Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-06-16
BY TELEGRAPH.
MADE $500 ON $50 IN SIXTY oArs.
4 s.ou Of Peanuts. Popcorn and Prosperity ia
Gold Mining Camp.

t,n tiie It'll siay OF ] Iril last NJ. w. Smith
Reached tiiis camp with SIS Mr.. Smith
sss not here for his health. Some of the
BinglsAmton rea.lers OF the sun will remem-
/ Der Mr.. Smith as a lad that used 10 run on
the Erie rnad As a water boy and puryeyor
of such ssae Is newsboys commonly carry
To iufflet on ftle passengers, and they will
I not bs surprised ia learn that in a some
shat similar EHe he has achieved success in
the new gold camp of Colorado. for in his
dag on the Erie there was not boy there
with smoother tongue or more persuasive
manner than he.
/ However. although he prosIsred a. !,
/ neWsbsy and developed talent Il sales
Hian that promised great future prosperity
iiis mother thought he ought 10 learn trade.
4 However. she WAS afraid the evil eommuni-
cations of the railroad life would corrupi
the goo.' manners learned At honie. 50 the
! lad went 10 the muuiilins trade and bet am
+ proficient.
( After while he drif;ed West, and " orke,l
/ in Denver AMI later in Pueblo. Meantime
he had married. ami got i family of four
4 youngsters. and what with the care of his
I mother and bis family MIR. Smith had Ia
rustic in the sand 500 days in the wear to
make both enls meet.
} After a little more than 90 years Of this
I rnstling. bis thoughts began 10 90 back to
/ the Old days when he ran ON the Erie AMI
/ Jim Fisk was cock of the walk-aud theS
went back with unwonted frequency. lie
was wearing out under the hard labor and
! WAS just aching To ask somebody 10 buy
sUmething,
tine day last spring n he Was walking
along the street wondering what he could
do to get into some kind of mercantile
business without much capaitai. his eye fell
on IA pedilcr of magnifying glasses. Thi,
gave him an idea. Pueblo Is a good dea
"a mining town, and Smith had learned
that all sorts of mining people must have
magnifying gla>se, for examination of ores
He concluded that with il stock of glasses h,
could make a tour Of the mining camps OF
Colorado. pick up profitable trade, Sc,
the camps get new IDEAS and perhaps STRIKE
II rich III some unexpected way.
SO he went to various Jewellers in tbs
city To learn where he could buy magnify
ing glasses at reasonable wholesale rates
but, curiou,iy enough, no one would he'll
him save one. and this one offered 10 e
him have some at Il small discount from r.
tail prices. 1t was a hard chance bu
'bAiAu itti AiIpuellt tbbil tllN NibJttt ST lVl-
he could not help making Il venture, and de
termined 10 accept the offer. But before
he took any stock he thought he would =,
up to Cripple Creek and see how business
was done, and thus it was he reached III,
camp one evening with S35 cash in his
pocket.
First of all, he got square meal at Il 81
cent restaurant, and then walked up the
main business street TO see the sights liz
had not gone far before he felt the banker
ing for something that comes to men accls
toned 10 work, but idle through force ot
circumstances. Thereat he concluded thai
fresh roasted peanuts--say nickels wortl
would about touch the spot, and begar
looking about for the Italian fruit stand t,
which he had been accustomed in the cite
he had lived in.
When couldn't find even an Italian
let alone Il peanut stand. he SAYS, II TOOK
tumble 10 myself. | rustled about an
found u grocer who had an Old shack of 3
peanut rooster that he hadn't had the cour
age to try and got it of him. Then got j.;
bag of peanuts. Whcw roasting peanut
do smell good when fellows loafin.
around with his hands in his pockets don
they: You bet was pertaining the ait
next morning bright and early and mex
night late.
Made wages the first day and the mex
and right along. And then | remembered
how good fresh popcorn with little salt OF
it tasted, and that old peanut rooster wasn'
too bad as a corn pepper, though I've got (;
new machine since. OF course | adlrt
some candies and fruit, and business ha,
been good, rain or snow or shine
Smiths persuasive wnvs. gained as Z;
train boy on the Erie, had come back tt
him sure enough lie had not only gaine
trade bat friends. Among its customer,
were many brokers in and owners of mines
They liked his peanuts and popcorn and
learned To like the man They gave hin
pointers on pr 7pcct holes and mining
stocks. and Sniil, acted on the pointers
lie bought and sold with such luck that Al
this writing he holds 10000 shares. in va,
rlous mines that at such "a sacrifice as /;
forced sale would demand are worth over
- 800
But Smith is not selling at forced sale
With every sale he makes he puts by part
of the profits in cash aud has accumulated
bank account of several hundred dollars
More than that, he has opened small
well stocked variety store which he runs as
well a> the peanut stand. Then he put
Sluh worth of grub against one mans labor
for a quarter interest in one prospect hole
and : 80 against fifth IN another. Both
are looking well and Smith will have NJ
difficulty in getting aid to develop them
Moreover, he will know how to get ont
from undcr shoHll there be any danger Of
Il drop.
Recently still another sourc, of ,,rnsupr.