gates august known bet million gates industrialist pioneer promoter barbed wire born raised illinois enjoy farm life began offering neighbors business early age including sale homes local railroad started local grain failed gates began spending time local railroad station men previously sold invited join poker games gates cards games chance developed studying business law failed owner local hardware store gates interested barbed wire salesman assigned texas sales territory learned adamant buying product gates staged demonstration wire san_antonio military plaza charging cattle failing break barbed wire fences set proved successful selling company product went start barbed wire manufacturing business eventually led production steel process company purchased gates invited company fought morgan years series business acquisitions sales men key figures panic gates president later known instrumental changing steel industry production methods process open process building city port arthur texas biography early years gates born illinois known son gates older brothers george gilbert died time years old gates raised religious household mother mary religious deaths older sons involved harmless childhood grammar accused stealing collection barred attending church result gates raised family farm care farm life early age entered business proposition neighbor corn business venture clear land timber neighbor gates earned job selling timber homes railroad gates took money labor bought half interest machine type equipment new time farms owned gates partner hired work local farms season gates tired type work sold interest machine partner friend gates set local grain broker business family home business venture failure effort escape farm work took spending time railroad depot previously sold railroad men remembered asked join poker games gates found game anticipating cards men held play grain forgotten able losses card table attending house party near met fell love farmer daughter gates proposed house parties willing accept gates proposal wondered able provide wife income came winning railroad poker games father discovered gates poker game railroad men family barn told son good good mary stopped son leaving home realization needed education grammar school provided announced parents local college classes gates attended courses nearby graduated little opportunity new business education work financial panic began completing college work order able marry gates accepted type job year farm work gates married february marriage early business ventures gates tried revive grain business lost savings couple child gates returned old pattern playing poker thought seriously leaving town knowledge told husband needed help son financially start new business gates father law offered help daughter son law way purchased story brick building provided capital stock open hardware store business went gates able home gates began taking time away hardware store partner tried handle business able son born gates gates began complain soon baby birth times bed days business hardware store bad gates able afford rent family home rooms hardware store gates saying ill help moving packing hardware store gates met salesman barbed wire business result gates interested relatively new product announced intentions sell interest hardware store traveling salesman product wife mother favor plan trip san_antonio texas hired salesman barbed wire company assigned work texas gates quickly learned found friends poker playing companions came selling barbed wire buying watching medicine proprietor stage elaborate presentation noting people fought buy products sold gates decided similar production demonstrate merits barbed wire san_antonio military plaza gates provoked cattle charging barbed wire fence break gates went able sell product able fill orders quickly demonstration barbed wire steel business refusal grant partnership company gates traveled missouri partnership started compete equipment manufacture barbed wire come invented machine producing barbed wire similar identical baker resisted attempts buy gates sold product cheaper price long losing substantial business gates effort stop success company salesman filed injunction stop business suit filed claimed machines gates production product direct copy suit called gates pay damages company avoided process gates plan save company able rent building illinois moved equipment factory dark crossed mississippi_river machines jurisdiction business day gates hired attorney answer charges court judge ruled manufacturing process infringement patents machinery owned fire destroyed gates idea heard news approached merger idea manufacture idle barbed wire plant new company known continued buy wire companies strong sales went court time iowa federal judge ruled machinery created baker infringement patents time gates created syndicate barbed wire manufacturers produce methods ruling favor applied areas jurisdiction continued sent word asking meeting gates key figure accepted offers gates barbed wire legal issues ended selling patent rights gates syndicate wire manufacturers series acquisitions company went changes finally settling gates family moved chicago lived period years chicago attorney helped gates form syndicate led defeat called negotiate merger provided gates loans advice past morgan want gates merged company saying deal gates morgan offer gates telling welcome business management company board directors morgan continued saying gates accept offer intended build wire production plant railroads oil port arthur texas gates forgot merger month deal completed involved struggle men sought control chicago railroad hill financed needed access chicago interested stopping hill obtaining gates saw opportunity morgan refusal seat board began buying shares stock noted sudden rise stock prices traveled new_york consult morgan morgan hill stopped sales stock remained high stocks took steep drops selling short obtain stock cover faced large financial losses rumored gates short shares stock gates confirm deny rumors railroad stock gates continued search way morgan cutting found vulnerability morgan railroad holdings began buying large numbers shares morgan louisville nashville railroad decided add short line system board directors voted issue new shares stock finance new line clerical error offered stock sale listed gates saw offering purchased shares prior listing continued buying louisville nashville stock able gates shares railroad duplicate panic ensued year great northern railway shares learned events april found gates owned percent louisville nashville stock morgan decided act stop wall street panic asked gates terms sale gates wanted share stock offer morgan initially rejected dispatched aide talk gates best possible arrangements called gates suite deal louisville nashville cost morgan million gates making million profit transaction louisville nashville railroad incident gates found public opinion turned result gates talked associates submitting son membership new_york application went desk number weeks young gates brought vote members committee unanimous decision gates threatened sue club members denied charges morgan refusal gates withdrew charlie applications apparently resigned son member society traveled england couple wanted stay refused accept registration gates hotel list begun ran money continue drilling oil went gates funds continue gates obliged founded later known investment entitled gates percent company stock came year gates control port arthur docks railroad needed oil market port arthur gates influential development city port arthur texas took kansas_city december forced bankruptcy previous owner port arthur founder gates built winter home city contributed development gates owner port arthur canal held asset time gave canal government condition port arthur named international port entry gates founded bank built rice mill established port arthur light power ice company decided port arthur permanent residence town held