Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-07
LAWSON s DREAM
SHATTERED BY SALE
OF HOME At AUCTION
BY ALLAN HASTINGS
(Leased Wire Service to The JournaI.)
downright. 1927

BOSTON, Mass, Oct. Son Fri
day, the fatal thirteenth" auction
GERS will be busy in Dreamwold, won
derful shore estate of Thomas w.
Lawson, in Plymouth county. The
most noted show place Of New Eng.
land will go under the hammer on
the day and date which is most
closely associated with the whirlwind
financier who, unable longer to stand
the financial gaff, has thrown up
the sponge.
Lawson's collapse is another trag-
edy of the street" of which he
hasNso often written in bitter terms.
It had been known that he was up
against it for ready. cash. But
always there has been the under
standing that he had safeguarded his
estate so that. come what might he
would retain its title and the an
nouncement that it is to be sold to
the highest bidder was a real shock
to most of his acquaintance.
Lawson himself, missing for some
time, is safe, his sister says.
His health has not been the best
for some time. His children all are
married and he has been more or
less Of a recluse from society, seclud-
ing himself at Dreamwold in recent
months. While he kept up occasional
appearances at his offices on State
street, this city, his intimates have
been compelled to comment on the
fact he no longer was the slashing,
fearless crusader of the days of
"frenzied finance"
Large Claims Against Him
Claims against Dreamwold total
$225,000 mostly in the form Of mort
cages by local banks and bills owed
local merchants and storekeepers.
There has been strong pressure on
Mr.. Lawson who, after ALL was rated
as "slow pay" in the credit books.
He purchased the initial part of
the estate twenty-five years ago and
gradually added to it until it con-
tains 210 acres. It is said that ST.
100000 was spent on the grounds
before single building was erected
and that it represents today an in
vestment of $2,250,000 although only
assessed for $292,000.
/ Dreamwold hall, with its twenty
five rooms contains many valuable
art treasures, including his famous
collection of some several hundred
elephants carved from every con-
ceivable sort of material. The Love
Nest" a small home constructed
early in Mr.. Lawson's proprietorship
as a place where he and his wife
could retire for quiet when the chill
dren were young, also is to be sold.
Mrs. Lawson died in 1906 and her
tomb is near. the Love Nest in the
shrubbery. It is to be removed be-
fore the sale.
Although dead sixteen years, there
always has been a place set at the
table for Mrs. Lawson, while her
grave has been adorned daily with
fresh-cut flowers tenderly laid on the
greensward and the shrubbery has
been carefully kept. 1t was Mr.
Lawson's custom to visit the grave
whenever he came home to say a
prayer for the dead, his first and
only love.
The entire estate was the culmi-
nation Of Lawson's dreams. He rose
from poor boy to- a commanding
figure in national finance but always
he was happy in his home life. He
lavished his wealth on his wife and
children. He adorned his home with
old masters, sculpture of the rarest
type, wonderful rugs. and almost
priceless bric-a-brac.
The upleep of the place was ire
mendous and friends say that in re-
cent years the owner seemed to- tire
of it and that this may be the real
reason why he has transferred it to
trustees to be sold.
Book Collector
Floating to the breeze an Amer
lean flag has been conspicuous for
miles attached to the top of the great
steel mast of the famous schooner
Independence which he built with
the hope that the yacht would be
selected to defend the Americas cup
years ago. Picturesque staturay.
elephants predominating, dotted the
landscape about the buildings.
Lawson also was a great book col
lector and some Of the rarest first
editions \in existence are in the
houses. At one time his glorious
horses were the talk of the entire
country winning prizes at every big
Fshow. He built a private riding acad.
envy seating 5000 people and barn
500 feet long. In the former annu
ally he gave q horse show to which
the elite of society were glad to be
invited. On the estate was half
mile track, with grandstand and all
of the fixings. His kennels were lit.
tie less famous while his herd of
thoroughbred cattle was the best
that money could buy.
For the employees there was a club
gymnasium and recreation rooms
while he maintained a private bank
in which they could invest their saw
ings. But with the sale next week
the end will come to his dream and
already it is believed that the great
establishment will be cut up into
smaller places for less ambitious mil
lionaires.
No one knows what his future
plans are. There Is natural specula.
ton whether he will attempt to stage
a comeback. Btu he Is now an ole
man. the fires of youth have die
down, and it is doubtful whether he
could now command the resources
that would be required to re-estab
lish himself as a market operator on
a national scale.
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