Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-23
Tells How She Handled $4OoOo0OO for J. w. Gates:
Miss Veg, OF Atlanta, One of Few Girls He Trusted
Plunger Had Little Faith in the
Ability of Fair Sex in Business,
But Made Exception in Case
Of Woman Now Employed Here.

Though John w. Gates-"Bet
Million Gates" the greatest plunger
the world has ever known-has long
since taken his last chance, unique
and hitherto unpublished doings OF
his turbulent financial career are still
fresh in the mind of an Atlanta wom-
an who handled many of his millions
when he was alive, She Is Miss Anna
Ia Vieg, cashier at the Hotel Ans
ley.
Miss Veg was cashier Of the Man
ufacturers Fuel Company of Chicago,
one of Gates business enterprises,
into which he put more than $1,000
900 for two years. During that time
she handled nine of the firms az
counts, scattered in nine banks in diff
ferent sections of the country. In one
bank an account of s1,000,OO0 was
carried. She estimates that in the
two years-from 1905 to 19O7-she
handled approximately $4o,oo0,o00.
At times, after the plunger had
made large winnings, he brought bun
dies of money into the Offices and
threw them carelessly on Miss Veg s
desk, with the remark:
Just put that to my personal ac-
count"
With all his shrewdness and genius
for gathering money, Gates was slow
to recognize d womans fitness for
posts of trust, and Miss Veg was
one of the few he ever placed in a
position requiring more than ordinary
ability.
Employed Few Women
In important Work.
Mr. Gates used to say 1t didn't look
right for a woman to be holding an
important position" Miss Veg said
Saturday, land ! don't suppose he
ever employed more than half dozen
women in any other way than as ste
graphers."
Though his financial operations
were reckoned among the most nota
BILE Of the last century, Gates pro-
pensity to gambling formed the ba-
sis for tie greater part Of his fame.
He was lnoWn throughout the coun-
try as Bet Million Gates" and was
ever ready to risk high stakes on any
sort Of a proposition. And yet, in the
opinion of Miss Veg, he had decided
ly origina ideas about gambling. He
rarely mentioned the subject in his
offices, AM was never known to tell
anyone wien he lost bet.
His iGas about gambling" said
Miss Vie, were peculiar. He was
one of th worst losers l have ever
seen, and he never forgave a man
who gave him q bad betting tip. |
remember on one occasion a man
named Dake brought horse named
Savable o Chicago and raced It in
the Derb. Mr.. Gates bet $4,000 on
brakes horse. The animal lost.
Around he offices we never did think
that Mr.. Gates forgave Drake.
Mr. CITES never boosted about his
winnings Many times he has come
into the offices after winning thou
sands an never mentioned his bet,
not evento Charlie Roberts, who was
manager of the Fuel company, and
probablyas close to Mr.. Gates as any
man in Chicago. On one occasion
Mr. Cats threw bundle Of money
on my disk and told me to put It to
his persnal account. 1t was about
$4,000, Which he had won at the races
the day efore, but I did not know ne
had ganDled for 1t until I read about
1t in thepapers.
Gambee on Horses
And to Win Wife.
~hOSlJL 1citcS SdiLUllnS lIldI
we used to hear about was on the
races. bit stories filtered to us now
and the. about the stakes he would
risk at cher play. Charlie Honicker,
who wa auditor of the Fuel Com
pany ued to tell a story about Mr..
Gates carrying Mrs Gates on bet.
The VIZ 1t happened, according to
Mr.. Hoicker was this:
WIN Mr. Gates was about 20
Il h. IT,, orIA
a subrb of Chicago selling barb wire
for Texas company. With other
youn men he was standing on
stree corner when a young woman
passd. Mr. Gates remarked about
her charming appearance, and one
of tie other men said:
IL bet you couldn't marry her.
"'ll bet you $25 1 marry her with
In year replied Mr.. Gates.
md the story goes that he Joined
thechurch, obtained an Introduction,
unmarried the girl less than twelve
moths later.
Many Of the stories the papers
usd to print about Mr. Gates gam
big were not true especially the
oes that said he played for high
slkes at poker. The men around the
dice used to tell us that the stakes
Mr.. Gates poker games were rare
NtIy IlSIlt DtCduH5 ITO SUNNY
iayed while on trips with his en-
loyees, and few of them were able
play for high stakes,
ION one occasion. l remember, Mr.,
iates and a party of his employees
went to New York on a business deal
For some reason the deal fell through,
and the papers printed stories that
Mr.. Gates had lost so much money
playing poker on the train that when
hA 70 hA almost
out of funds. And one Of the men
who made the trip told me the poker
game on the train was very small
affair"
Son Was a Broker,
But Aped His Father.
During the period of Miss Viegs
employment in Gates Chicago of1ces'
Charlie Gates, the great gamblers
son, whose recent death after an al