A NOTED AMERICAN.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12470, 22 February 1909, Page 4

A NOTED AMERICAN.

Mr Claus Spreckels, who died in San Francisco a few weeks ago, was ' «known to New Zealanders as the controlling "proprietor of the Oceanic Steamsnip Company. But he made his money 'out of sugar. He was born in Hanover in 1826, emigrated in 1844" and settled in San Francisco in 1856. He opened a general store and made money rapidly. He. had; watched ihe sugar-worker shrewdly,, and' soon made up his mind that there Was a "fortune to be made by.' a bold stroke.-- He established a refinery in Calif ofnia; obtaining bis raw sugar from 'Hawaii. Selling out at a profit, he disappeared for a space, and then arrived m New York from Germany with plans of new- machinery_and a knowledge of new methods. Returnirig to California, he was sqon^buildinca new" factory, and a trip to Hawaii enabled him to acquire a huge, plantation and erect mills. _or his own. He contracted to .take the whole of the Hawaian output, -. and then spent £400,000 on . a new factory, on the Pacific coast. ; .His alarmed the sugar kings of the_east, who invaded California. . Mr Spreckels retaliated by establishing a. refiuerv in Philadelphia at a cost, of nearly a million sterling.. -A fierce vau raged until 1892, when Mr SpreckeTs' interests, in-Philadelphia were bought bv the eastpm ring at a price Which left him £200,000 clear profit was wealthy enough then to Sve iachSis f our^children £200,000 by'wav of -celebrating 'his victory. A^ter 1892 Mr Spreckels had the western market to himself, and + the combination of which he was the head continued to make onormp-os prohts, o-csediug those even of the. jNew_ypik combination, led by : "Knur ;Havemeyer. Mr Spreckels owed his s\iccess in the sugar business- to his .early appreciation -of the .value of modern, scientific methods. -:': ' -.

s Mr> Barry O'Brien, who for a -time edited the . "Speaker," and. was the intimate counsellor of Parnell during the most critical days of ithe Home Rule movement ,Ka's written a :book on ' 'DubHn Castle and Its Rule."