Moulton Mining Co. signed by William A. Clark - 1880\'s-90\'s dated Mining Magnate For Sale

Stock signed by William A. Clark as president and printed by American Banknote Company, N.Y. Superb signature! William A. Clark was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He moved with his family to Iowa in 1856 where he taught school and studied law at Iowa Wesleyan College. After working in quartz mines in Colorado, in 1863, Clark made his way to Montana to find his fortune in the gold rush. He settled in the capital of Montana Territory, Bannack, Montana, and began placer mining. Though his claim paid only moderately, Clark invested his earnings in becoming a trader, driving mules back and forth between Salt Lake City and the boomtowns of Montana to transport eggs and other basic supplies. He soon changed careers again and became a banker in Deer Lodge, Montana. He repossessed mining properties when owners defaulted on their loans, placing him in the mining industry. He made a fortune with small smelters, electric power companies, newspapers, railroads and other businesses, becoming known as one of three \"Copper Kings\" of Butte, Montana, along with Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze. Between 1884 and 1888, Clark constructed a 34-room, Tiffany-decorated, multimillion-dollar home with cutting-edge technology in Butte, Montana. This home is now the Copper King Mansion bed-and-breakfast and museum. Clark served as president of both Montana state constitutional conventions in 1884 and 1889. Clark yearned to be a statesman and used his newspaper, the Butte Miner, to push his political ambitions. He became a hero in Helena, Montana, by campaigning for its election as the state capital instead of Anaconda. Clark\'s long-standing dream of becoming a United States Senator resulted in scandal in 1899 when it was revealed that he bribed members of the Montana State Legislature in return for their votes. At the time, their respective state legislators chose U.S. Senators. The U.S. Senate refused to seat Clark because of the 1899 bribery scheme, but a later senate campaign was successful, and he served a single, undistinguished term from 1901 until 1907. Clark died at the age of 86 in his mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City, one of the 50 richest Americans ever. His art collection was donated to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. after his death, greatly enriching that museum\'s holdings of European as well as American art. Read more at Item ordered may not be exact piece shown. All original and authentic.