The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-17

then proceeded to paint them. Will
sore OF men stond near by and watc5oS
me. / was a little nervous. but I 6I5HStt
show 1t, aid no one suspected that T 49,
not an old hard at the trade II tool ne
nearly all day to paint the signs on The 80 &c
windows, but when had finished thsr, 80
saloonkeepers congratulated me on t5o
WORK and said that l would have plenty ~
before left the camp. He gave me nv s1S
on the spot, and felt that / had strTois
pretty rich mine, even if the snow was s-ii1
on the mountains. ''Hl
had Orders for signs poured in uDor
ne and was kept busy. | chargej IN
mendous prices for my work and 49,
easily from $50 to $50 day. With nrao
tlce became much more proficient tba-
hal bsen at first, and then had discove-ai
barkeePer who had formerly bean q
painter. | took him into nv confidenoa
and received In return many valuable sng'
eestlons and much practical adv,ce z
rented cabin aud set up a regular sboa
there. About two weeks after I had firve
gone to work. the real sign painter yvboSS
personality had assumed, came into ca-O1
When he found, however, that there Wes p
sign painter already in Rico he did not
stay, but pushed on to another camp .yhsrs
he would have no competitiol was MOI
sorry to see him go. One day a man cs rUs
TO me while was at work and said:
say, are you house painter and panar
hanger as well as a sign paiuterY'
Certainly" | ans wered; lone doesn't bo-
come a sign painter until he has mastered
the other branches of the trade
"Well, be said, II wish you would comeun
to house that have Just built. and fionrap
for me how much white lead, Iinseed o,I
and turpentine l will need to paint it insids
and out | want you to tell me also r.,
much paper will need to paper it through.
out"
IN run up and let you know in a dav n,
So" said u
But want to know to-day. am going
down to Durango tomorrow, and I thint 7
can get the mater al cheaper there. Then
want to know what you will charge ma tn
do the paper hanging and painting, Can't
you come with me now!'
''Impossiblem answered. ~ am fear.
fully rushed to-day. But l will run I'm
some time before dark and let you know
He went away, and as soon as he was ort
of sight | went straight TO thu barkeeper
who had been painter, and told him thai
| wanted him to go with me and make the
estimates. He consented to do it. but told
me that he was afraid that | had tackled
more than l could accomplish He made
the estimates for me and gave them In tbs
owner of the house. He went to Durango
and, all too soon for my comfort, announced
that the material had arrived and that be
wanted me to 60 to work on his house
l put him off as long as | could, but Ia was
very anxious to get his house completed
and after many long consultations with INV
ex-painter l at last fixed upon the following
Monday to go to work. l was sitting in
my cabin on the preceding Saturday. won
dering what should do, when two strangers
walked in.
Are you the painters" one of them
asked.
II am"
My partner here aud l are painters, too
house painters. l thought maybe you
could give US some work. We just struck
the camp and we're broke"
Pm always glad to help a fellow work
man." l said benignantly. YES; l can give
you some work. I'll pay you 81 day You
can stay here in my cabin and go to work Cd
Monday"
1t is hardly necessary to say that put
them to work on the new house. They
were good workmen and l made money on
the job By the time they were through
had received several more orders and kept
them busy. | bossed the jobs and. after
had watched them for awhile, l condesced-
ed to help them now and them Neither Of
them suspected that l was not painter.
In two months had six men working for
me. There was a building boom in Rico,
and had all that l and my men could do.
made plenty of money and enioyed the
WORK. But again | was stricken with the
fatal mining fever, and one day 1 sold out
my business, including the good will, and
went into the mountains to ''prosDect. :" Two
months later l was broke again, and all that
had to show for my time and money was
several rather unsightly holes in the ground.
l had not ''struck it," If had stuck to my
curiously acquired trade and grub-staked
other prosecutors. might haJe made a
fortune. There are plenty of fortunes to be
made in the mining regions of Colorado but
my experience has been that they are made
by those who never swung pick or held
drill in their lives. / never saw an old pros
pector yet who was not either broke or next
eoor to It.. If he did happen to sell mine
and get little money, lie was certain to 60
and religiously sink it In the ground again
trying to develop some worthless claim.