THE THIN GOLD WATCH

by Walter S. J. Swanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Era Copley, the newspaper magnate, associate of kings, queens and presistents lived into his eighties, during which time he succeeded in three careers. He had a political and congressional career for thirty years; was a gas and electricity magnate for thirty-six; but most importantly, he owned newspapers all his adult life. After his own three children died in infancy, he adopted two children, Jim and Bill. When Citizen Copley (who inveterately had a Franklinesque aphorism to ffer) died in 1947, his two sons inherited equally many millions of dollars, but Jim inherited Copley's thin gold pocket watch. The watch was handed to him by Copley shortly before Copley died and indicated the old man's faith in Jim as new head of the empire. Unfortunately, Copley's will with its bequests and endowments and horrible taxes, considered the Copley fortune as cash rather than assets or holdings and to meet the requirements of the will (and the government) would have meant the liquidation of all the newspapers Jim took the reins and saved the papers hile Bill went off to Paris and painted. In 1955, Bill sued to have the papers ?liquidated so that he could get his money. After years of litigation, Jim bought Bill out. Briefly, this is an interesting but virtuous (authorized?) portrait of the Copleys.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1964

Categories: NONFICTION