Draft:Edward N. Breitung Jr.

Edward Nicklas Breitung Jr. was born on Nov 1, 1871 at Negaunee, Michigan. He was the son of Edward N. Breitung Sr., mining man, millionaire, US Congressman, and Mayor; and his wife Mary Paulin.

Edward was too young to take over his father's businesses when his father died in 1887. Consequently, his mother ran them with the assistance of Nathan Kaufman. Edward Jr. married Charlotte Kaufman, the sister of Nathan, on Nov 16, 1892 in Marquette. Two months later, his mother, the widow Mary, married Nathan at the same location.

In his lifetime, Edward had interests in at least 41 mines. Beginning with those of his father that remained active, in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, he added additional mines in Canada, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, Columbia, and Mexico.

Edward and Charlotte's only child, Juliet, was born on October 13, 1894 in Marquette, Michigan.

Edward's actions during World War I seem to have been compromised through his nephew, Max Breitung. Edward had brought Max over from Germany in 1911 to assist in Edward's businesses.

With Max's assistance, Edward purchased two ships during World War I. The first, the Dacia, was a ship of German registry that had been impounded and the beginning of the war. During it's first sailing under Edward's registration, it was seized by the French under the Laws of Naval War. It was re-registered by the French as the Yser, and was soon sunk by a German submarine off of the Algerian coast. His second ship, the Seguranca, set sail soon after the Dacia, and was seized by the British.

Max was later involved in various plots to blow up American interests which benefited the Allies against Germany. These were munition factories and merchant ships.

Other unfavorable concurrent and subsequent activities also reflected poorly on Edward during this period.

Edward died on October 3, 1924 at New York, thirteen months after the death of his mother. It appears that by this time, the very sizable family fortune was largely gone.

References

1. Nyquist, Michael Sheldon, Honorable Edward N. Breitung with Son Edward and Granddaughter Juliet, Amazon Books, 2023.

2. E. N. Breitung, Purchase of Steamship Dacia: Statement of the motives and Facts Concerning the Purchase of the Steamship Dacia, presented to US Senate, 63rd Congress, 3rd Session, Washington 1915, doc 979.