David Karsner

Yates and Sarah Martin are barely getting by in a Colorado boom town grocery store. Sudden wealth leads to greater prosperity and political power. In Denver Yates buys a mansion and builds an opera house. He leaves Sarah for glamorous Lily and, when he makes it to Washington as Senator, marries her. When the gold standard is introduced, he's ruined. (imdb)

Art student John Hayden interrupts his studies in Greece to head his father's meat packing business on his father's death. He marries social climber Martha who taunts him for his ideals regarding worker happiness and meat purity. He begins supporting the musical career of singer Laura. During the Spanish American war he sells the Army tainted meat. Martha puts detectives on him and Laura. Indicted for fraud, he flees to Greece. (imdb)