The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-29


Lost and Won.
From the Netc York Herald.
Nearly every one OF our United States
senator's has had life OF ups and downs
Senator Sherman worked on canal as q
surveyor, and his first speculation in boat
load of salt turned out badly. Allison made
barely living at the law before he went 70
Ohio, and zeal" Brice, rich as he now is,
pegged away for ten years In debt before
be made the lucky stroke which formed the
foundation of his fortune. Philetus Sawyer
had to skimp and save during the first
twenty years of his business life, and Leland
Stanford, who is worth 800. 900 900
to-day, thought the whole world was
going 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 q 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 millionaire half dozen different
times during his life and Stewart and
Jones, the senators from Nevada, have had
lives of wonderful adventures When Sem
ator Stewart left the Senate some years ago
he was supposed to be worth about So, 900. :
OO0 which he had made in mining aud he
has made fortunes as a mining LAWYER
He made big thing out of the Comstock
lode and for one mining case he got a
feeln stock which Melted him 500 900. He has
lost his whole fortune again and again.
but he is said to be rich man to-day, and
he owns the Sl25 coo house which he rents
TO the Chinese legation. Senator Jones
when he was first elected to the Senate in
lS7Zwas worth $4,000, 900, which he had made
out Of the Comstock lode. He lost this
all IN real estate and mining speculation,
and then made another fortune or two and
lost them before he got into his Alaska
mine, which is now bringing in, so it is
said, something like $4,000 a year for
him.
UNPUBLISHED EXPERIENCES.
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 not a man in con-
gress 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 of the early life Of
Senator Charles FELTON,, the young million
aire who has the seat Of the late George
Hearst in the United States Senate. Said
this man:
"Felton was only II years of age when he
landed in California. 1t is a mistake to say
that he had been brought up a poor boy.
His father was rich for his time aud place
and he went TO school in an academy in
Syracuse, n. Y, living at this time with
his uncle, who was a well-to do LAWYER
When he was about 16, however, he mad
some little trouble with his uncle, and he
borrowed $500 from his friends and went
around Cape Horn with Flood and after
ward became millionaire.
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 mo t
famous gambling place on the Pacific slope,
and a score of games we're in progress. The
bar was running, being manipulated by
fancy bartender, and one of the men sug-
gested that the Deacon which was the
nickname for FELTON,, should set no the
drinks. The boy had only 20 cents In his
pocket, and this was in. the shape OF seven
10-cent pieces. He was generous, however,
and though he had never taken a drink in
his life he said he had no objection, and he
stepped to the bar and called for beer for
his party Of four. Two bottles of English
ale were set on the counter and the men,
thirsty from their long voyage, drank their
glasses Oft with a 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 thunderstruck when the bartender
said it was So, or 81 bottle Young FELTON,
flushed. He turned pale and was mortified.
A man In business clothes back of the bar
caught his eye and said:
i guess you are a stranger here, young
man, and want you to let this be my treat
and won't you all take another drink with
NEE
FELTON, replied that be could not, aud he
said that he only had 70 cents in his pocket,
and he had no idea that beer was so high in
California. The man. who was Parker him
self, passed it off with laugh and paid the
bill The next day the young
Deacon" got work in San Francisco
at SIC a day, which was current wages
tor ordinary laboring men at that time, and
1t was DOT long before he had plenty Of
money and was running little business of
bis own.
HARD LUCK.
THE story Of the life of Senator Felton,"
continued the congressman, sis peculiarly
illustrative of the vicissitudes of fortune in
california in the early part of the SOS. For
a long time fortune seemed to be against
MN. He would make good stroke only to
md that misfortune had swept it away. and
Dis struggle for his first 500, 900 was hard
one. Still, 1t was full of pleasant things,
ana his losses never affected him. | have
heard him tell some OF the stories. He
worked until he had saved $500 and then he
went to mining. He was slight and weak,
however, and he saw that he could do less
work in day than the other miners could
20 10 two hours, and after he had made
some little money he quit and concluded to
Try to make fortune In other ways.
PROVISIONS were then very high in the
mines. Potatoes were worth 81 pound
end hay $500 ton. Il cost 81 pound in
feght 20 pack goods on the backs of mules
tf-m the coast to the mines, and be turned
Ola attention to packing. Every mule load
was worth 500 In freight and he made
money very fast.
de then staked off a good claim in con-
1t9etlon with partner and for long time
Icy took out 500 a day apiece. They
lea decided to dam the Yuba river and
uus get at the gold in its bed. They had
:! TINS time each saved about $1,000 and it
uok all Of this to build the dam. When the
San was about completed q big food came
with it.
As the stream went raging down the
fountains it carried nearly everything be-
ie II, and among other things which
sased before the eyes OF the young man
, 'ls sort Of cradle for the use of quick
,Slyer In mining. FELTON, caught hold Of
o c1is and pulled It out, and with 1t as his
~, NY capital he started life again. be rugged
~ ~ q httle reduction establishment, got four