The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-21

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away for ten years in EHXAI
debt before he made the 164Er& LEA
lucky stroke whichEFz<t{sSSS
formed the foundation SSFSs s11
of his fortune. Philetus <ss-aaS.zss ts1f21
Sawyer had to skimp
and save during the first FhLfoS'
twenty years of his business life. and Ie-
land Stanford, who is worth 500, 100000
today, thought the whole world was GO
ing to smash when the fire came which
burned up all his private papers and books
IN his little law Office in country town in
Wisconsin. There is scarcely man in
the United States Senate who has not
made and lost fortunes or the chances to
make them. Senator Teller has been
within an ace of being a millionaire half
dozen different times during his life,
and Stewart and Jones, the sena-
tors from Nevada, have had lives
Of wonderful adventures. When Senator
Stewart left the Senate some years ago he
was supposed TO be worth about s., 000, 900,
which he had made in mining, and he has
made fortunes as a mining lawyer. He
made big thing out of the Comstock lode,
and for one mining case he got fee in
stock which netted him 100000. He has
lost his whole fortune again and again,
but he is said TO be a rich man today. and
he owns the $125,000 house which he rents
to the Chinese legation. Senator Jones,
when he was first elected to the Senate, in
1872, was worth 100000. which he had
made out of the Comstock lode. He lost
this all in real estate and mining specuia-
ton, and then made another fortune or
two and lost them before he got into his
Alaska mine, which is now bringing in, so
10 C20O a
for him. This mine produced, not long
ago, $500 900 in two months, and it is said
that new developments are cropping out
from time to time which promise even bet
ter for the future.
Speaking of the ups and downs of these
senators from the Western states some of
the best of their experiences have never
been published. There is rot man in
congress from the Pacific slope whose life
has not been full of romance, and one of
the members of the House from California
told me some stories last night ofthe early
life of Senator Charles FELTON,, the young
millionaire who has the seat of the late
George Hearst in the United States Senate.
Said this man:
FELTON, was only IL years old when he
landed in California. 1t is a mistake to
say that he had been brought up poor
boy. His father was rich for his time and
place, and he went to school in an academy
at Syracuse, n. Y, living at this
time with his uncle. who was
well-to-do lawyer. When he was
about 16, however, he had some
little trouble with his uncle, and
he borrowed $500 from his friends and
came around Cape Horn with Flood,
H.
in company with Mackay and 0iBrlen.
He landed in San Francisco with less
than dollar in his pocket, and he and
| a party of three others went about the
city together. One of the first places they
visited was the Parker house, then the
most famous gambling place on the
Pacific slope, and a score of games were in
progress The bar was running, being
manipulated by fancy bartender, and
one of the men suggested that the
| Deacon" which was the nickname for
! FELTON,, should set up the drinks. The
| boy had only 20 cents in his pocket and
this was in the shape of seven Decent
| pieces. He was generous, however,
| and though he had never taken
drink in his life he said he had no objec-
| ton, and he stepped to the bar and called
for beer for his party of four. Two battles
| of English ale were set on the counter,
and the men, thirsty from their long voy-
| age, drank their glasses off with will.
| Then the young deacon, thinking of the
| prices at home in the East, where the
| glasses were cents apiece. boldly asked
/ what was the charge, and was thunder
| struck when the bartender said it was 81,
or 81 bottle. Young FELTON, flushed. He
| turned pale. and he was mortified almost
| to death. A man in business clothes back
of the bar caught his eye and said: ~
| guess you are a stranger here, young man,
| and want you To let this be my treat,
and w n taxa bar drink vvft
me?" FELTON, replied that he could not.
| and he said he only had 30
| cents in his pocket and he had no
| idea that beer was so high in
/ California. The man. who was Parker
| himself, passed it off with a laugh and
| paid the pill The next day the young dea-
| con got work in San Francisco at SIS day,
| which was current wages for ordinary
| laboring men at that time and it was not
| long before he had plenty of money ana
| was running a little business of his own.
| A few years after this the Fraser river gold
/ excitement broke out, and California was
| almost depopulated by the rush to the
| north. Among others who went was
| Parker, and like most OF the others who
/ left for these gold fields, he lost all he had
| in them. 1t was after the excitement had
| pretty well died down that Mr. FELTON,
| was sitting In his office in san Francisco
| when a sun Drowned, poorly dressed man
| came in and said Good day" TO the fu-
| ture United States senator.
| "How do you do?" replied FELTON,.
| But you don't know me, " said the man.
Yes, | do" returned FELTON,. You
used TO keep the Parker establishment 1
am glad to see you, and can / do anything
| for your"
Right yon are," replied Parker, "and
| think you can do good deal for me. |
have come to San Francisco from Fraser
! am dead broke, and l want you TO lend
me 500 to start again"
| ''I'il do it, T." replied FELTON,, "but you had
better take $3.50, and il you can pay il all
| right, and If you can't it's all right any
| how. | will never forget how you paid
for my beer, and am glad to do you
| favor"
Parker took the money and started a
new establishment. He did we'll, and
| within few weeks paid off the amount he
had borrowed.
The story of the life Of Senator FELTON, is
| peculiarly illustrative OF the vicissitudes
| of fortune in California in the early part
Of the fifties- For long time fortune
seemed to he against him. He would
| make good stroke only 10 find that mis-
| fortune had swept it away. and his
| struggle for his first hundred thousand
| dollars was a hard one Sill " was fulf