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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1900)
JOHN INSLKE BLAIB. AMASSED $60,000,000 AND LIVED TO HIS 98TH YEAR. Ie Was the Owner of More Railroads than Any Other Man and Was Also the Biggest Land Owner in the United States. One of the richest of Americans, John Inslee Blair, died at his home In Blairs town, N. J., from old age, being In his ninety-eighth year, For a very rich man he was comparatively unknown and his entire life was passed on and near the Delaware IUver, where it di vides Northern New Jersey from Penn sylvania, which tended all the more to his obscurity. But his departure opens up to view a rare and splendid charac ter who made the most of his opportuni ties and the possibilities for rapid en richment only to be found In our own country. Mr. Blair came of Scotch blood, his ancestors settling in New Jersey in 1720. They were Presbyterians of the most orthodox type. The subject of this sketch was born Aug. 22, 1802, at J3elvldere, N. J. He was one of eleven c'.lldren, eight sons and three daugh ters. The first money he earned was by trapping rabbit's and muskrats and selling their skins at ?1 for sixteen. He fore he was 11 years old he was a clerk In the general store of his brother, at Hope, N. J. At 17 he owned a store of his own. He became postmaster at Butts' Bridge. He started two of his brothers in business and they, too, prospered. At one time he had five gen eral stores In as many towns. He es tablished the Belvldere Bank In 1831. A cotton mill fell Into his hands and he operated It for several years. He bought a cargo of cotton which was supposed to be damaged, but which was Injured very little, and In one year made $115, 000 an enormous profit In those days. JOHN I. BLAIR. He had also four flouring mills In oper ation at one time in Warren County, He accumulated real estate In large quantities through trade, and canie to be a wholesale merchant. Soon he was well on to being a millionaire. Then he tried to make Iron with anthracite coal at Slocum Hollow, now Scranton, Pa., In 1843, and became Interested In the Scranton Coal and Iron Company. It was through his financial backing that this company was enabled to sup ply the Erie Railway, then building near Port Jervis, with rails. The com pony was reorganized, with Mr. Blair as principal owner. It obtained a char ter for a railroad from Scranton to Great Bend, called Leggett's Railroad, and which was to connect with the Erie. This was the real beginning of the Del aware,' Lackawanna and Western sys tem. For some-years the company had to send out men to teach people to use anthracite coal. Many declared that It 'would not burn. In all the successive stages of the building of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, Mr. Blair was the master spirit, and his mercan tile genius caused him to profit Im imensely by the development of Scran ton. Mr. Blair caused the first auction sale of coal to be made In New York. Just iprlor to the war. By this means he kept the price of coal up and at the same time defeated the cry of monopo ly. Before the war there was little or no demand for Iron, but his company kept right on manufacturing It. Sud denly Iron rose to $50, $80 and then $100 a ton. A Railroad Builder. Mr. Blair next built a railroad In Iowa, then Joined Oakes Ames In or ganizlng the Union Pacific and con tructed its first hundred miles west from Omaha. He built railroads by the dozen In the West. The great un dertaklngs-of which he was the master toave never been duplicated by any oth ler American. Jay Gould at times had to accept his terms. He held the mort gage bonds of scores of railroad com ipanles, some of which were absolutely ia his power. He washed his hands of the Chicago and Northwestern Road to the extent of $2,000,000 worth of stock because he did not approve of the ex tension policy of the company. The money which he received for this stock he brought East In two satchels and de- A -posited personally In the Park Bank In A, New York City. In the building of all ' -(This Western roads Mr. Blair obtained enormous land grants as premiums. I connection with his work on the Unio Pacific he got 1.000,000 acres of land In'' iowa. ror completing the Iowa Falls and SJou.T City Uoad he obtained 700, 000 acres. With all this land on his hands Mr. Blair formed lan doom panics, and these companies, under his direc tion, laid out the sites for what are now more than 100 flourishing cities and towns In the West. At one time he was the largest land owner in the Uni ted States. It was In 1SC0 that he un dertook railroad building in the West. In that year he was sent as a delegate to tne Chicago convention which nom inated Abraham Lincoln for the Presi dency. A few years ago Mr. Blair, with con siderable pride, made th statement that he had built every road with which he had ever been connected for cash and without putting a dollar's worth of Its stock on the market to raise money. He calculated that iu his rail road operations he had spent $20,000, 000, all of which he either advanced himself or raised among his friends. The fortune left by Mr. Blair Is not less than $00,000,000 and may reach $70.