The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-09-24
Lucky Baldwin'S Luck.

scheme or CLGcf TO make money. COLI
cluded to 90 to China on some racket.
and as he happened to have 1000
shares of Crown Point, which had cost
him 50 a share, he was mighty anxious
to 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, he left it with friend of his
to sell when the price rose to s.
share, and Off ne 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 carpenter-aiso watched
the market closely. and when his So
limit was reached he rushed down 10 a
broker and told him to sell ], ZOO shares
of Crown Point at SO. Where's your
stock?' asked the broker. Here it is,
said the carpenter The broker cx-
amined it and then said: Have you
power Of attorney to sign Baldwin's
name?' Not power, replied the car
penter. We'll, then said the broker.
Il can't sell this stock, nor will any
one else You see. Baldwin, in ac-
cordance with his customary careless
ness, or rather ignorance of business
methods, had gone off without trans
ferring or endorsing the stock made
out in his name, OF course, his bust
ness trip to China was a failure, as
were all his deliberately planned enter
prises, and he ARRIVED in San Fran
cisco strapped, but soon found that in
stead OF having IS, 900 waiting for him,
it had swelled to an even million of
dollars"
mo wonder they called him Lucky
Baldwin," said a Chicago tenderfoot.
Hold a moment, pardner, re-
marked the old Californian, nobody
thought of giving him that name then
for little lucky tnrn like that. Wait
till | get little further along with my
story and you'll see better reason for
the name"
us there more coming? Great Scott!
Wasn't one million enough on such
scratch?"
1--WE didn't give names those days in
California unless men earned them
you can bet your bottom dollar on that.
Baldwin cashed in his stock, and as he
was considered rather fresh the boys
put up a job to divide the million
INC I'LL AttllC w dS bdu
wins broker and he and the rest cor
Guided that they would saddle a big
stock of Ophir on Baldwin at from so
to Sl5 per share, which they proceeded
to do, thus tapping him for more
than half his pile. No sooner had
Baldwin got his bundle OF Ophir into
his possession than the big bonanza
was struck in Consolidated Virginia
and California, adjoining the Ophir,
and that stock doubled up in SYM
pathy."
'.'Rah for Baldwin, cried the Chi
cago tenderfoot.
keep cool, pard; that was only or
binary luck, growled the old Califor-
MAN.
Thunder and Mars, another million
and you say only ordinary luck!''
That's what l said. Ophir kept
right on doubling up so fast that the
gang wanted TO get Baldwin's stock,
and so they put up another job on him.
You see, the Bank of Califor-
MIA held most OF the balance OF Ophir
stock and so RaISton sent for keene
and sized him up 10 vote Baldwin
stock at the annual election So that the
bank would have control of the mine.
heene, being still agent for Baldwin,
pocketed bis plum and stood in with
the bank outfit and went square back
on Baldwin. Lord, but wasn't Bald
win mad. The stock kept going up
and Baldwin, knowing that the old as
| sessment dodge would be played on
him, showed his stock on the market,
just exactly as the conspirators ex-
pected and wished he would, until he
hadn't a share left, obtaining the high
est prices, which were from $3.50 to
$500 per share. No sooner had he uu-
| loaded on the gang than the stock be-
| gan to tumble as rapidly as it had risen,
| and it busted the Bank of California;
| but Baldwin had over SO, 100000 to
| his credit, and the name Lucky Bald
win was duly earned and accredited
I to him.
Holy smoke, 100000 did you
say?" broke in the Chicago tenderfoot.
That's about the size of it, and you
| see there was not bit of sense or
| smartness from beginning TO end so far
as Luck, was concerned. He blum
dered into the first million, was trapped
| into bad investment, and was an
| gered 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 as
| the Bank of California, and transferred
its gold into his own private pocket"
What BECAME of Lucky Baldwin,"
ooh, he built a big hotel, got big
farm, and plastered his money around
/ without any business judgment, but
he had such stack of gold that he
eouldn't fool it all away, and probably
he has an odd million or two left yet.
No, boys, | don't pretend to say that
luck is 4 chief factor in mining, but I'd
rather have q heap of luck than a heap
Of sense without luck. "-DenUer Tn
6t.ne.