Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23


me how Hearst made his fortune. 1t showed
me that he was sharp business man, and
this West Virginia sale Will give you q
good insight into his character. We found
the coal veins all right There were several
of them, each of which had its price and
each Of which contained different variety
OF COAL The owners began to expatiate
upon their virtues as soon as we arrived.
The vein they particularly wanted to sell
was 5000 feet up the mountain side. They
had samples of it at the foot of the
hill, and the vein looked well from the dis
tance. The samples were fine, the price was
low, and 1 expected to see Hearst snap at
the offer. As be did not asked:
whats the matter, Senator?'
"'Well, replied Senator Hearst. Il don't
like to buy pig in a poke, and we had bet
ter crawl up and see that coal for ourselves
before we discuss the price,
With that we climbed up to the vein, and
Senator Hearst took piece of the coal and
llt 1t with q match. Camel coal will burn
like turpentine. The lump the Senator lit
did burn when the match touched it but
moment later it went out and the Senator
said:
THE CLIMB WORTH THE WHILE.
There, Clunie, that's no good. There
are other varieties of coal than camel coal
which viii burn upon being lit, but the best
camel coal will continue to burn until it is
reduced to ashes. This piece is not camel
at ali, and would not give blank for this
vein If we could get it for nothing
I'VE then sampled another vein, going
through the same process. The Senator put a
big chunk of carbon on the ground and lit
1t, and, as it cracked away, he watchsd as
mother does her hrstborn. When it was
half consumed 1 said: We'll, Senator, are
you satisfied now?'
No, I'm not, replied Senator Hearst.
and he kept his eyes on the blazing Iump
for fully ten minutes longer. At the end
Of that time the fire had died out and onlv
heap OF gray ashes remained on the ground,
Senator Hearst then said:
That settles it. and he thereupon went
70 the West Virginian and bought the vein.
It is valuable property and it Will prob
ablymake him great deal of money, 1t was
IN this same way that he made millions in
the gold mines of California. He looked at
every mine he bought for himself and the
most OF those he invested in be bought upon
option, working them for six months, and il
they paid out as represented buying them at
the end of that time outright The result
was that he always made and never lost,
Some call his good fortune luck. call it
brains"
WAS FIRST A STORE KEEPER.
"Where did Hearst come from?'' SAID I,
'He was born in Missouri" replied Con-
gresham Clunie. Ills folks lived near
St. Louis, and were we'll to do. Hearst
began life by keeping store, but his health
was poor and his business did not nav He
concluded to 90 West. He sold out his
store for promissory note of 81 200. This,
in addition to his expenses, was the sum of
his possessions when he started for Califor-
mia 1t turned out to be worth only the
paper on which it was written, and Senator
Hearst still keepsit as an autographic curio.
He went from Missouri to California, bought
q pick and began at once to dig gold Tor
himself He was lucky from the first, ana
he soon accumulated bag of gold repre-
senting at least $500, ,0OO This gold was
made up of dust, Stag and good-sized mug
gets, including some as big as your fist. He