The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-06
LUMBER KING DIES
AT LOS ANGELES
Frederick Weyerhauser Was So Secre-
tive That His Wealth Is
Problematical.

Pasadena, April 6.--Frederick Weyer.
hauser, the multi millionaire lumber
man Of ST. Paul. died at his winter home
here Saturday of pneumonia after an
illness lasting three weeks. His son and
several other members of his family
were at his bedside when the end came
Mr.. Weyerhauser was 70 years old
He was stricken 10 days ago with a
severe cold. Threatening symptoms de-
veloped and several times he sank to
the verge OF death but rallied, and Fri
day appeared to be all but recovered.
The body was shipped Saturday to
Rock Island, ILL.,, Mr.. Weyerhauser's for
mer home.
Frederick Weyerhauser, man Of silence
and mystery, was known few years
ago as the richest man in the world.
He was the millionaire" lumber king,
the master of an enormous fortune and
the directing spirit of huge enterprises,
whose name was little known. Next to
lumber, secrecy was his hobby; he was
rarely seen at public gatherings. The
spectacular pleasures OF modern mil
lionaires did not interest him. He had
many partners, but none knew his bus
mess.
He was born in Neidersaulheim, in
southern Germany, in 1864. There he
titled the vineyards until he was Is
years old, then decided to come to Amer
lea. He brought his mother and sisters
with him.
Weyerhauser's fortune was founded
on the spendthrift waste of the Amer
lean forests. He was born in country
where forestry is an exact science. After
he came to America he was not slow to
realize that the methods then in vogue
would, if unchecked, in time exhaust the
to acquire timber tracts, and he followed
up that policy. The value Of lumber
in the trees grew by leaps and bounds,
hence the Weyerhauser fortune.
When the family landed in this coun-
try they went first to Erie, Pa, where
the young man got work in a brewery
at SO week. He was ambitious and
was not long contented with the brew
cry life. He knew something of forestry
and was interested in lumber. He
learned of the opportunities in the far
West; the family picked up their few
belongings and moved to Rock Island,
Ill.
The biggest thing in town was the
sawmill. Weyerhauser began work there
as laborer at $l.25 a day. In six
months he was manager of the mill. He
became acquainted with f. C. A. Denck-
man, compatriot, and when the mill
owners wanted to sell they agreed to
take the notes of the young Germans.
Weyerhauser went north into Wisconsin
to investigate the lumber timber lands
and saw lavish waste of timber all
about him. In 1864 the firm made its
first investment. They bought Chip
pewa land for song, then they bought
more land, additional sawmills and start
ed and the partners were on the road
so prosperity.
A few years later Weyerhauser began
to branch out more extensively, and be-
gan the organization of the powerful
"Weyerhauser syndicate" He was made
president of the Mississippi River Boom
& Logging company, and for many years
this was the governing body in his
known transactions. As the business
grew he formed many new partnerships,
and his secretiveness increased with the
of his enterprises.
With his wife and family he lived in
large but unpretentious house in sub
urb of st. Paul. His boys were given
excellent educations, but were made to
work in the camps and mills TO acquire
practical knowledge of the business.