Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-09-05
FOOL LUCK.
How Lucky Baldsin Had Millions Forced
 Upon Him.

HOW ft1u 1AlAlACnr
 Upon Him.
 In spite of the abundant evidences that an unaccountable species of "blind luck" attends the ventures of some peo- pie, whose business sagacIty IS Tar be- low that of average mankind, the phil osophical mind rejects that cratic ele- ment as an impossibilIty and ascribes the good or eSIl fortune resulting from all pursuits, as the normal effects of ex- isting natural laws. However this may be. there are come brilliant examples of good luck and equally notable ones of bad luck that seem unaccountsble upon any known hypothesis of rule or law. Take the example of Coal 0il Johnny, and only the existence of a quality of fool luck" can account for the vast fortune that came suddenly into hIs possession and almost as suddenly went away from it. The case of Lucky Bald win, although familiar tale upon the Pacific Coast, IS another notable exam pie of unaccountable luck. It has re- gently been repeated and published Tn the Denver Tnbune-Republican, from which the following IS condensed:
 E. J. Baldwin, the present owner of the Baldwin hotel in San Franclsco; the beautiful Santa Anita ranch Tn Los An seles county, and one of the most nots- ble studs of flyers in the world, was a sort of carpenter by trade and did odd jobs in the mines when work in the towns was dull. Times had got a little dull and stocks were low, and 90 Bald.
 win, who was always studying up some wild scheme or other to make money, concluded to go to China on some racket, and ss he happened to have 900 shares of Crown Point, which had cost him S3 & share, he was mighty anxious to real ize on them. The price being of sever al points, he raised the wind some other way, and feeling that the time would come when he could get even on his stock, he left it with friend of his to sell when the prIce ruse to s share, and of be 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 the market closely, and when his S3 limit was reached be rushed down to a broker and told hIm to sell 1000 shares If Crown Point at S. Where's your stock! asked the broker. Here it is,' sad the carpenter The broker examined it and then said: Have you power of attorney to sign Baldwin's name ? Not a power,' replled the carpenter. Well, then said the broker, I can't sell this stock, nor will any one else You see Baldwin, Tn accordance with his custom ary carelessness, or rather ignorance of business methods, had gone of without transferring or endorsing the stock made out m his name. Of coLrse, his business trip to China was a failure, as were all his deliberately planned enter prises, aud he arrived in San Francisco strapped, but soon found that instead ot having $500 waiting for him 1t had swelled to an even million Ct dollars.
 Baldwin cashsd iu hIs stock, and as be was considered rather fresh the bOys put up a job to divide the million among the gang. Jim keene was Bald wIn's broker, and he and the rest con cluded that they would saddle big block of Ophir on Baldwin at from SIC to Sl5 Der share. which they prOcteJue to do. thns tapping hIm for more than half his pile. No sooner had Baldwin got this bundle of Ophir Tn his posses- sion than the big bonanza was struck in Consolidated Virginia and California, adjoining the Ophir, and that stock doubled up Tn sympathy. Opblr kept right on doubling up 80 fast that the gang wanted to get Baldwin's stocE, and so they but up another job on him. You see, the Bank of California held most of the balance Of Ophir stock, and so Ralston sent for KeeBe and sized hIm up,' to vote Baldwin's stock BI the annual election SO that the bank would have control of the mine heene, being still agent for Baldwin, pocketed his plum and stood Tn with the bank outfit. and went square back on Baldwin. The stock kept going up, and Baldwir. knowing that the old Rs. sessment dodge would be played oD him, showed hIs stock on the market, just exactly as the corspirators expect ed and wished he would. until he hadn't share left, obtsioing the highest prices, which were from S2j0 to S31U per share. No sooner had hs uDloadeu on the gang than the stock began to tumble as rapidly as it had risen, and il busted the Bank of California, but Baldwin had over SIG, ,GO00O0 to hIs cred 1t, and the name of Lucky Baldwin' was duly earned and accredited to him. You see there was not al bit of sense or smartness from beginning to end, so far as. Lucky was concerned. He stumbled onto the first million, was trapped into bad investment. and wac sngered into selling cut m the nick Of time,; and so luck stupid nigser luck - made him the straw which bneke the back of the greater insituation known ss the Bank of California; and transferred sA- Ann