- 000,000. His home In Blalrstown. which he founded, was a simple one for one with such vast possessions. As his millions came to him he never thought of leav ing his two-story frame house, with Its green shutters and the cupola In the center of the flat roof. That was suffi cient. So he lived to the end of his life, simple and homely, hating ostentation aiid loving and being loved In return by everyone who dwelt In his town. An enthusiastic Republican, in 1808, his party made him candidate for Gov ernor, but he was beaten at the polls. The campaign cost him $90,000. WEAPONS OF ANIMALS Claws, Teeth, Horns and Hoofs All Come Handy at Times. Many animals, Including both those that kill and those that are killed, are endowed with special means of offensive and defensive combat. The latter are often furnished with weapons of effec tive value, such as the horns of cattle and goats and the hoofs of horses, says the Philadelphia Times. Even some of the largest animals, which are not carnivorous and may be said to have no enemies, po.-soss spi-clal organs that they can use for Inflicting wounds. Such are the tusks of the elephant, the horn of the rhinoceros and the antlers of the moose. Their primary purpose, however, Is to aid In procuring food and In cleaving a way through forest and jungle. With beasts and birds of prey weap ons of attack are Indispensable. Among the most highly developed are the retractile claws of the cat family, thecutting and tearing teeth of the wolf family and the talons of eagles and hawks. Even in lower forms of life we find highly specialized weapons, chief among which are the fangs of venom ous serpents and the stings of bees, wasps and hornets, rendered far more effective by the presence of a powerful and sometimes deadly poison. While noting the liberal endowment of creatures that prey upn anlinnl-i. we must not lose sight of the fact that certain vegetarians are also well equip ped with weapons of combat. The males of the bovine and the goat tribes In the wild state use these weapons largely In their combats with riva's of their own species, while the females employ them chiefly In defense of their young. The bull fights with the head down. often with the eyes closed; and the horns, being usually short and nearly straight, can be used only one at a time, aided by the toss of the powerful neck The horns of the cow In all the com moner breds are turned somewhat for ward so as to be of the utmost service, and the faithful mother fights for her calf against dog or wild beast with her head raised and eyes wide open. A stag brought to bay sometimes presents his antlers to the hunter. With some species these branching horns are shed at certain seasons, and during their renewed growth are for a time soft and useless as weapons. They gain strength aud toughness at the season when rivalry and battles between the males are iu order, and It Is, therefore. natural to Infer that the antlers arc Intended chiefly for this purpose. Against many foes however, man In eluded, the deer family find their best weapons In their hoofs, with which thpv strike and cut as with knives, sometimes killing dogs, wounding hunt ers and at other times cutting colled rattlesnakes into pieces. Advice from th Galler. Of the Dublin gallery boys a famous i,nrinni in his reminiscences, tells some facetious tales-one of "Faust," in which he played Valentine. After the" duel, Martha, who rushed In at the head of the crowd, raised his head and held him In her arms, during the first part of the scene, and cried oui, In evident alarm: "Oh. what shall I do?" There was a deathlike stillness In the house, which was Interrupted by vol from the gallery calling out: 'Unbutton his weskit!" London Spare Moments. We like to see a girl yawn at 9 o'clock In the evening; It Is a sign that she Is accustomed to going to bed at a reason able hour, and does not bum around every night with bum young men. POTTER PAlMER, OF CHICAGO Ha la Much More than the Husband of a Famous Woman, The newspaper reading world knows much about Mrs. Potter Palmer, of Chicago. She sprang before the public eye as the president of the Woman's Board of Managers of the World's Fair. More recently, her successful manage ment of the love affairs of Count Can tacuzene and Miss Julia Grant, her niece, has kept alive the public Interest In this forceful aud attractive woman. Like Mary Ellen Lease, she eclipsed her husband,' of whom little ever ap pears In print. And yet Pottev Talmer Is a great business man, one of the real makers of Chicago and a power In the financial world one of those silent forces, which contribute so much to the world's progress. Potter Palmer was a young man when he located In Chicago fifty years ago. He Invested a few thousand dol lars In a dry goods store and soon had the cream of the city trade. His sur plus cash went into real estate and the soil was fertile. He was a wealthy man when, at the close of the war, he took into partnership with him Mar shall Field and Levi Loiter. State street, now Chicago's leading thor oughfare, was then a narrow, dirty lane. Lake street was the commercial center. Potter rainier proposed to make State street the commercial cen ter. Men ridiculed him, but he went over to the despised street, bought a mile of frontage and commenced build ing commercial palaces. His firm oc cupied the first and other firms quick ly took others. When the fire of 1871 came, Potter Palmer owned thirty-two buildings on State street. Ail were de stroyed. He borrowed $3,000,000 and rebuilt them, better and stronger than before. Then he looked about for a spot where he might build a home. What Is now the magnificent boulevard known as the North Shore drive was then a heap of sand. Here he built and sold adjoining property to the best class of people. The boulevard Is the result. Then he built the Palmer House, Chicago's