Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-03-22
were distributed by Republican com
paign committees.
First Financial Undertaking.

First Financial Undertaking.
His first financial undertaking wal
the reorganization of the Lawson
Story Service company. He lost large
amount just after this successful coup
when he tried to rebuild the Rand
Avary Publishing company. But he
rccouped quickly by operating in West
inghouse Electric.
He lost another fortune in southern
land "booms," especially the Grand
River Land company. Then came his
great Bay State- Gas operations, which
made him thousands Of enemies ant
thousands Of friends. Out of the maze
Of conflicting stories 1t is impossible
to determine just how much Lawson
had to do with what happened. Suffice
1t to say that under Lawson's master
hand the stock Of this company gy.
rated to glddy heights and then sanA
into the abyss, having today a nominal
value of II cents share.
Lawsons operations had now be.
come gigantic. He entered the "sys.
tenn" as he himself explained, with
the object Of combining all the copper
interests Of the country.
Here one again becomes involved If
a mass Of disputed details. Lawson
sold Butte and Boston Copper stock
short from $40 share to Is cents
cleaning up fortune. Then he began
to buy, and urged his friends to buy
saying he believed in the future Of the
company. He paid $40 share assess
ment, acquired a majority Of the stock
and soon was~hvited to Join the group
including Fl. H. Rogers, John D. Rookie.
Teller and others of the standard Oh
crowd" in consolidating all the cop,
per companies Of the United States
What happened Lawson describes al
length in "Frcnzied Finance" but few
Of his statements regarding the matter
stand unchallenged.
Made Great Fortune.
AT any rate Lawson pulled out with
q great fortune, and changed from &
friendly to hostile attitude toward
the standard Oil crowd" whom he
now vigorously denounced.
He built up great financial "fol.
lowing" of investors and small specu.
lators, whom he influenced by spread.
eagle newspaper advertisements in
nanboyant style.
OF late years his name is not heard
so often, and his financial influence has
declined.
Besides finance, Lawson is intensely
Interested in flowers, paintings, bronzes
yachts and horses. And he has one
other great hobby-his six children.
For his wife, who was Miss Good.
Willie Of Cambridge, he paid $4,000
to get the famous flower now called
the "Afrs. Thomas w. Lawson pink"
He bought the yacht Dreamer and
other craft and built beautiful Mas
sachusetts country mansion, Dream
world. He bred famous thoroughbreds
on his Massachusetts farm. He took
his stables to Europe, and raced in
many countries.
No sketch Of Lawson would be com.
plcte without the story of how he built
a city, was elected it's first mayor, and
sold it-charter, highways, city hall
police department, fire apparatus
wharves, public franchises and all-fo1
goodly sum.
In 1890 he BECAME interested in the
rich coal and iron bearing region in
the state OF Kentucky along the banks
of the Tennessee and Cumberland riv.
crs. He conceived the idea of city
in that portion Of Kentucky lying be-
tween the two rivers. BY coincidence
this bit of land was then also the
center of population Of the nation. He
named his city Grand Rivers, and
hustled it into being with no delay. He
WAS a great sight rushing about his
municipality in SLOUGH hat, flannel shirt
and top boots.
But life in Grand Rivers soon irked
him. lie sold out and came to New
York for real action-which took the
CORN of a spectacular bear campaign
in General Electric.
Million In Sugar.
In March, 1890, Lawson made
million dollars, he admitted, by specu.
ation in sugar stock; but he said this
was no more than he had lost in this
same stock on previous occasions.
How Lawson does things was shown
in his purchase of the bay gelding
Eoralma. III October, 1890, the fnan-
cier paid visit to Lexington, KY, for
the purpose Of attending the running
Of the Kentucky Tuturity. Boralma,
who had stepped the mile in 200, was
pointed out to him Us the probable win
ner.
|
So he bought the horse for $4,000,
~ condition that Borallna won the Tu-
lurity. Then he entered the betting
ring and put up $4,000 on his pur-
chase. Boralrla won, and Lawson not