The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-11
SENATOR JONES'S GRUB STAKE
A Thousand Dollars He Loaned a Minel
Brought Him Millions.

Thousand Dollars He Loaned a Miner
Brought Him Millions.
Senator Jones, Of Nevada, is one of your
self.made men. He commenced life poor.
But year old when his parents came from
Herefordshire, England. he has made his
way to the top by dint of hard work and
the exercise of considerable shrewdness
says the Pittsburg Posts Washington let
ter. Like Senator Sanders, of Montana.
who made his first ten-strike out of claim
he staked out in graveyard, Senator Jones's
first streak of luck was purely accidental,
as nearly all streaks of luck are.
The story goes that when Jones was in
California he stumbled across his pile in the
following remarkable manner: He lived in
a certain county that Bret Harte made ia
mous-Tuolumne, the veracious chroniclers
assert-and during the gold excitement kept
small grocery store. He did thriving
trade; prices were high in those days in
California, and after a few years Jones had
amassed a few thousand dollars. Up the
mountain piece lived a solitary miner. He
was poor, had the reputation of being shift
less. but despite the report was always busy.
One day he called on Jones.
Say, Jones, think I've got a bonanza
in. that claim of mine," said the poor
miner.
Jones smiled. He had heard these stories
before. He knew how great expe Citations
were frequently never realized. Time. la
Dor and money were usually wasted on
what looked like something rich but that
developed into snares, so Jones merely
smiled.
Its big thing" persisted his visitor,
and he proceeded to explain what the claim
was and his reasons for being SO sanguine:
After several hours talk the miner asked
for an advance of 81, 600 with which to buy
tools and food. Jones demurred. A thous-
and dollars was big enough sum, saved,
as it had been, with much trouble and Ia
comparison with the profits of good mine.
Jones finally told the miner he would see
what could be done.
After nightfall and the Cinnamon en-
ployed in the neighborhood had taken
their departure Mr.. Jones allowed the en-
no one was about he scraped away the
ashes, raised the stone on which the fire was
built and weighed out the necessary gold
dust to make the $1,000. These little pre-
cautions were always taken in that region,
where even robbers were more plentiful
than fortunes.
The tools were bought, Jones lending the
money and the miner promising him one
third of the profits of the mine. For
months the solitary miner labored, but he
did rit strike the lead. He grew wan and
holloW-eyed, and occasionally dropped in
to see Jones. The latter had by this time
abandoned all hope of ever seeing his
money again.
There's no gold up there" he would in
form the exhausted miner.
Yes, there isl insisted the latter, IF I
could only strike it."
Affairs were now becoming desperate with
the hopeful but penniless man. One day
he called on Jones, and after coughing
apologetically, asked for some meal and
bacon. He knew he would be successful
eventually with his search, but provisions
we're ont. Jones smiled again.
cts like throwing it in a rat hole" he
cheerfully observed. as he dug out side of
bacon and gathered up a sack Of corn-meal
for his luckless partner. Tor four months
nothing was heard of the old fellow, and
Jones presumed he had either gone away or
had died at his post up the gulch. Both
suggestions we're erroneous. The miner
dashed into the store one day irradiated
with Joy. He had really struck his bonanza.
The mine was sold for 100000, and,
faithful to his promise. the honest miner
gave Jones one-third of it. Senator jones'
prosperity dated from that time.