The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1914-01-15
Many Exciting Experiences h
HIS Short Career.
$1,000, 900 A YEAR IN TIPS
"speed 10 life,' Said Gates Once, and
He Lived Up to lt-Had Mania For
Special Trains and Fast Automobiles.
Always a Pluneer. He Delighted In
Lavish Expenditures.

charles q. Gates, dead at tnirty-SeN-
en-. lived up to his motto Speed Is
life" Following I'm the footsteps of
his father, John w. Gates. In the law
ish distribution Of tips, gaming for
high stakes and punging in the stock
market. he made himself conspicuous
also In the last few years for his rec
ord breaking dushes across the cont.
neut In special trains. II was on one
of these occasions that friend asked
him why he spent thousands of dollars
to get to New York few minutes
sooner. and he replied, Speed Is life"
II was not until he went to New
York ten or twelve years ago that he
began To loom up In the news columns.
As u youth he had been In the steel
and wire business with his father and
later had entered Chicago brokerage
firm. where he learned the details of
the business. Then he went east and
bought seat on the Stock Exchange.
Did a Huge Wall Street Business.
The heavy operations of John W.
Gutcs were transferred to Charles q.
Gates n Co. In which the father was
member. and I'm the boom times that
preceded the panic OF 1907 Il did trc-
mcndous business. II. was nothing un.
usual for the firm TO carry at times
moro than SlOO.OOO.OO0 worth of stock
for its $500 customers. and John W.
Gates said that for three y"nrs II did
about 5 per cent Of all the business
transacted on the Stock Exchange.
In May. 1907 the firm went out OF
business. and the two Gntcscs. who
were constant companions, left for Eu.
rope. The house had been hulish at
the top OF the market In 1906 and was
supposed to he greatly extended. Wall
street figured that II dissolved with
loss OF SG0O0,O00, but John w. Gates
sturdIly maintained that hc and his
son were quitting at profit. How.
ever. the elder Gates suddenly return.
ed ut the height Of the october panic
and. In common with other holders.
sold his Tennessee Coal and Iron stock
TO the Steel corporation.
Little was heard OF Charles q. Gntcs
for two years or more. but I'm July.
1910. he returned from Paris. where
he had fallen III. and was operated on
for appendicitis. from which he soon
recovered.
The next fall he figured I'm n story
that he had lost $4,000 In n gambling
house IN New York. and although he
poohpoohed the story. II was generally
credited. He had long been familiar
figure on the race tracks and at gnm-
bling resorts. ana on one occasion was
said TO have won $4,000 at a sitting
In Reno.
Record Breaking Train Trip.
His first record breaking trip was
made In February. 1911, when he rode
10 New York In special train from
Yuma. Ariz.. 5000 miles. In seventy
four hours and nineteen minutes. In
,luding stops. II was admitted after
ward that the purpose OF this trip was
20 attempt reconciliation with his
wife. but the explanation made when
he train arrived was that Mr. Gates
was suffering from an injury 10 his |
eg received while he was cranklng
'ractious automobile In California and |
hat he had hurried 10 New York for |
he surgical attendance he preferred.
The trip averaged about forty miles |
IN hour, including stops. and the final
lash from Albany was made at exactly |
mile n minute. The fastest time was
rom Toledo 10 Cleveland, lOS miles In
llnety-seven minutes. The run from
'hicago took sixteen hours and forty
line minutes. an hour aud five minutes
ess than the Twentieth Century lin
ted.
About six weeks after Mr.. Gates ar
ival II became known that his wife
vas TO sue for divorce. She was
Hiss Mary w. Martin of st. Louis. and
hey had been married thirteen years.
The details OF the testimony were not
made public, but Mrs. Gates got her
nal decree on Aug. ., 1911.
Just week later. while Mr.. Gates
vas I'm Paris In connection with his
ather's funeral. the news came from
Minneapolis that he was to marry Miss
florence Hopwood. and the wedding
ook place on Sept. 27, 1911.
eoasted Of 100000 Yearly Tips.
He was noted for the enormous size
( the tips he gave out wherever he
'ent. a point about which he was ex-
eedingiy proud. Asked about 1t once.
fter the trip mentioned. he said
IL give Sl.OO0.OO0 away In tips every
ear can't take II with me when
lie. ! believe In spending II while Pm
live. don't know how much 1t costs
ne to live. ! have more money now
han what father left me. | work hard
he greater part OF every day. and ]
elleve In spending my money.
This is life Of speed" he said. re
errIng to his trip. The faster the
etter, I'm used to specials. They are
~ only diversion. like 10 go fast
'ha pouhusfnr HfIn'f lilo tho cnaad M |