The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-04


teaches, in this age Of idleness and day Of
tramps, that if man really wants work
he can find Il or even make it any day he
will
When Perkins worked his way to Cali
fornia by water, still a common sailor, he
took his blankets and cooking kit on bis
back and footed IL TO the gold mines Ia the
interior. Now, there Is a tradition in the
minds OF the newer generation that for
tunes were 20 be had ia those early days
for the picking up. but the cold. frozen fact
is the gold mines Of California did not pay.
They did not pay, first and last, even 80
much A. ~ cents per day for the labor ex-
pended And such iahorl Sixteen hours a
day and giants ia strength aud endurance
swinging the pick. For one man who made
q fortune land You heard Of him only 40
least . bad % fail Perkins tried this
mine and that mine. this camp and that
camp, this thing and that thing. just like
10000 others, failing iu everything. losing
everything but the true pluck iu him
which made him dare the sea when not big
enough 20 do work on land. At last he got
footing as porter-swcpt out the store,
slept or the floor and cooked for the clerks
aud proprietor Then be became clerk.
then a partner, then proprietor; then his
Old instincts for the smell Of tar, and he
bought a river boat, fleet of boats finally;
ships next, and he took possession of the
Pacific ocean through the Golden Gate
from Mexico 10 Alaska.
California made him governor, not that
he wanted or needed 10 be- governor now,
but she needed aud wanted him. lie made
a famous head for the great Golden State
knew him well for the first time when
We established a state Arbor day Let Us
plant that big barren island with trees and
have 10000 children help u.s. Governor
Perkins will give us ships, Adolph Sutro
will give us trees 10 plant, General Howard
will give Us soldiers 20 make the grounds
ready 10 receive them, and we will have
such an Arbor day as never yet was" This
is what the wife II John Vance Cheney.
the poet, said TO the sailor lad one evening
a. we crossed tie bay Of san Francisco.
land IL was So" There never has been
such gala day ia the state-such booming
OF guns, a sea Of banners 1900 children ia
white. simply because a sailor had said 80.
You get a whole lot Of anecdotes about
such men, and all more or less fiction. lie
Il "a learned man, truly learned and schol.
larry man, notwithstanding his hard ear 8
life but the opposite party used 10 tell tie
following story 10 illustrate his poor knowl.
edge Of geography:
You don't dare strike me with that
cat"
And why don't l dare cut you with the
cati"
because, mate, I'm from Maine, aud
Maine j. the middle 81 the United states %
In answer TO this Perkins made the star
Ting statement ia bic stump speech that
California is in the middle Of the United
States. said lac knew he was right, because
he had ships running 20 Alaska aud that Il
was about as far 10 Alaska as il was 10
Maine. No one had thought 81 IL before.
but glance at the map showed bis iucred-
ulous hearers that California H. grograuh-
ically Speaking. iu one way at least Iilst
about in the middle Of the United states
and territuries- joaquin MILLER