celebration died visit son family december gates built honor memory large contributor built model farm city source fresh dairy products port arthur burned ground gates decided city needed good hotel replace proposed build called plaza site occupied gates easily afforded finance entire cost new hotel wanted port arthur residents equal share venture gates held local meetings happy discuss project building fund time local businessmen reached gates donated remaining project began built gates took great pleasure watching plaza hotel shape daily visitor construction site spanish mission style building erected hotel opened gates held special billion dollar banquet november guests men owned railroads board members successful men business seen wealthy powerful men residents impressed sight gates served hotel manager weeks operation hired african americans considered bold african americans barred living working city time steel industry hopes gates continued hopes able time rival steel trust sale louisville stocks morgan gates quietly began buying shares associates easily owned percent company stock shares company owner founder claimed shares valid said company listed transfer shares signature approval invalid went held shares company stock eligible attend annual meeting upheld opinion company board directors determined attend meeting gates hired special train meeting denver prepared gates arrival obtained injunction barring gates associates attending meeting doors colorado fuel iron guarded sheriff deputies armed gates angry refused entry meeting enraged learned described local high roller gates returned new_york try utilizing system legal continued stock company began dropping value time gates lost million unsure legal status announced willing meet gates halfway gates declined offer accused courts claimed receive legal ownership company apparently feeling long battle worth gates gave fight weeks later sold shares eventually wound family gates planned steel industry began buying shares main competitors south tennessee coal alabama able use inexpensive southern iron ore produce quality steel open process making price steel produced cheaper minerals needed open process readily found alabama gates envisioned bringing republic iron sheffield steel trust challenge august resigned seat republic board concentrate consolidating new_york transit system gates elected fill seat gates found like minded members board began talking consolidating steel companies brother wall street gates began purchasing shares iron preparation consolidation january ready outline plan potential members trust exception republic president thompson advised scheme declared trust republic member formal vote republic board members voted idea joining trust time gates able purchase shares iron controlling interest company gates riding high republic iron orders fill assessment open process steel production confirmed report report stated agent large railroad affiliated pronounced rails produced open process twice good process report went praise gates gates took usual summer holiday europe arriving paris met urgent owner board member iron advised gates business trouble asked return began short money necessary obtain large loans try offered million shares loans president bank member gates coalition believed bank sound financial condition new_york_times article stated told reporters paid million assets clearing house run bank books found bank sound interested tennessee coal stock found indicated stock acceptable security morgan proposed buy iron rescue involved company outlined plan change second mortgage bonds iron stock bonds acceptable clearing house able debts suggested president consulted action taken roosevelt given outline issue told institution fail takeover iron roosevelt wrote note attorney general stating learned troubled business felt object occurrence new_york_times printed iron stocks acceptable clearing house deemed assets cover deposits newspaper concluded wanted business competitor company worried act taken place gates able return new_york situation told members coalition agreed morgan terms gates realized choice submit shares stock insisted treated equally regard rate exchange shares promised holding smaller amounts stock said received compensation aftermath gates involved port arthur losing iron suffering kidney diabetes needed time away town business control able successfully battle liked company land taking usual summer holiday europe members republican_party texas nominated congress wired convention refuse nomination saying preferred participate financial contributions gates purchased animal stable performing horses idea creating circus port arthur early found growth throat growth times gates hardly able speak congress requests deal house_of_representatives formed committee examine dealings morgan company congressman kentucky named chairman committee long list persons testimony gates appeared testimony seriously ill evident thin pale planned trip paris consult doctors testimony gates spoke dealings louisville nashville railroad time control forcibly left paris committee session result hearings investigation practices years held belief saved country disgusted government nation citizens bet million gates maintained suite onwards paid yearly visits hotel manager times gates guests loud private entrance elevator gates habit elevator doors shouting service instructed elevator operators time serving floor allowed gates noise wished minutes gates suite home high stakes poker parties games poker games began train chicago new_york continued poker game lasted days nights million changed hands long resigned husband night poker games times upset gates practice diamonds vest pocket times angry late hours cards present gem wife suddenly forget anger diamond set piece jewelry choice gates won bet horse race england exaggerated million conferred nickname bet million recalled gates like nickname little claims bet practically oscar recalled rainy afternoon gates associates watched windows gates remarked drops window speed gates associates spotted moving rate pointed gates selected bet associate reach window associate took bet gates won race changed hundreds dollars thousands gates believed life farmer successful harvest planting crops merchant customers buy items ordering stock traveler arriving safely setting journey gates continued heavy betting horse races united_states attended chicago washington park race track favoring horse associate won gates close race gates won large president august asked gates limit large gave impression races honest ones outside hotel suite gates favorite spot new_york_city gambling establishment opened club door provided catering club guests gates favored game learned selling barbed wire texas gates set office hotel main lobby son charlie experienced speculated wall street early gates realized market headed sharp closed offices announcing wall street good gates changed new_york residence year purchased substantial number shares built new_york plaza hotel able design room apartment plaza death legacy gates died paris france august following unsuccessful operation remove throat funeral held august ballroom plaza hotel new_york gates provided funding construction hotel gates come parts country floors plaza hotel reserved attending services large delegation arrived texas gates city port arthur city port arthur held memorial service day gates buried flags lowered half staff noon businesses port arthur closed city docks stopped operations time honor port arthur gates left bulk estate wife son inserted clause prohibited family selling years death gates said included clause protect friends invested sold soon death gates estate valued million buried family gates memorial library port arthur funded widow donated city originally city public library serves campus library port arthur entered national_register_of_historic_places gates honored state historical marker site military plaza barbed wire demonstration san_antonio
John Warne Gates