l est own , ▁Massachusetts . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Thomas ▁and ▁Anna ▁Maria ▁( née ▁L oring ) ▁Law son . ▁Law son ' s ▁father , ▁a ▁car p enter , ▁died ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁eight ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁Career ▁At ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁old , ▁Law son ▁ran ▁away ▁from ▁home ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁cl erk ▁in ▁a ▁Boston ▁bank ▁and ▁soon ▁began ▁spec ulating ▁in ▁stock s . ▁Law son ▁special ized ▁in ▁shares ▁of ▁co pper - min ing ▁companies , ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁a ▁st ap le ▁of ▁the ▁Boston ▁stock ▁market , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁mult im ill ion aire ▁during ▁the ▁co pper ▁bo om ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁principal ▁m over ▁in ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁companies ▁trying ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁small ▁town ▁of ▁Grand ▁R ivers , ▁Kentucky ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁steel - produ cing ▁city . ▁He ▁built ▁the ▁lav ish ▁estate ▁called ▁Dream w old ▁in ▁Sc itu ate , ▁Massachusetts ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 6 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁he ▁joined ▁Henry ▁H . ▁Rog ers ▁and ▁William ▁Rock ef eller ▁in ▁forming ▁Am alg am ated ▁Co pper ▁M ining ▁Company , ▁a ▁company ▁that ▁combined ▁several ▁co pper ▁min ing ▁companies , ▁mostly ▁in ▁But te , ▁Mont ana , ▁and ▁which ▁tried ▁to ▁domin ate ▁the ▁co pper ▁market . ▁Am