American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-10-16

fashion. Afterward he secured tempo
rary rough work at various mills along
Puget Sound.
His first job In British Columbia
was the whitewashing Of a salmon
%cannery at the village OF Ladner, near
the mouth OF the Fraser river. His
wardrobe included overalls and a doz-
en- dress shirts-the latter relics OF his
grander days-but he had no socks.
From welding the whitewash brush
10 hauling the nets was the next step,
and Il was not long until the Prussian
Junker's sou was engaged in partner
ship with a r~Ough-neck fisherman
making nightly trips out into the Gulf
Of Georgia, and doing his share In one
o. the hardest and most dangerous
~callings IN the world, that Of a deep
aalmon-nsher
In two months. with the money OBJ
tanned from his salmOn-fishing, he was
enabled 10 purchase an ancient mare
and a Hight wagon. over night he
blOasOmed out as a prOduce-dealer,
buying poultry and dairy products
from the farmers Ina the vicinity OF
Ladner. These he brought 10 the city
OF Vancouver and sold them from
house 10 house IN opposition to the
Cinnamon. Business increased, and the
sfaid old Vancouver Club, a hoary and
most exclusive institution. to which
only the most elect held membership.
became his best customer.
But AlvO did not stay long In the
business. but went up by leaps and
bounds. Real estate clerk. then curb
broker. thcn large independent dealer
wore some Of his upward steps. until,
two years after he had sold his last
load OF produce 10 the Vancouver Club
he was himself a member"
One OF his first acts after joining
the club was TO entertain a visiting
German baron az dinner there. The
Courier says:
Noticing the waiter cycling him in
an unusual manner, Alvensleben. with
q wlnk at his guest. suddenly said:
Yes. by lingo. I'm the man who used
10 deliver chickens al the back door.
Now 30 on serving dinner, and stop
staring The baron was dumbfOund-
ed. but laughed heartily upon Alvens-
lcben's giving the story of his early
Struggles.
when the real estate boom struck
Vancouver IN 1905. Alvensleben was
quick 10 seethe opportunities in land
The old wild gambling spirit OF his
youthful days vas still strong IN him.
He was he man for the moment. reck-
less, willing TO take chances, and a
born mixer. He cabled relatives in
Berlin. who had heard of his early
successes, and induced them TO invest
large sums Of money. His first in
tcstment yielded enormous and quick
profit. and thus established his pres
tige la Germany, for he promptly re-
paid the investors with a 1000 per cent
} ON their money. In the next three
years he made several visits To Ger
mony. brought men of royal blood TO
, the Pacific coast, and was given sew
cral audiences with the Kaiser. whose
accredited representative he became.
lu all probability. az a very conserva-
tive estimate. Alyensleheu caused 500
100000 of German capital To be invest
3 ed in British Columbia and Washing.
f. ton state
In 1918. Otter a romantic courtship.
hc married Edith Mary Westcott, "a
! popular Vancouver girl. daughter of
: one of The leading society matrons.
Following the marriage the |financier
I purchased the largest private estate
? in NancOuvcr's most select residential
district, Point Grey. where he erect
3 ed q magnificent home. His name.
high foreign connections. and expendi-
ture ON entertainment that set O hith-
erto unknown mark In the very Brit.
ish city Of Vancouver. quickly brought
him valuable social connections.
His business ventures ~broadened
with astounding rapidity. but most OF
his purchases for himself and clients
were made on agreements. with the
y expectations of making big margins
= in the prevalent boom. A good sales.
man himself. he was also the easiest
mark for wildcat schemes who ever
y came out of Europe. owing TO his gamb.
ling mania. soon his companies be.
came loaded up with timber lands
bought at inflated prices, wild lands
doubtful mining leases. Alberta OF
y shares. and other unproduCtive assets
= Some of his wealthy clients wished
their useless o n upon him. whom n,
Il was forced To maintain in his office a
J. high salaries.
In 1912 the first trouble arose ovel
! dividends not being forthcoming from
e his Investments. He was still stronl
: in Berlin and went there aud raisee
~ fresh capital with which he succeeded
2 In p%lacating some OF his investors Their
, he was attacked in a Vancouver Ger
~ man paper which charged him witt
ID INSCRIPTIONS methods I'm handlius
foreign capital Copies of this wer,
mailed TO Berlin 20 members OF tn,
q Reichtag by the Vancouver editors
and the matter was brought up fol
discussion by that body. Alyo wa,
game lie sued the local paper anC
secured Judgment Ia a criminal &C
uon against the editors. But the IA.
y was in the fire as far as his German
Z clients were concerned
I This was the beginning Of his down
J ward career. He managed 10 keep his
affairs afloat until. as we read.
In the early part ofl91t the finan
cier's creditors. both In Europe an,