finest hostelry In his day, which it Is now said he will tear POTTER PALMER. down In the near future and erect In Its stead a commercial palace. These are a few of the things he has done for Chicago. He has never de sired political honors, never sought them. He might have won honors In this field, but they were not to his lik ing. He has preferred to be the simple business gentleman, eager for the wel fare of his city, building always for the public weal as well as his own good. His later years are spent In the midst of artistic surroundings of his ex quisite home. There has always been In his nature that vein of sentiment which never desired that Chicago should be of the material only. Parks, boulevards, art treasures, music have to him always seemed as much a legiti mate part of the being of the city as mercantile establishments and steam roads. He has enriched Chicago in this direction also. A GREAT BOER LEADER. Gen. Cronje, Who Opposed the British at Modder Kiver. While Gen. Joubert, commander-in-chief of the Boer forces, Is the tactician, Gen. Cronje, who commanded the Boers it the Modder River, Is the burly fighter of the Transvaal army. Of the two Cronje Is the more representative Boer. Joubert, possibly from his French an cestry, Is a man of a certain polish, and can be Indirect when policy re quires. Cronje Is blunt and always to the point. His craft Is that of the hunt er, and thinly disguises the force that awaits only the opportunity. Gen. Cronje Is greatly admired by the Boers. They think Joubert Is a wonderful tactician and organizer, but they love Cronje, the silent man, of sud den and violent action. He Is no man's friend. His steel-gray eye peer out from under huge, bushy brows. He never speaks unless necessary, and then in the fewest words. He never asks a favor. When time for action comes he acts, and that with the force of fate, and with no consideration for himself or his men. Cronje Is a soldier and nothing else. He hates form. He hates politics, though a born leader of men. He was strongly urged to oppose Kruger for the Presidency In 1808, but he would not. He will have none of any rule but that of the rifle. He despises cities. He Is a man of the velt. It was Cronje who rounded up the Jameson raiders and. says a writer,) nis maneuvering on t hat occasion was that of a Cromwell. So far as my mem- ory carries. Cronje was not even specif- icauy thanked by the Volksraad for his great service to the state. He was a burgher; it was his duty to repel the invader; he repelled him and there the matter rested. "They would have censured him had he failed; they refrained from comment when he succeeded. "Cronje, riding back to Pretoria. had before existence was made safe, they no guard of honor to receive him, no save killed GO 0,;0 of the inn Jceut, grace great civic function to fete him, no ful giraffes. In the early days of South GUN. CRONJE. sword of honor to adorn him. He whs plain Peasant Cronje, returning, heavy hearted, from his wounded son's pallet In Krugersdorp Hospital, somewhat weary in the bones from those long hours In the steaming saddle, nowise elated, nowise altered from his every day demeanor. "Since then Cronje has received a seat In the Executive Council, and is now a personage with a substantial state salary; but the man Is In no way changed. He is as Individual as Kru ger, strong in the faith of his own gen eralship as Joubert." PcT SUPERSTITIONS. Borne that Influence Mostly All Sort ! of People. Dr. Samuel Johnson would never enter a room left foot foremost; the brave Marshal Saxe screamed lu terror at the sight of a cat; Peter the Great was not equal to crossing a bridge when he came to it, unless to do so was absolutely necessary; Byron shared with less famous people than he the dislike to having the salt at table spill ed between him and his neighbor. A sneeze Is with half the uatous of the world uolhlngto be sneezed at. To ex- r claim "God bless you" when any one sneezes lu your presence Is a relic of what the Roman did before us, and be fore him the Greek. Mohammed gives directions of the same kud to his fol lowers, aud the Hindu of to-day utters his pious ejaculation after the sneeze by way Qf prayer or good wish on be half of the victim. Many people will avoid going under a ladder If they can get around It. The belief that If you put on your stocking the wrong side out It Is lucky Is very general, or was until the schoolmaster returned from abroad; and I myself remember an old woman who was con vinced that turning her stocking luslde out saved her from being lost when the fairies, one pteh-dnrk n'glit, had mis led her on a trackless English moor. What Is to take the place of a lucky horseshoe when we nil ride In automo biles? There Is no room for the Im agination in them. Some new mascot will have to be discovered. Charms of one kind or another are carried by peo ple that have a pious contempt for hen- then superstitious; a small potato, for example, to avert rheumatism, or a chestnut. The late journalist, George Augustus Snla, never traveled without carrying with lilm, as a lucky card, an ace of spades. Somehow it failed to save him from his creditors. But creditors are notoriously deficient In Imagination. If Shylock had remem bered this when lie drew up his bond "The Merchunt of Venice" would never have been written.