The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-21

An Idaho Monte Cristo's Disappoint-
ing Experience in Washington Society.
Especial Correspondence
AT SEA, OFF LONG ISLAND, Sept. 10
I was trained a practical printer, and
I love the printing business; my voca,
ton is that of newspaper writer, and
love that. Yet whenever / have been
asked what profession would follow il
could take my choice my reply has
been, ga capitalist"
To me it has always seemed, as
doubt not it has to you, dear reader,
that an ideal existence would be posses.
sion of a big fortune, with no worry
about income save how to spend it, with
no demand on ones energies save pur-
suit of new plans for having fun.
But take it all back. do not want
to be capitalist. / will stick to the
newspaper business, working hard for a
living, racking my dull brain to please
both readers and managing editor, and
when fall back done for, worked out,
no longer able to satisfy public and en-
ployer-as it is said all writers fall back
sooner or later-I will take up the stick
and rule and set type. Anything but
being capitalist.
This change of heart is due to a
knowledge which ]. have recently ac-
quired of the capitalistic business. ]
have discovered that it is not what it is
cracked up to be. have studied an OBJ
ject lesson in capitalism till I have
become convinced it is thing to
be Stunned as we would fly from the
nimble germ of cholera or the insidious
bacillus of yellow fever. This object
lesson is my host on board the gallant
yacht which is now stealning toward
New York harbor.
It is not nice to sit down and gossip
about ones host-to use him as an OBJ
ject lesson-but in this instance DELHI
erately violate good taste in order to &C.
complish the worthy purpose of con-
vincing hundreds of thousands of read
ers who are not capitalists, but who
yearn to be capitalists, that they will be
much better off if they remain what
they are.
Two or three years ago out in Idaho
was young miner. He worked with
his hands down in the bowels of tho
earth, welding a pick or q spade, some
times for others at SO much per day,
sometimes for himself in claims located
by himself or partners. He was steady
and industrious young man, and in
course of time saved up $4,000 OF
$4,000.
Another miner had claim for sale
whose name was De Lamar, examined the
mine with the alertness and acuteness Of
an expert. He concluded it was good
thing and offered 1000 for it. But
this offer was not accepted. The owner
had hopes OF getting q bigger price from
Senator Jones, OF Nevada, whose agent
was at that very moment inspecting the
property.
Senator Jones is one Of the keenest
men in the world on mines, now that
Senator Hearst is dead. If he had gone
to Idaho himself he would lave bought
this mine if it had cost him $500, O00
But his agent was not enthusiastic, and
the best the senator would do was SO.
900. Young De Lamar saw this $40 COG
and went it $4,000 better, and for $12.-
600 the mine became his.
He knew he had good thing, but his
widest dreams had never pictured the
reality. In three months the promising
mine-the west is full of promising
mines-had been developed into one Of
~. G,,lc ~. T. loI
of thousands it was worth millions.
All good things come to New York for
market. De Lamar brought his mine
to Gotham, but was induced to go on ic
London. 'sNew York has silver, bu.
London has gold," said Tom Ochiltree.
to whom the young Idaho miner had
been introduced. London is the place
to finance big thing. Over there mil
lions lie idle yearning for investment
So De Lamar and Ochiltree went on to
London. The latter had entree over
there. He knew clubmen, lords, mil.
lionaires galore. He was popular with
them because his stories had made them
laugh. They had confidence in him
because he was trusted by John Mackay,
although perhaps they didn't know that
'Mackay paid Ochiltree $4,000 a year to
entertain him-$5, 900 year to be a
millionaire's court clown. De Lamar
knew this, but he didn't care. "Tom is
a good clown and earns his money, and
he is square man and can get in with
those rich nobs on the other side, and
that's all want"
They did get in with the nobs on the
other side. They talked mine to them.
Experts were sent all the way to Idaho.
The surveys and assays were verified,
for nowadays our English friends don't
buy American mines with their eyes
shut. And finally London company
bought two-thirds interest in Mr.. De
Lamar's mine for about 100000
5000, 900. This great sum was paid in
cash, and thus it was my host became
capitalist.
In addition to the 100000 in cash
he still owned third of the mine, and
as it proved to be very, very rich the
income from his share has been more
than young De Lamar could spend, let
alone the principal and the interest
upon it!