Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-13
. LUCK VS.. Skull ~ MINING.
A Remarkable Str~,tS of Luck Which
Made "A Famous Mau.

during recent WISH 10 the luouHAathe
a reporter quietly listened to II discussion
going GA between several miners, regard
ing luck as specially applicable TO ana as
socisted with mining ventures. The par
ticipants we're about equally divided in
opinion as 10 whether luck or shrewd
Judgment was paramount as an actuating
motive in the generality OF mining opera
tions Appeal was finally made to an old
California miner, WAC had hitherto taken
no part in the conversation. He said:
at may not he business 10 say SO, but
during mauv Years OF experience nave
noticed that the prospectOrs who believed
firmly in luck, ana Wh0 had the most
motions and superuU0ns, always got on
to the best ground. Ihey did less work
and less trampiug, bat their luck always
BROUGHT them more cash 10 spend ia the
rainy season.
-Can YOU tel Us some instance where
nothing lut luck brought a fortune to
FELLOW - asked one Of tAe party.
.Goly, could talk ct occurrences OF
this Kind AL uieht. bat there Is one case
that was running in my mind all the lime
this cOniab has been going ON, only the
chap Was not particularly miner, but
carpenter, who did jobs IN tht mines when
work WAS slack in the towns
.sOa, never mind that. but tell us about
him." said several voices AT once.
"All right; and If YOU discover any
thing but niger luck in the story, stop
M without ceremony. 'Spose you've
heard of Lucky Baldwin, over on the
coast%'
"Of course we have" said everybody.
well, he's the chap. Did YOU ever
krow why we dubbed him Lucky Bald
winr
"No." was the general response.
"Well, shove the cigars this way and
I'll tell you about him"
Lighting cigar deliberately with the
putting method peculiar to one most ia
miliar with a wheezy pipe, the old man
6nally said
Times had got little dull and stocks
We're low. and SO Baldwin, who was al
ways studying up some Wild scheme or
other to make money, concluded to 90 to
China on some racket, and, as be hap
pened 10 have 1000 shares Of Crown
Point, which had cost him 81 a share, he
was mighty anxious 10 realize on them.
The price being off several points, he
raised the wind some other way, and,
feeling that the time would come when he
could get even on his stock, be left it with
friend OF his 10 sell when the price rose
10 81 a snare. and off he went TO China.
Soon after his departure the COmstock
got into bonanza, and prices began to
fly up. Baldwin's friend, who. by the
way, was a carpenter also, watched tile
market closely. and when his SO limit was
reached be rushed down to a broker and
told him to sell 1000 shares OF Crown
Point at 50.
"'Where's your stock?' asked the bro
ker.
"'Here 1t is saiG the carpenter.
''rhe broker examined it and then said:
'''Have you power OF attorney to sign
Baldwin's nams|
"'NOt nOwer.' replied the carpenter.
"'Well, them saIi ., broker, 4 can't
sell this stock, nor W q. aly one else
s'lOu see, Bald via, in accordance
with his CUSTOMARY carelessness, or, rath
er, ignorance of business methods. had
gone on without tr -gsierring or ind0rsing
the stock made out in his name. OF
course, his business trip TO China was
failure, as well as all his deliberately
planned enterprises, and he arrived in
San Francisco strapped but soon found
that instead OF having $4,000 waiting
for him it had sWelled 10 an even 81 ,000,-
Geo."
''NO wonder they call him Lucky Bald
VIM" said q Chicago tenderioot.
'HOld moment. pardner," remarked
the old Californian, 'nObody thought OF
giving him that name then for a little
lucky turn like that. Wait till | get
a little further along with my story.
and you'll see better reason for the
name. y
sis there more coming? Great Scot,
Wasn't $l,OOO,OOO enough on a scTatch?"
I'VE didn't give names those days in
California unless man earned them
you can bet your bottom dollar on That.
Baldwin Dashed in his stock, and as he
was considered rather fresh the bows put
up a job to divide the million among the
gang. Jim keene was Baldwn's bro
ker, and be and the rest concluded that
thew would saddle big block Of Ophir
on Baldwin at from $40 to SIS per share,
which they proceeded to do, thus tapping
him for more than half his pile. No
sooner bad Baldwin got this bundle Of
Ophir into his possession than the big
bonanza was struck in Consolidated Vir-
ginia and California, adjoining the Ophir,
and that stock doubled up in sympa-
thy"
'"Rah for Baldwin, cried the Chicago
tsndsrfOot.
keep cool, pard, that was only or
binary luck" growled the old Califor-
Man.
Thunder and Mars, another million and
you say only ordinary luckr
'Thaps what said. Ophir kent right
on doubling up so fast that the yang
wanted 10 get Baldwn's stock, and so
they put up another job or him. You
see, the Bank Of California held most OF
the balance OF Ophir stock, and so Rails.
ton sent for keene and sized him up t.
vote Baldwin's stock at the annual cleo
tion, 50 that the bank wOuld have control
OF the mine. keene being still agent for
Baldwin, pOcketed his plum and went
square back on Baldwin. Lord, but
wasn't Baldwin mad. The stock kept
going up, and Baldwin knowing that the
old assessment dodge would be PLAYED on
him, showed bis stock on the market Just
exactly as the conspIrators expected. aud
wished be would, until he hadn't share
lett, obtaining the highest prices, which
were from $3.50 to $500 per share. Ne
sooner had he unloaded on the gang than
the stock began to tumble as rapidly MS h
had risen, and 1t busted the Bank OF Cali
fornia, but Baldwin had over $l0,O00,000
70 his credit, and the name Lucky Bald
win was duly earned and accredited TO
him. You SEE there was not n BIZ OF sense
or smartnees from beginning TO end, so
far as Lucky WAS concerned. He blund-
cred onto the first million, was trapped
Into bad investment, and was angered
Into selling out in the nick OF time. and
so luck-stupid Niger luck-made him
the straw which broke the back of the
great Institution known Ms the bank Of
California, and transferred its gold into
bis own private pocket"
"What became Of Lucky Baldwin,"
H.. /. A