-Rochester Post Express. AdTiun to a Daughter. If you want to please the men, Dnughter mine; Learn a little bit of art, Some good poetry by heart. Languages to wit impurt, Music fine. Know the proper way to dress, How to comfort ami (-arena. Dunce a little, goHsip less. Daughter mine. If you wont to please the men, Duughter mine; Study how to muke a cuke, Learn to stew and boil and bnke. Say you cook for cooking's sake, How divine Be a housewife, all the rest Counts but little, truth confessed, Such girls always marry best, Daughter mine. What to Eat. People are always surprised when the engagement of a real quiet girl Is announced, but, as a rule, they land the best man. It Is all right for a woman of 30 to say she feels as young as she did at 18, but she never looks It. Were It not for the bliss of Ignorance some people would always be unhappy, HUTHLESS SLAUGHTER. The Boer. Have Killed Ov- nnnm Graceful Giraffes. -Ihe creditable work of the Boers in freeing South Africa of the dreaded lions, which roamed lu such numbers that life was rendered unsafe anywhere Iu the country, is offset by their ruth- less destruction of the giraffe froru Cape Colouv to the Botletli Itlver. It they killed G.(MM) linns In th 'lVnnavnni African history the giraffe was the most abundant game iu the TransvaaL Matabe'eluud aud Oiauge Fiee State, but the creature has been killed off like our American buflnlo. and the few re maining representatives of a noble race gradually driven north. For years past the giraffe has been a profitable quarry for the Boer hunters, and the animal was valued by them only because the hides were articles of commercial use. They were pot hunted, shot down in droves, aud destroyed In the greatest number possible lu every direction. A good giraffe skin Is worth from $10 to $20 in South Africa to-day, and much, more lu Europe. Ou their hunting trips 10 and 15 years ago It was u common matter for one hunter to kill 40 aud 00 of these graceful aulmuls In one day. The reason for this is that the giraffe Is the most Inuocent of animals and is easily hunted. It Is absolutely defense less, aud there is haruiy a cuso ou record where a wounded giraffe turned upon the hunter. It Is true giraffes have great powers of speed, and they can dodge rapidly from tree to tree ia the woods, but they offer such a fair mark that these tactics hardly ever save them. The hide of the animal Is Its chief article of value. No wonder that the bullets often fail to penetrate this skin, for it Is from three-quarters to an Inch thick, and as tough as It Is thick. The skin, when cured aud tanned, makes excellent leather for certalu purposes. The Boers make riding whips and san dals out of the skins they do not send to Europe. The bones of the giraffe have also a commercial value. The leg bones are solid instead of hollow, and lu Europe they are iu great demand for manufacturing buttons and other bone articles. The tendons of the giraffe are so strong that they will sustain an enormous dead weight, which gives to them pecuniary value. HORSES NOT YET SUPERSEDED. Automobiles Will Continue Too Ex- pensive for Common Use. When the bicycle became so popular several years ago the enthusiasts claim ed that the death kuell of the horse had been sounded They argued that it didn't cost anythlug to keep a bicycle, while a horse, when he wasn't being used, was eating his head off. But the horse survived and the bicycle fell from popular favor. Now the automobile appears ou the scene, and we again hear talk of a Inrselcss age. "To be sure, the automobile is very expensive as yet," the enthusiast will tell you, "but that condltiou of affairs cannot last long. See how the bicycle was forced down In price." Then he will tell you that the horse Is doomed. He forgets that the mere cost of an automobile Is only an Item. A Philadelphia lawyer, who has Just returned from Paris, which Is automobile crazy, fays that the cost of maintaining one would bank rupt the ordinary citizen. "There are plenty to choose fiom," lie remarked, "with steam, gasoline, petroleum or electric motors. These range In price rrom $H00 for a motor cycle to $3,000 for heavy rigs sutable for carrying four persons and a driver. While In Paris I busied myself to the extent of finding out how much It cost to operate one of these carriages. For a year it's about as follows: Gasoline, $87.50; lub ricating oil, $5.45; repairs to carriage, $102.50; repairs to machinery, $185; repairs to tires, $27.50; sundries, $01.80; depreciation, $1.10; tax, $50; servant, $200. That makes a total of $872.75. Remember, this Is for Paris, where my calculations are based upon the actual experience of a friend of mine. But they can't vary much lu this country." Philadelphia Record. Society Tor 8nck-l ming In a neighboring Long Island village the young men have a new privilege. On paying ten cents a week they can have their socks darned by the belles of the village, who have o.ganlzed themselves Into the "Giddy Girls Darn ing Club." One of the young ladles no ticed a hole In the hose of a young man who was paying her a social visit the other night, and. on comparing notes, It was found that many of the other girls of the village had been Impressed by the fact that the beaux of the placo needed help lu keeping their socks ia order. The young man who was ad mitted to the privileges of the club must not be in the hnblt of smoking, drinking, playing cards, or doing any thing renl naughty. All he has to do then Is to pay ten cents a week and wear his socks Into ns many holes as pleases him. New York Cor. Pittsburg Dlspntch. Hope makes a man believe that, some thing will happen which he knows will not. It Is said that many a model woman earns a living by trying on cloaks.