New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-06
Former Mining Magnate Sue
Culnbs to Acute Pneumonia.
BROKE TWO RIBS LAST WEEK
His Properties in Cananea, Mex,
Made Him Once a Commanding
Figure in the Copper World.

7 I'll BdSO. IneN DROUGHT SUPPLIES VI W N-'''
| and spent the last few hours trying to
stave off the end. but the stricken man
never rallied and passed away in the pres
ence Of his wife and children. who nad
been constantly at his bedside.
/ The funeral will I've held on Monday and
/ the burial Will take place in the cemetery
| at the copper mine camp
| Last Monday Colonel Greene was thrown
from his carriage when his team ran away.
/ His collarbone and two of his ribs were
fractured on Thursday the acute pneu-
mon!a condition developed in his lungs and
A summons was sent 10 FL Paso for pnysl-
clans and nurses.
The doctors boarded special train which
arrived last night at NacO, Ariz.. after a
record-breaking trip from Ell Paso. Al
Naco the party. carrying TANKS of oxygen
/ took automobiles and sped across the
sixty miles Of desert TO Cananea.
Colonel William G.. Greene had about as
picttlresque and remarkable a career as
falls TO the lot Of man. In the threescore
wears Of mis- eventfu life he had been a
government contractor. rancher, Indian
fighter. prospector. miner and Spectator.
] fOgElf
cattle rusters in the Far West and was
generally successful His title OF colonel
he won in the early so by organizing ana
leading A volunteer force against the nos
tile Apaches. He was shot five times. and
some OF the scars then inflicted ne carries
TO his grave.
He was successful in whatever he under
took. and his luck was proverbial After
making good as A rancher in Arizona ne
turned his attention TO prospecting, and IN
1899 located the mining properties In
Cananea. Mexico. out Of which he made an
enormous fortune. II was only when ne
came 10 Wall street that luck finally
turned against him. and although ne
fought his enemies in the Street with the
same fortitude he had always exhibited IN
his other campaigns he finally went down
TO defeat before the Standard Oil anu
Amalgamated Copper fnanciers. and saw
his properties wrested from him.
Colonel Greene was born in Westchester
County. " y in lSJl When he was
seventeen years old he went West. serving
for while as government contractor IN
Kansas and Colorado, but this proved 100
tame for him. and he turned his attention
10 cattle herding in Arizona. Interrupted oy
occasional brushes with hostile Indians ana
cattle rustlers BY 1929 he had saved
enough money 10 buy a small ranch OF MS
own He prospered. but not even the lie
OF A rancher was exciting enough for hin'
and a he had picked UP practical kno"l-
edge Of mining he began prospecting across
the line from his ranch. in Mexico In the
end he bought the property which was
known as La Cananes from the WHO" VI
Governor Pesduera Of Sonora Mexico
This he developed into the great Greene
Consolidated Copper Company, "hicn
within four years became one Of the great
copper producers Of the world IL was
CAPITALIZED originally az 100000. when
was later increased 20 100000. but was
valued in the open market as high as
So. 900 900 4 few years later. when colonel
Greene became overextended in other /
Mexican ventures. the Cole-Ryan interests
v-rAsted the mine from him. and attel"ard
capitalized n ar S0co.eI.
In order 10 raise money 70 develop the
mine Colonel Greene came East The first
nerson he applied 70 was Thomas ". Law
son. NJ Boston. who was then Just coming
into prominence as 4 copper promoter en-
per Company for n. H. Rogers and other
Standard oil interests. lawson on De
half ~ himself and the men belonging 20
his group. agreed 70 furnish the colonel
with funds mp 70 s. 10000 for the develop
nent OF the property in consideration OF an
option on the control Of the mines ar 8 80
a share for the $40 shares. Colonel Greene
accordingly returned 10 the mine and drew
on Lawson as he needed money. AFTER MS
drafts 10 the amount Of sl35, 0no had been
honored. however draft for SOO'O more
came back. The advances were on a three
months note. Greene at once returned 70
Boston. where he was informed by Law
sons attorney. on the last date That the
note was due. that unless he paid the
y95 40 az once he would be sued. In other
words. he must pay or lose the property
He succeeded in obtaining the necessary
funds and saved his property, bur this ak
ner,ance taught him something II the
methods OF Wall Street hnanciers
Greene went on developing mining prop
critics in Mexico, and when he was AT tne
height Of his power. in 1900. he was at the
head Of companies having a totaI capitai
IF nearly 800 OoOn 100. more than half Of
which he owned personally. These COM
panies included. besides The Greene con-
solidated Copper, the Greene Told-silvAr
COMPANY. capital i25.o'0o; the Greene
Consolidated Gold Company. capital so'~.-
ooo. the Sierra Madre Land and Lumner
Company. capital SIS, 10000; the Guayra-
uita Copper Company, capital S'"coVp' ana
Others.
In the mean time Colonel Greene had
established headquarters in New York. lie
fitted ND magnificent offices on three hoors
If one OF the finest Wall Street ONCE hulld-
ings Big capitalists became members OF
the boards Of his various companies and
the colonel spent money like water on his
r,ines Among his associates at this time
wore John w Gates. who is now lying Sc
riously III in Paris; Edwin Hawley II. f.
Huntington. Levi g. Weir and many others
well known in Wall Street. as we'll as
prominent men from various parts of the
country.
In the fail OF 1893 the Gates Hawley IN
forests made a determined effort to take
control II the Cananea properties away
from Greene. but were unsuccessful. al
though the stock was hammered down
from S92 10 less than so a share. The
Gates Hawlev directors had had an expert
examine the mine. and he reported II was
petering out. but the stockholders stood by
Greene. the Gates Hawley directors were
ousted and a few months later copper ore
TO the value OF 100000 was uncovered.
Flushed with the success OF his victory
Colonel Greene secured further conces-
sions from Mexico and organized new COM
panics In the bull market I'm Wall Street