The Arizona champion., 1885-11-21
A GRAVE LESSON,

De Ji0rtmS HIl Hi1 60Hzm, should not
 always be followed. There are some men of whom, when they die, no good can be truthfuIly spoken. This Is the case with the California million alre, William Sharon, who, last week, bid the world good bye, and without a pleasant thought ot the past or ray of hope for the future, reluc- tantly parted from the twenty millions of dollars, to the accumulation oi which al the energies of his life had been applied.
 There have been but few men who have accumulated such large amount of money in as short tine as FIX
 senator Sharon dld. Most of our rich men have had d capital to start on or else have inherited money making business with all it's compIica. led processes adjusted and perfected by their predecessors. This was not the CGse with Sharon. In 1864, sccrCely more than twenty years ago, he Was penniIesS, and his colossal for. luae has been built up since then. He went 10 California in IS49, pre- us 10 winch he had been working for S6o a month as an assistant clerk on an Ono steamboat. Durlng the
 irst h,teen years of his western life he accumulated about SI5o,ooo, which was entirely swept away Tn the panic of GA, and he had To seek employ ment as clerk in the Bank of Cali tornia. The monagers of that insti- tution sent him to Virginia City 10 act Gs their agent at thlt place, and ne there turned his attention to min ing, and gained A large portion of his wealth from the famous CumstoCk Iodes. In 1875 was sentto the United States Senate for term of six years Oy the Republicans of N:vall, and II IS needless to say that he cut very insignificant figure Tn that dlslin- guisaed legislative body. His mJley bought him the seat and his course m the senate was as corrupt as the means by which he entered 1t. Alter the close of his senatorial career in 1881, he resided in San Francisco, devOting most ot his attention to the Bank of California, which his bust ness sagIcity had rescued from the difficulties brought about by the un- fortunate Rllaton aud hl, associates.
 Ii all through Sharon's Inf. he ever deliberately dId anything for the bene- it of his fellow men such a fact has yet to be made known. H: WIS eel 1, selfish, sordid, money-grlbber, with Out the one paliiatlng qulIl'y general. iy found in such men---a sort Of neg. dtive morality. As I raIe they are too avariciouS 10 be vIcIouS. The indulgence in immoraIitles that would be attractive to them Is too costly d luxury and their meanness to large extent controls any lascivIous propen-
 ities they may have. But the late MT. Sharon evidently thought he had improved on this. His plan was to nave his fun and then refuse to pay the bill. He would join in the dance of dissipation and then object to pay the piper This got the man into considerable trouble, as is shown by the several actio'.s of law which have been brought against him by women, and which in the end cost him per. napS a hundred fold more than it would if he had had but mJiety of that kind of honor which Is said to exist among thieves.
 For the last two years his name has been before the pub'lc in conjunction with Sarah Althea Hill. The various trl, als in connection with this case have disclosed mass of corruption and per jury that has scarcely ever had par ollel Tn litigation. Whlt his actual relations with this woman were will never be known. On his dying bed he signed paper totally denying the claims she sets up. l, is hard to thlnk that the most depravel man will die with false oath on his lips, but this mans whole career had been one long living lie, and his assertions may have been lies even when he was face tC face with the King of Terrors.
 The life of such man as the lato ex senator is noi pleasant subject for contemplation. There are other men as bad as he was, but he had the wealth which would have enablrd him to nave done i.lcalcul ibis good, instead