Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-05-13
A BOOTBLACK'S LUCK.
How Pat Higgins, of New York City Amassed
Fortune Out West.
New York Star

How Pat Higgins, of New York City, Amassed
a Fortune Out West.
New York Star
Pat Higgins, of Denver, Col, who is es-
timated to be worth at least 100000, for
merly kept boot blacking stand at the
corner of Broadway and Ann street. In
spite of his wealth he dresses as he did
then, except on state occasions, and is
still engaged in blacking boots, though he
does less of the manual work than he did
when barely making living in New York
city. He now employs many assistants,
and Is said to have stands in several Col
Orado towns and in Tombstone, Arizona.
He was well known to New Workers doing
business near the City Hall park during
the war and for several years afterward.
He was in the boOtblacking business pre-
vious to the breaking out of the war, but
gave up his brush to serve two years in
the navy.
He then returned to his old stand on
Broadway, and lived in a tenement house
in the Fourth ward. He was able to add
to his earnings by selling papers, but even
when making S. at his blacking stand he
continued to live in the cheap rooms he
had occupied when 81 day was good pay.
He was an everyday sort of Irishman, I'M
pretentious, handwriting and sober. He
could have dressed well, but he did not
care to, and wore only a common flannel
shirt and trousers in summer time, with
the addition of a peal jacket in winter.
Pat had ideas and aspirations that ere
far above his station in life. He was
very proud of his two daughters, whose
mother was dead. They were always
neatly dressed, and went regularly to
church and to school, When they grew
up he closed his Broadway stand, and say
ing good-by, to the few friends at the
cruller and cOffee-stands near by, he left
New York and took his children to their
aunt in Chicago. He went on to the Black
Hills. Pat did not open asaloon or locate
claim or gamble. He opened a modest
little shanty with chair in it, and hung
out the legend: ''BOots blackened inside. .
Whenever a miner came to town he al
ways went first to the barber and then to
pats place to get a shine, then he was
ready to paint the town.
The miners paid Higgins in gold dust,
and 25 cents was the price of shine. The
dust was not weighed, and Pat got more
than quarters worth oftener than he cot
less. He saved every cent possible. He
had no expensive habits, never dressed mp,
seldom drank, never gambled, and was
making from ten to twenty dollars day.
Then he sent to New York for the ilIustrat-
ed papers. There wasn't news stand in
the Black Hills at that time. Every man
and woman subscribed through Higgins
for one or more of the illustrated papers.
He bought them for 10 cents and sold
them for % cents. Higgsns stayed till
profits began to fall off very perceptibly,
then moved on to the next town that had
no bootblack and no news stand.
When Pat got as far as Leadville he
found he was worth several thousand dol
lars. He selected the First National bank
of Denver as his bank deposit, and he
has ever since done business with them.
Probably to-day he has $4,000 on deposit
there. Not long after he went west, Hig-
gins began sending occasional orders for
500 worth of backing and brushes to
New York firms. The scrawling hand
writing and doubtful standing of the I'M
known customer caused feelings of mis-
giving with some firms at first, but the
promptness with which the little Irish
mans drafts were honored by the First
National bank of Denver set at rest any
doubts, and Higgins had become very
valuable and much appreciated customer
at a we'll known brush house in Beekman
street, and also at backing mandatory
which is advertised on every rock and
fence.
Not long ago travelling man for the
brush house hunted up Higgins. He
found him in Tombstone, Arizona. Hig-
gins was the same man, with the same
prudent ways and modest desires, but
with the same lofty ideas and fond pride
for his daughters. He had just been to
Chicago on a visit to see them. They
were being educated at the best schools
there. Having seen them, he had return
ed contentedly, and with as firm pur-
poses as ever, to his brush and his cabin.
The travelling man induced Higgins to
have his picture taken in his everyday
clothes, with his pet dog at his side. Hig-
gins loved that dog very dearly. They
travelled together. When Higgins went
from the Black Hills to Leadville he walk
ed, only Occasionly getting a ride on an en-
1grant wagon. Higgins was walked up one
night by the barking of his dog. The bark
ing grew fainter, and finally ceased. In
half an hour the dog returned, wagging
his tail. He had led band of Indians on
a false scent.
There are no less than seventy-fv
Aztec ruins in the Salt river Valley, Cali
fornia, besides the old canals and water
ways oil the Aztec people.