New-York tribune., 1922-10-15

Eight years ago told you Of the coming
of to-day with its unrest, its fevered agitation,
its reckless desperation and its nearly gar
roted hope. You. .and the millions who waded
through my pens deluge of black venality
and scarlet business immortality and the yell
low-gray muck reservoired from dollar-mad
republics debauch--you who read my sFren-
zied Finance know how faithful it was to the
rapidly moving picture which obscures Amer
ica's future"
In this book Lawson pledged himself to tell
the people more about frauds But he was
getting to be an old story. Also most of the
dire sprophecies which he was fond of making
did not come to pass. But the publicity which
he had received proved great help to him in
several of his own stock 1otations.
When Lawson announced in series of ad-
vertisenents that he was investigating GER
tain copper property in Nevada and Utah.
many persons bought. The stock went from
SIS a share to 1915. The first days transac-
tlons on the New York curb were more than
10000 shares. But little while later adver-
tisements were printed in which it was said
that investigation of the company's properties
had convinced Lawson that he could not con-
scientiously sponsor the proposition The stock
fell within three hours to $3.50 share. The
public's losses were S2.0o0,00O in one day.
Later the stock dwnded to few cents share.
A direct "tip" advised the purchase of
Trinity copper stock-Lawson being president
of the eompany-"at any price under sos a
share" The stock went as high as SAG
share, later dropping to $3.50 and lower.
Lawson occasionally bonlbarded Wall Street
in recent years, but attracted little attention
He made sensational accusations about a
3'leak" at Washington, by which interested in
dividuals were supposed to have reaped finan-
cial benefit from President Wilson's peace
note in 1917, but questioning on the witness
stand failed to bring out anything definite.
Rumors came that Lawson's later stock VEN
lures were not successful. Then came the an
nouncement Of the pending sale Of his farm,
Dreamwold. This farm has been known as
his most cherished possession. Dreamwold is
located on q barren point Of land overlook
ing the sea near Boston. So barren was it
that it is said to have cost Lawson 100000
to clear the rocks off the land and get the
place in condition to grow anything. At one
time he had LOCO laborers employed on the
place. The estate is said to have cost any
where from s3,5o0,o00 to s6,000.000.
Lawson is now close to sixty-six years old.
His personal representative said the other day
that the broken has been in bad health.
Wall Street, too, has had its bad spellseven
worse than when some Lawsonian assault
tulnbled coppers and oils, in fact, pretty
nearly all things vegetable, animal and min
eraI. But, as q matter Of sad fact, the Street
had almost forgotten Lawson of Boston, owing
to its personal difficulties with another as
sailant--Fcrd Of Detroit. Lawson of Boston
wanted to take the gambling out Of Wall
Street by political processes. Ford of De-
troit wants to humble the Street by taking
away The dollars with which it plays and
giving it only dollars Of energy, which cannot
be inflated.
Probably there will be other opponents OF
Wall Strees, with other methods, but none Of
them will come better equipped for providing
spinal chiliy than Lawson Of Boston, who
would be assured q deep and permanent niche
ii the Hall Of Fame If he had dcne notkina
more than coin the term which long ago passed
into the common speech Frenzied Finances'