The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-07-13
M,DE $4,000 ON sss IN 60 DAYS.
s.arv If Peanuts, Popcorn and Prosperity
in a Gold Mining Camp.

From the New yin '1'H'
Cn,pp7E CREEK, Col, June 13.-This
"a story of peanuts, popcorn and pros
a.,irr On April 7 last M. w. Smith
ro,c6ed this camp with S33. Mr.. Smith
,r,s NOT here for his health. Some of
4bo northampton readers of the Sun will
n,r,amber SmitI as the lad who used to
ann on the Erie road as water boy and
,,,ryavor of such stuff as newsboys com
monty carry to in1lict onidle passengers,
and they will not be surprised to learn
+bo+ in q somewhat similar line he has
achieved success in the new gold camp
Of Colorado. for in his day on the Erie
there was nota boy there with a smoother
+oncue or more persuasive manner than
he.
However, although he prospered as
newsboy and developed a talent as a
salesman that promised great future
prosperity, his mother thought he ought
to learn a trade. Moreover, she was afra d
the evil communications Of the railroad
life would corrupt the good manners
learned at home. SO the lad went to the
modng trade and became proficient.
After a while he drifted west and
worked in Denver and later in Pueblo.
Meantime he had married and got fam
lily Of four youngsters, and what with the
care of his mother and his family Mr..
Smith had to rustic in the sand 300 days
in the year to make both ends meet
After a little more than twenty years of
this rustling, his thoughts began to go
back to the old days when he ran on the
Erie and jim Fisk was cock of the walk
and they went back with unwonted
frequency. He was wearing out under
the hard labor and was just aching to
ask somebody to buy something.
One day last sprng, as!he was walking
along the street wondering what he
could do to get into some mercantile
business without much capital, his eye
fell on a peddler of magnifying glasses.
This gave him an idea. 9Pueblo is a good
deal of q mining town, and Smith had
learned that all sorts of mining people
must have magnify ne glasses for the ex-
animation of ores. He concluded that
with glasses he could make a tour of the
mining camps OF Colorado, pick up
profitable trade, see the camps, get new
ideas, and perhaps strike it rich in some
unexpected way.
SO he went to various jewelers. in the
city to learn where he could buy magni-
flying glasses at reasonable wholesale
rates, but, curiously enough, no one
would help him save one, and this one
offered to let him have some at a small
discount from retail prices. 1t was
hand chance, but Smith had thought
about the subject so long he could not
help making venture, and determined
U accept the offer. But before he took
any stock he thought he would go to
Cripple Creek and see how business was
done, ard thus it was that he reached
The camp one evening with $33 cash in
his pocket.
FIRST Of all, he got square meal at
% cent restaurant, and then walked up
the main business street to see the sights.
lie had not gone far before he felt the
n"nkerng Tor something that comes to
men accustomed to work, but idle
through force of circumstances. Thereat
lie concluded that fresh roasted peanuts
SAY Il niclers worth-would about
Iooch the spot, and began looking about
ioI me Italian fruit stand to which he
nad been accustomed in the cities he
had lived in.
u" hen l couldn't find even an Italian.
i7' alone peanut stand" he says, 81
LOOK tumble to myself. | rustled
ABOUT and found grocer who had an
V'0 snack of peanut rooster that he
" su had the courage to try and GOT it
VI lIIin Then got bag of peanuts.
""e" roasting peanuts do smell good
[ %-'H a fellows loafng around with his
l ''""qS IN his pockets, don't they? Yoa
5,0 l was perfuming the air next morn
,r95 - 'SN' and early, and next night late.
n;e, WAGES the first day and next and
7"' along. And then I remembered
s, I@ good fresh popcorn with a little
roa.. vi 1t tasted, and that old peanut
t5o ,@'sI WASH TOO bad as corn pepper,
i o ,o'5l. I've got new machine since.
4 A.. curse added some candies and
or. ana business has been good, rain
VI snow or shine"