Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-28
FORTUNES MADE
AND THEN LOST
BY T, w. LAWSON

ANU InCW lOSI
BY T. w. LAWSON
CONTINUED from First pagcD
cleaning up IL fortune. Then he began
To buy and urged his friends to buy.
saying he believed In the future OF the
company. lie paid "a S10-a-Sharc as
scssmcnt. acquired Il majority Of the
stock and soon was invited To join the
group, Including H. H. Rogers. John
ID. Rockefeller and others of the stand
ard oil crowd in consolidating all
the copper companies of the United
states, What happened Lawson dc
scribcs at length in "Frcnzicd Finance"
hut few OF his statements regarding
the matter stand unchallcugcd.
At any rate. Lawson pulled out with
great forum" aud changed from :,
friendly I" Il hostile attitude toward
the Standard oil crowd whom lac
now vigorously denounced.
BUILDS TT FINANCIAL
FOLLOWING or INVESTORS
lie built up a great financial FOL
lowing" Of investors and small spccu
lators whom he Influenced by spread
eagle newspaper advertisements in
iamboyRnt style.
Of late years his name has not been
heard 80 often. and his financial influ-
cnce declined
beside finance. Lawson is intense
ly interested in flowers. paintings,
bronaes. yachts and horses. And he
has ono other great hobby-his six
children.
For his wife. who was Miss Good
willie, OF Cambridge. lie paid $4,000
10 get the famous nower now called
"thc Mrs. Thomas W. Lawson pink.
He bought the yacht Dreamer and
other craft and built "a beautiful hassn =
rhusctts country mansion. Dream :
void" He bred famous thoroughbr"hs
on his Massachusetts farm. lie took
his stables 10 Europe. and raced in
many countries.
No sketch Of I.awsp would be com
plctc without the story Of how ho built
city. was elected it's first Mayor. and
sold it-charter. highways. city Hall.
police department. fir" apparatus.
wharvcs. public franchises and all
Tor Eoodly sum
In 1890 he became Interested in the
rich coal and iron-bcaring region in
tho State OF Kentucky along the banks
Of the Tennessee and Cumberland
Rivers lie conceived the idea OF a
city in that portion OF Kentucky lying
between the two rivers. BY coinci-
dcncc. this bit Of land was then also
tho center OF population Of the nation.
lie named his city Grand Rivers. and
hustled il into being with no delay.
But life in Grand Rivers soon be-
came irksome for him lie sold out
and came to New York for real action
which took the form Of Is Spectacular
hear campaign in General Eicctri"
MADE si.NOO.O00 N
SUGAR SPECTLiTION
In March. 1879 Lawson made il.OoD =
ooG. he admitted. by Speculation in
sugar stocks Ru, ne said this was no
more than he had lost In This same
stock on previous occasions
How Lawson does things was shown
ia his purchase az the bay g.lding
Borslma. In October 1899. the fuau-
cicr paid a visit TO I.cxington ny. for
tn" purpose OF attending Tn" running
az the Kentucky Futurty Boralrna.
who had stepped the milo IN .:or was
pointed out 10 him as IA" prcbabl.
winner.
So lie boush, the horse for Sl7. 400
on condition tina, Eoralma Won the
Futur!ty. Then he entered tn" betting
ring and put up $4,000 on his pur-
chase. Boralma won. and lawson not
only got "A fine horse, but much more
than enough 10 pay for IL
In the midst Of the Analramat.d
copper consolidation Lawson flashed
into the public eye by riding from
Hoston 10 New York IN e special train
al the rate OF ninety miles an hour
for the entire distance He ala ii IN
four hours and fifteen minutes. while
tn" fastesh regular train takes FIVE
hours. lie said Rogers aud Eockcfcl-
Immediately for important business
l.awsons Office III EoSt"n looks NOR.
like an art museum than a broker =
sanCtun. Fine flowers. hronzcs and
rare hooks surround him and compete
for room with tn" stock ticker. one
Of the great sorrows OF l.awsou's liza
was when lie failed to secure the four
famous bronzcs by Julian exhibited in
French salon.