Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-05
ABILITY OR CHANCE2

It was out at Albuquerque, on the Rlo
Grande, in New Mexico, few years ago. /
had Just reached the city and was sitting
after dinner in front Of the hotel with .
friend who was interesting me in the local
celebrities who passed when a fine team,
driven by handsome, brown bearded man
of about five and thirty, went whirling
past. 1.
"There goes one of the richest men in the
territory" said my friend. pointing after
the driver whatever he touches seems
70 turn into gold"
HE must have ability and no doubt had
. good start" said.
swell. as to that, you will find college
graduates driving teams out here, and men
that can hardly sign their names employ
ing them. This fact has somewhat shaken
my belief in education and ability, but let
me tell you story"
My friend, himself prosperous miner
and cattle raiser, lit fresh cigar, balanced
his chair back against the wall and then
spoke about as follows:
"Just 20 years ago this summer there was
boy living in Chicago named James Col
ton. AS nobody ever used his last name or
ever called him James he had come to be-
lieve that his full name was Jim He
tian name and surname had not his father
who WAS a sailor on the great lakes, where
he was Subsequently drowned, picked it in
70 his arm in india ink while he was yet
very little boy.
After Jim's father was drowned his
mother, frail, gentle woman, died in the
poorhouse and so at the age of 10 and with
barely enough education to read the papers
he was forced to sell the boy was thrown
on the world.
He had an uncle, his fathers brother
and an engineer on a locomotive on the Chi
cago and Alton road, who made a pretense
Of looking after him, but as he often did
not see the nephew for three months at a
time you may be sure the boy derived but
little benefit from the relationship.
IF were writing Sunday school story
instead Of telling you the unvarnished
truth, I might say that Jim Cotton, al
though sleeping in cellars with vicious as
sociates and eating at street stands when
ever he had the money, grew up model Of
all the proprieties, but we are made by our
associations.
Jim smoked when he was 10. had &C
quired the habit Of chewing when he was
IA, and by the time he was Is he could
thrash anybody of his age in Chicago, and
for the vigor and originality of his profan-
fly he was uneQualed by any man or boy in
the city.
whenever he could afford the money,
he went to the gallery of some cheap thea
ter and ate peanuts and pelted the shells at
the baldheaded men below during the per-
fOrmance
HE was always clean in the summer
time, for he delighted to put in his spare
time swimming in the lake. but in the win
ter when the water was cold or frozen 1t
must be confessed he Above ed himself to get
frightfully dirty.
Good people often gave him old clothes,
usually six sizes too large, so that his coat
sleeves and trousers legs were always rolled
up. Missionaries took him to meetings and
tried to impress him with the wickedness of
his life, but as he knew nothing better and
meant all right he didn't believe them and
rather scorned their condescending solicit
tude
IF Jim Cotton had staid in Chicago till
he was u, all the chances are he would have
been drunkard and a very skillful thief,
for he had the requisite audacty and cum
ming, but chance changed the current of his
life.
"A drunken engineer whom he met one
uncle had been killed in New Mexico and
left a lot of money. New Mexico is as you
know, a very large territory, but to the boy
Chicago was larger than all the rest of the
world put together.
1T was not love for the uncle, no one had
won the boys love, but the hope of getting
the money, that decided the boy to make
his way to New Mexico.
"He hung around the freight depot for
some days till he saw car being loaded,
on the door Of which there was sign
printed. For Las Vegas In this Jim de-
termined to conceal himself.
His stock in trade consisted of ragged
suit of clothes, pocket comb, big jack
knife with one blade, and 60 cents in cash.
With the money he bought some tobacco,
"a lot OF sandwiches and three bottles of
beer, one for each day. for he learned from
a man at the depot that it took three days
to 20 to Las Vegas but the man did not
say that this was on passenger car and
that freight cars often took three times as
long.
Jim Colton's provisions and beer-for
he was hid among the freight-lasted for
just three days, and the next three he suf-
fered for food and drink. The time was
painfully lonely and long, and fearing he
would die the boy began to shout one
night, when the train was stopped, and he
was leu out.
"lie was sworn at, and II he had not been
SO thin and weak he might have been
thrashei, but the engineer OF the train
heard his story and offered to care for him.
1T turned ont that his uncle was not
dead, nor was he in that part of the country.
1.-THE boy made his way to Santa Fe and
got employment with General Palmer of
the Denver and Rio Grande road. He
showed energy and industry and rose up
step by step. studying in his spare hours
I'm time he struck out for himself, mar
ried the daughter Of rich man. and today
he Is one Of our best and most honored citi-
Zens.
"The handsome man who just drove by
is Colonel James Cotton. Now, was it
luck or ability, or both, that made hims
And what II he had staid In Chicagos'-
New York Advertiser.
The Wedding Not to BE Quiet.
The girl who was not beautiful, but inter