Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-11-22
FROM PRISON CELL
TO POTASH KING
BY International News Service.

6y IntcFHatoHdt NeWs Scf''Se'
Denver, Col. Nov 22.-From
prison cell in the Colorado peniten-
tiary at Canon City. 10 the :Potasl
King of America. and poSsessor OF q
fortune estimated at close 10 $4,000.
600 is the romantic story OF Frank l..
Huen, owner OF thousands OF acres
OF Highly productive potash swamps
in Nebraska.
Hulen was in Denver recently. and
met his former jailer. Tom lyman,
warden OF the state penal institution.
Hulen has never forgotten the war.
denis friendship, displayed when
parole was secured through Tynan's
efforts. and at a dinner given lyman
here the man who once laid stones
in prison garb. recouted 1, his ex.
periences. euy
Hulen left Oklahoma in 1910. trek.
king up through Colorado and then
on into Wyoming. While prospec-
ing for oil in the latter state he was
arr ested in Colorado by Bertha Fen.
nell Hulen and Charlotte Richards
Hulen, both claiming him as their
husband.
Hulen was sentenced from Jeffer.
son county, Colorado. to two years
in the penitentiary. His faithfulness
to duty and the thoroughness with
which he performed the arduohs
tasks around the stone pile" al
tracted Warden Tysan. who assigned
him to clerical work In the prison
office. Later lyman secured bis pa
role. ..a
While waiting for trial In the
county jail at Golden on the bigamy
charge Hulen had become infatuated
with the sheriff's daughter there.
who frequently alleviated the pining
Of those in the custody OF her father
by furnishing sweets and performing
small kindnesses for the unfortunate
Inmates.
I Following his release from the
Canon City institution Hulen went to
Golden. While attending lectures at
the Colorado School of Mines he was
deeply impressed with the declaration
! OF professor in chemistry, who. in
describing sample OF water sent
from a lake in Nebraska for analysis.
said that the sample showed traces
OF potash that indicated the POSSIBLE
ity OF immense wealth in the territory
that produced it were developed
Hulen quickly won the hand of
Miss Dennis, the sherlff's daughter,
and the couple started for Nebraska
He built hut on the edge of a vast
swamp and for six months the newly
~eds underwent many privations. To
the bride 1t was scene OF desOlation
but Hulen saw visions of untold
wealth In the dreary surroundings
He acquired as much of the territory
as possible. including large lake
adjacent TO the swamp land, and
evolved his plans for the manufacture
Of potash.
When the British shipping blockade
cut of the supply of German potash
Hulen was prepared to furnish Uncle
Sam with sufficient potash to orfse,
the loss OF the Teuton supply He
had the potash. but was handicapped
by very limited capital for putting
1t in marketable condition.
Followed many legal entanglements
with Nebraska bankers. but after
months OF litigation Hulen won his
hight with the capitalists. and now
controls approximately SIS per cent OF
the potash output of the United
States He has an immense plant at
Antioch, Neb. and IL rapidly accumu.
lating fortune that may rival the
wealth OF a Carnegie or Rockefeller
Hulen. In his affluence. still keeps
In touch with Warden lyman, and re.
plenishes the exchequer OF many of
his former prison mates as they are
released from custody.