The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-02-24
THE MILLioNAIRE's HARD DAYS.
''Bonanza" Mackay Saw the Time When
He Had Nothing to Eat.
When John W. Mackay worked as a

When John W. Mackay worked as a
poor placer miner he was always care
full to put by enough, when he could,
to put him in position to seize an OPP
portunity when it offered; or, saving
that, to have something laid away for
rainy day. But prudence can't put
virgin gold in the ground, and Mr..
Mackay's claim on the Feather petered
out. He worked at it for months, and
pan as he might the color got fainter
and fainter. He sat in his lonely
cabin one rainy night, supperless,
reading by his last tallow candle a
work on mineralogy, which he had
borrowed from lordly and surprised
engineer Above the noise of the
storm came a knock on the door.
Andy Hepworth, keeper of the All
Souls saloon at Thompson's Bar, stag
gered in. His stagger was caused by
several things. One of them was lot
of his own whisky, which was under
his skin; the others were two sides OF
bacon and sack of flour, which
weighted mis- shoulders and hands.
John" he said, you never spent a
dollar over my bar or any other bar
at the camp, and that shows your good
sense. But the boys tell me you're in
hard luck, and l know man when
see one. Here's something to keep
you going" And he threw on the
rough floor the sack of flour and two
sides of bacon. He retaina1 the
whisky.
1t was a good many years later,
when Mackay had become a rich man,
that he again met Hepworth, gone in
health. crushed in spirit, lounging
among the crowd of hopeless ones
who hang like flies about the bung-
hole of the stock market, sugarless for
them.
'HulIo. Andyr cried John, delight
you don't mean to say you remem-
Der me?" said the broken man.
Remember your laughed the
millionaire. You bet do, and that
flour and bacon, too. Broker"
Flat"
"T'll carry you hundred of Con.
Virginia"
''Good enough, John. You've res
cued me from hell. When shall sell?"
when tell you."
But he wouldn't sell when he was
told, and Mackay had to pay the loss.
This happened three times.
Then the millionaire put his arm
through Hepworth's and took him up
to his Office one day.
ANDY" he said, seriously, "has
whisky got you. or can you let it
aloneP"
Yes, / can"
Honest Injun?"
Straight"
'All right There's no use trying
to help you in stocks. You're a gamb-
Ter, and when the fever gets hold of
you you won't listen to me or anybody
else. All Souls was a first-rate saloon,
and you knew how to run it. That's
your forte. I'll send Dick Dey out to
find good place, and you put your
self behind the bar. Come back in two
days-3:SO p. m."
At the hour appointed Mr.. Dey and
Hepworth were there.
''Here," said Mr.. Mackay, drawing a
check. There's $40, 900. Andy. Dick
struck an AL place on Market street.
You can buy it and have something
left to stand a run of barasca, if need
be. Keep the bottle for other folks
and you'll be all right. If you don't
but I hope you will for your own
sake. And don't you ever forget,
Andy, that flour and bacon will always
be draft at sight for grub stake"
I'm happy to say that new All Souls
is success, that Andy is as temperate
as parson. and that he's done the
manly thing and paid back every cent
of the $4,000 out of less virtuous
mems pockets. If you don't believe it,
ask Dick Dey.-San Francisco NeaOs
Letter.