The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-10-01

Senator Jones, of Nevada, is one Of
your self made men. He commenced
life poor. But year old when his par
ents came from Herefordshire, England,
he has made his way to the top by dint
of hard work and the exercise Of consid-
erable shrewdness- Like Senator Saun-
ders, of Montana, who made his first ten
strike out Of claim be staked out IN a
graveyard, Senator Jones first streak OF
luck was purely accidental, as nearly ali
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 certain county that Bret Harte
made famous-Tuolumme, the veracious
chronicler asserts-and during the gold
excitement kept q small grocery store.
He did thriving trade prices were high
in those days in California, and after
few years Jones had amassed few thous-
and dollars. Up the mountain piece
lived solitary miner. He was poor,
had the reputation Of being shiftless. but
despite the report was always busy.
One day he called on Jones.
SAY, Jones, I think I've got a bonanza
in that claim Of mine" he said.
Jones smiled. He had heard these
stories before. He knew how great ex-
pectaiions were frequently never realized.
Time, labor, and money were usually
wasted on what looked like something
rich, but what developed into snares so
Jones only smiled.
sits 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 1900 with
which to buy tools and food. Joues de-
INJURED. A thousand dollars was ; big
enough sum, saved as it bad been, With
much trouble and labor But after al,
81 600 cut no figure in comparison with
the profits Of gold mine. Jones finally
told the miner he would see what could
be done.
After nightfall, when the Cinnamon
employed in the neighborhood had taken
their departure, Mr.. Jones allowed the
embers of his fire to die out. When sat
isfied that no one was about be scrzped
away the ashes, raised the stone on
which the fire was built, and weighed
out the necessary gold dust to make
1900. These little precautions were al
ways taken in that region, where even
robbers were more plentiful than for
tunes
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 not strike the lead. He grew wan
and hollow-eyed, and occasionally drop
ped in TO see Jones. The latter had by
this time abandoned all hope Of ever see
ing his money again.
sThere's no gold up there he would
inform the miner, but the latter in
sisted there was. if he could only strike
it. He knew he would be successful
eventually with his search, but proyis-
ions were out, and he asked for some
meal and bacon. Jones smiled again.
'It's ike throwing it in rat hole" he
cheerfully observed as he dug out a side
of bacon and gathered up a sack Of corn
meal for his luckless partner. For four
months nothing was heard of the old
fellow, and Jones presumed he had eth
er gone away or had died at mis- post up
the gulch. Both suppositions were erro-
neous. The miner dashed into the store
one day irradiated with joy. He had
really struck his bonanza. The mine
was sold for s3,OOO,OOO, and, faithful to
his promise, the honest miner gave Jones
one third of it. Senator Jones prosperi-
ty dated from that time.