Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-06


teaches, in this age of idlencss and day of
tramps, that il u man really wants work
he can find It or even make it any day he
will.
When Perkins worked his way to Cali
fornia by water, still common sailor, he
took his blankets and cooking kit on his
back and footed it to the gold mines in the
interior. Now, there is a. tradition in the
minds of the newer generation that for
tunes were to be had in 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 50
much rs 50 cents per day for the labor en-
pended. And such labor! Sixteen hours Il
day and giants in strength and endurance
swinging the pick. For one man who made
fortune (and you heard of him only at
least 25 had to fail. Perkins tried this
mine and that mine, this camp and that
camp, this thing and that thing, just like
10000 others, falling in everything, losing
everything but the true pluck in him
which made him dare the sea when not bis;
enough to do work on land. At last he got
Il footing as porter-swept out the store,
slept on the floor and cooked for the clerks
and proprietor Then he became u clerk,
then a partner, then proprietor; then his
old instincts for the smell of tar and he
bought river boat; u fleet of boats finally;
ships next, and he took possession of the
Pacific ocean through the Golden Gate
from Mexico to Alaska.
California made him governor, not that
he wanted or needed to be governor now,
but she needed and wanted him. He made
famous head for the great Golden State.
knew him we'll for the first time when
we established statc Arbor dag. Let us
plant that big barren island with trees and
have 10000 children help us. Governor
Perkins will give us ships, Adolph Sutro
will give us trees to plant, General Howard
will give ,ss soldiers TO make the grounds
ready to receive them, and we will haze
such an Arbor day as never yet was" This
is what the vie of John Vance Cheney,
the poet. said TO the sailor lad one evening
as we crossed the bay Of San Francisco
"and it was So" There never has been
such gala day in the state--such booming,
of guns, a sea of banners, 1900 children in
white simply because u sailor had said So
You get u whole lot OF anecdotes about
such men, and all more or less fiction. He
is a learned man. truly u learned and schol-
larly man, notwithstanding his hard early
life, but the opposite party used to tell the
following story to illustrate his poor knowl.
edge of geography:
"Yon don't dare strike me with tL4o
cat"
And why doa't l darecut you with the
cats"
Because, mate. I'm from Maine. and
Maine is the middle of the United States ("
In answer TO this Perkins made the star.
Ting statement in his stump speech that
California is in the middle Of the United
States; said he knew he Was right. because
he had ships running to AlaS..a ard that it
was about as far to Alaska IS il WAS to
Mime. No enc had though, OF it before,
but a slanceat the map showed his incrrd-
uleus hearers that California j., geograpl.-
ically speaking. in one way III least, l.ss
about in the ,nlsislie of the. Jnitca States
and territories. JOAQUIN MILLER.