The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-21


THE LATE GEORGE o. JONES.
Though He Had Financial Theories,
He Could Not Manage His Affairs.
Washington Post.
Zones was considerable of a character"
said an old friend of his, in the lobby Of
the Riggs House yesterday. HE was
man of full habit, and always went about
scrupulously dressed, and affable in his
generous to a fault Although he was
often pinched himself, he would divide all
he had with person in distress. His
deal of money in his time, and he spent
fortune in convivalty and failure to
watch the grain market. Everybody liked
one hotel in this city $500 for board. He
had passed through some hard straits,
but ne e paid 1900 of It in one check s and
around town,
He was nominated once on the Green
back ticket for Governor of New York,
and he knew all the prominent men in
New York State. He was a great friend
Of Clevelands. They first met in But
folio, afterward in Albany, when Cleveland
was Governor; and latterly, when Cleve-
land became President, he used to go to
the White House and talk to the President
Greenback and silver man, and told the
President repeatedly he was making a mis-
take in xantagonizing silver. When Cleveland
persisted in his course, he finally. tired of
going to the White House, and toward
the last he was not so kind in his COM
ments on the President as he had been
previously.
'At one time he became interested in
GRAIN ea9 IN speculation, and cleaned up between
he thought the world was his, and he
went to New York. He fell in with
crowd of good fellows about the Hoffman
and became extravagant If, with his
convivial habits, he had watched the tick
er. he might have prospered; but, as
to sell and buy immense quantities of
grain, as though he was dealing in old
clothes In less than two years his for
tune was dissipated, and he came back to
Washington.
His success varied. He made a little
money now and then, but it wasn't much,
l dare say. He had his own way of pro-
noting legislation in which he was inter
ested He had a. host of friends in Con-
and explain the merits of the bill. and
ask them to vote for it. 1tll help me,
ne sv would say and the answer would al al,
help YOU You see he was seventy years
old, and rather a notwithstanding man,
and his friends always spoke of him as
Uncle George
About three years ago. continued his
ola friend, "he was retained in a big In
was trying to push through Congress- sN nnder
a. power OF attorney. The claim involved
$4,000 COG. and Uncle George was to get big
slice of 1t If it passed. He worked hard,
and finally they got it through Congress,
and it was paid. What did thar claimant
ing a certain Washington attorney $4,000,
leaving the rest of the crowd who had
worked their toe nails off to get it passed, to
hold the bag.
Uncle George heard the claimant was
IN Canada, and learned that he was to
of Washington. So he quietly took, train
ana met the man. Some of his old cronies
very cnrn to d e had sc
complished He told them the man had
treated him very kindly and was all right.
Then they wanted to know if he had got
any money out of him.
=" Not much said Uncle George; he paid
Whether he got any more than his
travelling expenses nobody ever found out.
bill.
THAT 6efre this HI BE- in another big deal
was passed. Everybody expected that the
p pass of that w act would send silver
organized, and Uncle George was allow
eel to come in to the extent Of $4,000 ounces
Of silver. which they carried for him in
was to furnish. The syndicate bought up
half a million ounces of bullion. paying los
go up to 129, when they intended to let go.
1t went as high as l22, and then, to the
surprise Of the syndicate and the bullion
drop, first to 49, then to 116, then to ia.
They were looking for reaction and still
holding on. But England was shoveling her
silver into the American market, and knock
ing the price higher than GilrOys kite.
There were 10, 100000 ounces of English sill
Yer over here, and the Secretary of the
Treasury was buying at London market
rates. England was depreciatng the price
of silver in order to enhance the value of
her exports into India, and Americans had
NO show at all. 1t went down to go cents
on the dollar and wiped out the syndicate
and poor Uncle George with it.
1T was a hard knock. but through all
his adversities he preserved his affable man
ner. You could never tell whether he had
$4,000 or IS, and he spent his money as
freely as If it were water. Nobody ever
came into relations with him that did not
retain pleasant recollection of his man
ner."
1T is thought that he leaves very little
property, if any. He had wife and two
daughters. He was in Washington dur
ing the extra session, and then left for
New York, where he took some part in the
campaign, the outcome of which he pre-
dicted with remarkable accuracy to friends
in Washington. He frequently spoke of his
death to those with whom he sustained in
tirnate or friendly relation.
81 am ready to go whenever the good
Master calls me-" he remarked not long
ago, II would not. crook my finger to stay
death if it came
''Uncle George" was a central figure at
the national conventions of the Greenback
party, and it was he who brought about
the nomination of Ben Butler for the presi-
dency at indianapolis in 1884.