River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-01
A CALIFORNIA MILLIONAIRE.
His Own Story of Fortunes Acquired
and Lost in Speculation.

ahu LVst III bpCtuIn' lUHs
Millionaire Borland landed in this
country from Ireland when a boy, aEd
worked on farm up the Hudson for
$40 month. In 1852 he went to San
Francisco, and soon afterward began
working in the mines for 81 a dav.
Since that time he has made and lost
fortunes. He is represented by the
Daily Mining Neus as saying:
In 1872 bought 500 shares of Cen
trail for less than s. 600. This mine
was soon afterward cut up and put INTO
California; and the redistribution gave
me l, $50 shares. never paid an as
sessment on 1T, for none was ever called
for. and in no time the stock went up
to $740 share, when / sold. That
paid pretty well. Let me see, | paid
Sc, 900, and sold for $925,00O. That
left me profit of 100000. That was
one of my best speculations, bat not
quite as good as another one that was
in almost at the same time. | bought
500 shares of Consolidated Vir-
ginia for $50 share, and paid two as
sessments on it, which brought up
the price to $50 a share. This mine
was also ''cut up" just about this time,
and my 500 shar IS spread OFT into g.
$50 shares. | held this stock for two
years, when it went up like flash.
sold out in 1874 for $3.50 a share. 1t
cost me $28 600 for my stock, and /
sold it for 81, 062 500. That was pretty
good interest on the money. One Satur-
day the stock was selling for $3.50,
share, but held on. The following
Monday 1T was $500 share. | tell you,
it took a pretty strong head to stand
that. / was getting rich, not at the rate
of$1 ,000, 900 a minute, as they say, but
$1,000 day or so, but that was fast
enough. Nobody ever knew anything
about this til it was all over. / never
told my wife and family any of my
business affairs, and never kept ny
books. The only book that kept was
a little pass-book that | carried in my
coat-pocket, with record of all that
bought and sold, and the price. | never
let anyone see this, and never brought
it out except sometimes on a Sunday
afternoon, or when was alone. My
heavy losses in 1873, were on the Sierra
Nevada and Union. l lost 81. 100000
then inside of ten dsys-shrunk that
much in depreciation of stock. The
veins were not so wide as was expected.
Growing Onions.
This crop was formerly regarded as
profitable one, and large quantities
were grown in some localities. Within
the past few years the onion maggot
has proved to be great pest to the
onion, and many fields have been grea,-
ly injured or wholly destroyed, so that
some farmers have become in a meas
ure discouraged, and do not attempt TO
grow them as formerly. In some local
tiles a mildew has injured this crop to
considerable extent. Nothwithstand.
ing these drawbacks, as rule good
good crop can be secured when all the
conditions are favorable. The onion re-
quires a rather light, loamy soil made
mellow by plough or spade. Formerly
it was the rule to grow them on the
same land many years in succession,
but many Of the best growers have
abandoned this practice, and now change
about every second or third year.
The land should be heavily manured
with well rotted dressing, with wood
ashes if it can be had, all of which
should be turned under. The land
should then be well raked over and
made smooth, and al free as possible
from Jumps. The seed should be sown
as early as possibl after the soil is suita-
bic to work. Sow in drills about four
teen to sixteen inches apart, and pu
the seed about half an inch deep. This
work can be done with a seed sower,
and the seed should be sown quite thick
ly so as to allow for some loss by in
sects. If there are too many plants
lett it will not be difficult 10 remove
them, but ifthe land has been thorough
ly enriched they may be left pretty
near together-say an inch apart. No
weeds should be allowed to grow. The
work of keeping them down can be
mostly done with a scuffle hoe, and
very rapidly too.
There are many varieties, but one OF
the btst, if not the very best, is the
Danvers elbow, variety that is large
ly cultivated in Essex county and has
sold we'll in Boston market The large
red and silver skin are sorts that do
well and find ready market, but still
we give the preference to the Danvers.
These varieties should yield under good
cultivation six to eight hundred bushels
to the acre, and sell from seventy-five
cents to dollar bushel. We know of
nothing that can be used that will
effectually prevent the ravages of the
maggot or mildew. One must take the
chances. We know of few more prof
table crops than the onion.-Ntl0 En-.
gland Farmer.