Of ths
business, and soon found themselves
free Of debt and with enough capita
to enable them TO strike out with
boldness and confidence.
From the time he acquired bis ars
sawmill until the present the life o.
Mr.. weyerhauser has been slow, IN
ccasing. steady grind Of buying timbel
cheap. selling Il Al profit, then &C
qulrIng s;Iil lager tracts. He firs
visited Wisconsin and Minnesota
where he discovered lands. rich il
timber. that could be purchased for |
few cents an acre. lie and bis part
ner bought the lands. sawmiIls ser
constructed. and money began 70 rol
In fast
Mr. Weyerhauser. AZ The leadlnl
spirit in the partnership. created ID
little known and mysterious "weyer
hanaer syndicate which soon was &C
knowledged By the lumber world I
be the most powerful factor In u
trade. The Mississippi River Boon
and Logging company. Of which b
was elected president In the earl
eighties. has always been the base Q
bis known transactions.
Master Of the marvellous forests 4
Minnesota. Wisconsin. Michigan an
In Washington and other states In %
far northwest. wegefhauser In tim
came 10 control most OF the loggln
done on the Mississippi. He was abb
20 tx the price Of logs. the price o
handling them on The rivers. the prIc
OF saving them and the price Of th
finished product.
And In all this he Stunned pub
LEFTY like the Grand Llama OF Thibe
Though possessed apparently OF a
unqucnchable ambition. he has nese
made a display Of his wealth. Th
simple life Of their earlier daya Ia
satisfied him and his family. lie Ia
never cared for yachts. antomoh.lel
fast horses and other luxnries con
mon TO the millionaire class. III
four sons all received excellent cdt
cations. but were obliged 70 work !
the lumbtr camps and go through u
mills, as their father did before then