Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-08-11
JOHN v. GATES
CAREEB ENDED
ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
AMERICAN FlNAsvclERs
DIES ~ PANS.
BEGAN LIFE As SMALL MERCHANT
IL wa. identified WIN Big stoel
peals-Last Public Appearance
Was at the Steel Trust
Investigation.

Paris. Aug. 9.-John w. Gates the
American financier, died In tho arms
of his wife and son Charles G. Gates.
The end was peaceful and It seemed
an though he was falling asleep.
Others present at the bedside besides
the members at tho family were Doc
tors eros and Reeves.
His iron constitution and courageous
resistance, backed by every resource
of medical science, failed to save Mr..
Gates. He had battled for weeks hero
ically with a disease Of the kidneys and
when It was believed that he was al
most sure to recover contracted pneu'
monia.
A Bold FInaneler.
The death of John Warne Gates re.
moves in his prime one of the boadest
and most successful American imam
ciers and a picturesque figure In the
field Of sport. Since 1880. when he
organized the Southern Wire Com
pany. Mr.. Gates had been q man with
whom it was necessary to reckon in
The particular industries, affairs to
which he had given his attention. In
recent years he found relaxation from
business cares in becoming promt-
men patron Of the American turf.
Mr.. Gates began his business career
as proprietor of hardware store at
Turner Junction. ILL.,. near the farm
where he was born, in 1855. His pa
rents were Asel A. and Mary Gates.
At st. Charles, Ill.,, In 1874, he married
Dellora X. Baker, who. with their son,
Charles G. Gates, survive.
From hardware merchant, Mr..
Gates became interested in barbed
wire, first as salesman and later 40
a manufacturer at St. Louis. Follow
ing the Southern Wire Company, he
organized the Braddock (Pen.) Wire
Company, which in 1892 he combined
with other wire concerns as the Con-
solidated Steel and Wire Company.
Six years later this was sold to the
Federal Steel Company. In 1897 he Or
ganized the American Steel and Wire
Company, now subsidiary of the
United States Steel Corporation.
He was known as shrewd specula-
tor in Wall Street through many ven
lures. notably the coup by which he
obtained control of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad. He was director
of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
Western Maryland Company, Tennes.
see Coal, Iron and Railroad Company.
American Salt Company. Republic Iron
and Steel Company of New Jersey, and
other concerns.
Last Public Appearance.
The last public appearance OF Mr..
Gates was in connection with the steel
trust investigation in Washington in
the spring, when he gave a graphic de-
scription of the formation Of the Unit
ed States Steel corporation. Before
,he corporation was organized, he told
The Stanley committee there had been
gentleman's agreement between the
various steel concerns, but ANDY"
(meaning Andrew Carnegie) would al
WAYS kick them over.
He told also how H. c. Prick and W.
n. Moore had pSid Mr.. Carnegie
regic plant and how, when their plan
allied, Carnegie had kept the $1,000.
gC0. u was this testimony that led
Mr.. Carnegie, who was in Europe to
say some sharp things about This
man Yates"-''Yates" being Mr.. Car.
Gegie'S construction of the financier.
In politics Mr.. Gates was a Repub
lican and was colonel on the stan
of Governor Tanner of Illinois in 1897.
1900.
He was a man Of great energy.
shrewd and resourceful, a hard fighter
and good loser; and onew hose viii
lingness to take a chance" on any
reasonable proposition gave him wide
popularity in the realms Of finance
and sports. In middle life he was
many times a millionaire and at the
time Of his death was fast recouping
the losses of q few years ago.