Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-09

" lid to obtain some kind of conveyance to
carry him onward. At last, upon nearing
a town in the Rockies he met man riding
a very fine mule. He stopped him and ask
ed him If he would sell the animal. The
man replied that he did not care to SELL
but If Armour really wanted it he could
have it for 500. This, however, was more
than young Armour could spare, and a
trade was finally made, by which Mr. Ar
mour got the mule for $16D. which was just
about all the money he had In telling the
story Phil Armour describes the delights
of riding the mule. and how light his heart
vas as he trotted onward. He rode gaiy
into the town and was passing through the
rrain street when he was met by man
who in fierce tones asked him where he
lad got that mule, Mr.. Armour told him.
The man then said:
why, man, that mule belongs to Dennis
Hanks. 1t has been stolen, and 1 advise
you to give it up at once, and get out of
town, or you will be in the hands Of the
vigilance committee
The man succeeded in thoroughly fright
enng Armour. who gave up the mule, and
sick at heart hurried on his way. A day
or two later he came to miners camp
in the noun tains, and there spent the
night. He was asked how be had come,
and he told of his adventures, including
the swindle of the mule. AS he did so. the
miners burst out laughing and one of
them said:
Why. man. I bought that mule my
self. l has been sold over and over
again ana fully one hundr ed men have
been taken in by it. The man in the town
is a confederate of the seller of the mule
and they are making their living by TAX
ing in the tenderfeet.'
1t did not take long. however, for Phil
Armour to get his eye teeth cut. He final
ly got to California and there made the
little money which formed the foundation
Of his fortune.
ArmOur's First Big Strike.
Mr.. Armour is a far-sighted man. He
looks ahead and is not afraid to trust his
own Judgment. He is broad gagged in his
Ideas. There is nothing of the pessimist
about him. He Is always a bull in the
market and never bear. His great for
tune has been made largely through his
faith in the United States and it's pros
poets. His first big strike was. in fact, q
bold bet on the successful outcome of the
war. He had made his little pile in Cali
fornia and had gone into the pork-packing
business with old John Plankington of
Milwaukee. One day he came into the Of
flee and said:
MIR. Piankington, I am going to New
York at once. The war is over Grant has
practically beaten the rebels and we will
have peace In few weeks. l am going
on to New York to buy all the pork can
get"
Mr.. Plankington at first questioned the
plan, but he finally consented and Armour
went east. He bought right and left The
view 1OTheTS were ueSpCnOent. Ihey mad
lost faith in the Union and prices were
away down. The news from the field, how
ever, soon changed matters. 1t soon be-
came apparent that the war was really
over, and the result came as Armour had
predicted. Prices went away up, and out of
that deal Mr.. Armour cleared something
Ike million dollars. There are several
other stories of a like nature which 1 have
heard concerning Mr.. Armour. He thinks
quickly and acts on his own judgment.
How the Brokers Were Broken.
Armour is not afraid of big thing, and
he is ready to fight to hold his own. An
instance of this occurred not long ago.
For some time the grain brokers here had
hoped to be able to down Armour They
had tried it a number Of times and failed.
At last 1t was discovered that he had
bought three million bushels of wheat to
be delivered in May. The market was in
such state that he had to take it. The
Chicago elevators were full and the brok-
ers laughed in their sleeves when they
thought Of Armours having all that wheat
dumped down upon him and no place to
put 1t. They expected he would have to
sell 1t, that they could buy 1t at their own
prices and that he would lose a fortune by
1t. This was the situation about the LIST
of April. On that day Mr.. Armour called
In his architect and builder. Said he: II
must have within thirty days elevators