The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-06
SENATOR JoNEs's LUCK.
He Never Despaired, No Matter How Black
the Prospects.
PHILADELPHIA Times. J

u AA4A0C4pA4Ib lAu1Obs
Senator Jones has, during his life.
suffered many remarka bic reyerses of
fortune-a bonanza king today; on the
| verge of impovishment tomorrow. Yet
through ali the mutations of financial
conditions he has ever remained the
same-cheery. hopeful, engrGsed in the
great social and political questions of
the day. This enviable Opposition arises
largely from q firm belief in the theory
that ali able bodied man should never
despair and that when fate seems dark
est good fortune may be within grasp
He is "a firm believer in Ills own LUCK
81 well remember" he said one day, as
he laughed at the recollection, "when /
had lost all my money, and it was a big
pile, and didn't know where TO turn for
a dollar. l received check for 81, 400
from a man to whom I had loaned it
years before and the return of which I
had given up all expectation Of With
that sum / was enabled to rehabilitate
my shattered fortunes. I have never
given up myself to despair since l once
found match in a deserted canyon in
California. AT that time I was sheriff
of Trinity county, in that state. A new
law had been passed, imposing what was
called foreign license tax. whereby all
foreigners were Obliged to pay month
~ fee of four dollars for the privilege
of mining. 1t was aimed entirely at the
Cinnamon, Of whom there were three
Thousand in the county of Trinity wash
or digging for gold. They were located
in tents all over an extensive region, and
as they led a rather migratory life, were
difficult to find. My chief duty consisted
in travelling on horseback, hunting up
these men and collecting the money, and
one of their main objects in life was to
keep out of my way. Large mum bers of
them worked In a canyon II miles long
and wallsd in by cliffs hundreds of hun
reds of feet high.
AS travelled along the summit of these
cliffs before reaching the downward trail
the Cinnamon would see me and my
horse from great distance and there
upon promptly hide themselves until
had passed on. l determined to CIR
cumvene this procedure and upon one &C.
casion left my horse in charge Of man
and entered the canyon from its upper
end and walked along the bank of the
s ream which ran through the osnter of
this break in the mountains. Before ]
cached the spot ! was directing my
steps toward noontide approached, and /
set about preparing my meal seating my
self on the sand. When had finished
l filled my pipe and put my hand in the
pocket CT my flannel shirt for my match
box. 1t wasssRone I never Can explain
the full measure of despair which at that
moment seized upon me. In those days
life was scarcely worth living if l did
not hive smoke after meal. I vain
Iy searched every pocket for fusee.
Happening to cast my eyes on the
ground, / saw a sulphur-head match
lying in front of me. For that moment
was actually frigbten 1t really
seemed supernatural. I looked upward
to the cliffs towering far above my
head. / cast my eyes up and down the
gully. There wasn't human being in
sight. There was no sign of animal life.
There was no evidence that the foot of a
man had ever trod there before And
yet thore was the match. "ris no good,
anyhow" thought to myself, because
it is lying on the moist sand beside the
stream picked it mp timidly. threw
myself down in q corner made by rock
and, struck it. 1t burned. In moment
the smoke from my tobacco was curling
above my head. That match taught
me greet lesson. Never since has my
fortune brought me despair."