The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-18
qHE IDAHO SENATORS.
nav Mcconnell Once Drove
Mules for a Dollar a Day.
.aoup AS AN INDIAN FIGHTER.
...~n the Richest Justice OF the Su.
,rens Court-How the Missouri Sem
ators Keep Their Seats.

~ w.sHrssToy CRY Jan. 15.--tspecial.l-
4ssaled last night on Mr.. Alexander Nc
rsraeI the new senator from Idaho. He
I . stocky broad-shouldered, full-chested
ar If about As. He has hair and beard
-reh like those of Garfield, and there is a
80 about his fair face that reminds me of
- martvred president. He is blunt and
f. Tsdern in his manner, and is apparently
49, ssud business man. Washington and
NJ f. Il new position have by no means over
: .~ed him. and Judge that he has suffi-
- eknf amount of that assurance and push
- & .k;eh will make him success here be-
-. xre the departments. His self-reliance
r. Ass been gained by IA life of hard knocks.
He was born in Michigan, and had gradu-
~ i .iea AT an academy there when he decided
i 4 start West and seek his fortune This
q r.s IN 1850. He left for Chicago with a
Il soodly sum of money in his pocket, the
y 4 tstsl of his possessions. During the night
~ 81 n spent in Chicago, however. he was
II ribbed. He woke one morning to find his
- socketbook missing, and just enough
mare change left to get him TO Leaven-
Torth, Kas, which then formed the start
Inc point for many of the emigrant trains
roing westward. He stepped off the boat
Al Leayenworth without a cent in his
pocket, and as he walked up the street he
was accosted by a Jew clothier, who
a II caught hold of him, and asked him to
come in and buy suit of clothes 81
i don't need any Clothes" replied McCon-
81 nell. .and, besides, you don't know how
n to sell clothes, anyhow. l can sell more
goods in a day than you can in a week,
/ and if you give me chance ! will show
,hr;d YOU This rough address captured the
81 Jew, who was good-natured fellow, and
be continued the talk with Mcconnell,
1 and finally, at the latter's proposition, of
fered him his board as long as he stayed in
anti kayenworth if he would sell for him. He
I made up bed for him in the back part of
'aa< the store, and allowed him to sell some
! things on his own account, SO that within
\ aiew days Mcconnell had earned some
,rov1 money and felt ready to push on toward
- the West. In looking about for a chance
Aus 10 60 he found man who wanted wagon
train driven to Salt Lake City. Mcconnell
/ told the man he was an accomplished
mule-driyer, and though he had never
/ held the reins behind a mule he got the
NJ job The train consisted of big cam
/ ras-coyered wagon, to which were har-
/ messed six mules. Mcconnell drove
these all the way to Salt Lake City. 1t
took fifty-two days to make the trip and
be got 81 q day. This money made him feel
quite rich, and when he arrived at Salt
Lake he was ready TO push on to California
and the gold fields. He was engaged in
II mining in California and was doing very
well, when washout and food
swept away all his prospects.
acoSSELL's So 1000 POTATO CROP.
In the meantime he had noticed that
everyone who owned farm or garden in
the vicinity of the California mines made
r. money out OF IT. 1t struck him that the
j came thing might be done in Idaho, and
- heput what money he had. saved into
farming implements and seeds, and started
w eastward to go into gardening His
III articles had to be carried on a pack train,
~ and he walked $50 miles and located
I'll his garden near Boise City. His
~ garden prospered, and he was soon
a selling cabbages by the thousands
at % cents head, and his potato crop
~ IN one year Melted him SD 600 dollars. He
ceY Kept up his gardening for three years and
- made money at it right along. His profits
u'l enabled him to go into other business and
4 he is now one of the well-to-do men of the
West. He has been an influential man in
n Idaho for years. and like most of these
Western senator's, he seems to think that
~ The whole United States revolves around
81 his new state and that it will eventually
III
)uU Otherwise IN the Union. He SAYS it has
the biggest mine in the world and he car
= res a autograph of this mine about with
MN TO prove to strangers he is telling the
uuih. 1t is called the De Lamar mine
and liproduces $4,000 of gold and silver a
month with prospect of its increasing its
Yield vastly in the future.
SENATOR'S BIG WHEAT STORIES.
nj senator Mcconnell says the panhandle
o. Idaho Is the finest agricultural region
" IN the United States, and he tells stories
aoout It's wheat productions, which, if
I'll True, would almost enable the owners of
sne land to get mortgages at per cent. in
aead OF the rates of 10 and II, which are
y sad to hold good in Kansas. He says
nj .hat there are hundreds of acres of wheat
IN the panhandle which turn out forty
81 ,pusneis per acre right along, and he re-
W ia'es an incident which occurred in sleep
ing car upon which he was travelling
n through Idaho this fall. Said he:
ihere were two skeptical Eastern men
4 ~ the berth opposite me, and overheard
une taking 10 the other. They were dis
eQsslng Western men and Western stories,
ana one of them said These Westerners
a e the most accomplished liars
j q the world. They try TO pre-
n here that viii produce sixty bushels of
III wheat to the acre. Now you and | know
tnat That can't be- and still they tell the
Story with as straight face as though
Ih5ey were reclting Scripture or a sermon
= et the men go on for some time in this
/ s'fSin and heard them traduce our people
II a. mars and gamblers and laugh more and
FL nlofe as they went along about the big
u sheat stories. At last | could stand it no
n Dhger, and broke into the conversation.
n gentlemen said /. II am a Westerner,
SSnu suppose | am something of q
q .ial, anu do not know but that may be
81 SSshethingot q gambler. know that | am
n Lar enough to say that we have right
N nere In this country which we are passing
SlIough, land which will not only pro-
n aaee sixty but one hundred bushels of
81 raeat 10 the acre. Hereat both of the
/ fasteners laughed inc-eduously, and |
Il .eht on, and what's more, gentlemen,
u ~, gambler enough to bet any amount on
. Aat statement, from 81 10 $20,ooo. and the
II IAN Viii stop in q moment AT Missoula
a mheFe there is bank where we can set
va! checks certified and deposit the bet
antu The matter can be verified. This
sssasner took the wind out of the sails of my
@aow travellers They wouldn't believe
Us, put they weren't willing 10 bet. Ny
g,ah, however, shut up their mouths, and
vas not bothered about any further re-
arSs as 70 Western liars during the re-
~aander OF the day."
II LOOK AT SENATOR SHOUT.
senator Shoup, the other senator from