The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-19


lngly l saw mstch lying on the ground
right beside little stream that ran
through the canon. was almost fright
eneo at the sight of it at that moment,
IN such an out-of-the-way place. l
picked it up, saying to myself: OF
course it won't light. 1t has been lying
In the wet sand a long time, and can't
and I had my smoke. l never knew a
piece of luck to beat that. 1t is not the
most important incident in my life in
which good fortune has stood by me,
but it is one of the strangest."
The Senator saw many hair's-breadth
adventures in his career in the mining
county from California. He fought with
the indians and whipped them. and he
narrowly escaped death in great many
forms. But he was too clever man to
remain sheriff. He soon had an oppor-
tunity to go to Nevada to act as superin-
tendent of the Crown Point and Ken
lucky mine. At that time" said the
Senator, "Mackay and Fair had bought
for small sum several little mines on
the Comstock which no one thought OF
much value. Then they struck their
world famous bonanza in the Crown
Point, and was very rich man," The
Crown Point was the southern end Of the
Comstock. But it was not the richest
part of that famous lode. John W.
Mackay took out S45, 900. 600 from the
Comstock consultations; James G. Fairs
Flood and WIS. O'Brien, the San Fran
cisco partners in the firm, received $780,
600, 600 and SIG, 900, 900 respectively for
their shares. Sharon made
SIG, 900, 600 in Comstock and
W. b. Ralston and D. y. Mills made about
&c. 900, 900 each John P. Jones came in
between the highest and the lowest of
this group OF Comstock millionaires.
His Crown Point profits were about $10,-
000,00
MADE AND LOST FORTUNES.
The Senator has always been of a
speculative turn of mind, and he took
his big profits in Crown Point and in
vested them in other properties, chiefly
in California. The res ult was that he
lost his first fortune very quickly. But
he had retained his control of the Crown
Point mine and he soon took enough out
OF that to put him on his feet again.. He
had made and lost two fortunes when he
was elected to the Senate in 1873, and
be was then reputed to be worth So, 000-
900. Five years later-in July 1S7S-he
went West, made virtually pauper by
speculation. He owned any quantity of
AtatHS pTUpolby Ill buc 0lcIId NCSdtd,
but it was thought to be exhausted. No
gold had ever been found in these mines
below the 1900 foot level, and the gen.
eral belief was that none was to be
found. Harry Jones, the Senator's
brother, now dead, had faith in the lower
workings and he went down to the 2.100-
foot level. His persistence was reward
ed by the discovery Of vein of gold
richer than any the mine had shown.
The find uac M ode in Captapo bar 1870
and the Senator's stock, which had been
knocking about the New York market, a
football Tor the brokers at 81 share,
suddenly jumped to $220-an astonishing
advance. The new find made the Sena-
tor again rich man. He then acquired
large interest in some gold mines on
Douglass Island, Alaska, and when his
found another fortune in the Alaska
venture. His income from his Alaska
investments was said at one time to be
S12, 900. month. In addition to his
mining property IN Alaska and Califor-
MIA the Senator owns big tract of land
at Santa Monica, Cal. which is becom-
ing a much frequented winter resort.
Although Mr.. Jones's business inter-
ests are all in the extreme West ne spends
most of lis time in the East. When he
is not in Washington he is usually in
New York. He leads a bachelor life here
nowadays. At one time Mrs. Jones spent
her winters in Washington and enter
tanned great deal. Of late the Senator
has lived at Chamberlin's most of the
time. There he can be found almost
any evening surrounded by group of
friends telling stories or listening to
them. He plays an occasional game of
poker but that is almost the only social
life he knows. He does not care for
social entertai nments and he
would rather discuss the silver pro blem
with a casual visitor than go to recep-
ton at the White house. Much of his
time is given to study.
SILVER HIS HOBBY.
He is perhaps better informed on the
financial problem than any other man
in public life today. Even his political
enemies admit this. His old friends in
the Republican party while they differed
with him on the silver question never
hesitated to admit the strength of his
reasoning and the extent of his KnowI-
edge. They have always spoken of him
as one Of the most plausible takers in
the Senate. Yet he has never been much
of a speech maker there. When he does
make silver speech it is after months
of preparation and the speech is worth
The making. He takes no part in gen.
eral debate on any other question unless
it be the tariff He is a strong protec-
ZIONIST and almost as fluent in debating
the abstract tariff question as in sup
porting the free coinage of silver. But
silver is his hobby; and it is singular
fact that among those who disagree with
him entirely on this subject there will
be found very few who will claim that
they can answer his arguments.
The last speech on silver made by Mr..
Jones on the Senate was delivered in
October last. 1t took him six DAYS to
deliver it He could have completed it
two days but he would have had to oc-
cupy the whole time OF the Senate each
day. TIE speech filled more than 100
600 words As soon as til was