The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-23
IN a BATH OF CHAMPAGNE.
How n Tombstone TcamSter sqaun-
dered His Money.
From the Baltimore American.

From the Baltimore American.
Los Angeles. Cal. Aug. ga champagne
bath with wine selling at $3.50 pint is a
luxury which but few ordinary people in
dulge in in these days of depression, but
there died in the Stockton insane asylum
a few days ago a man who actually did
battle in this costly wine, and an ordinary
hotel bathtub was the receptacle which he
used for the purpose. This man was j. r.
DurHee. whose name was one OF the best
known before or since in Arizona. He went
there in the later seventies and by a for
tunate combination OF circumstances who'll
ly of his own making was soon enjoying a
princely income ranging from 81, 500 to 81,
800 day. This was maintained for a long
period. The receipt OF so much wealth
proved too much for his weak intellect,
and he ended his days in an insane asylum,
almost forgotten by the people who only
a few years ago were receiving his boun-
ty. What was left Of Durkee was shipped
to Los Angeles and there buried from an
undertaking parlOr, very few people know
ing anything, and apparently caring less,
about the ending of the man who, less
than ten years before, luxuriated In cham
payne baths and was high roller in that
town. Durkee's life in Arizona represented
the vigor and push of many another man
who finds the mining camp an alluring
field In which to pay tag with fortune.
When he struck Tombstone in 1879 he did
not have a dollar He had been up and
down among the mining camps of Call
fornia and was not unused to going hungry
and experiencing other hardships incl
dent to the lot OF miners Immediately upon
his arrival he set about securing contracts
for hauling ore from the various mines
about Tombstone to the railroad, which
was just then completed, and he soon had
a goodly number Of them a the stipulated
price of 50 per ton. For time he worked
wholly on a bluff, without the slightest
idea Of how he was to perform the con-
tracts after securing them. He had no
money to buy teams or outfNs, but, accord
ing to the stories of Tombstone people, this
did not disturb him in the least A day or
so after. securing the first of the contracts
he went to E. b Gage Of the Grand Cen
trail mine and without any preliminary
talk opened up as follows:
Mr. Gage ! want to borrow $4,000"
Gage was a wealthy man at that time,
but he was rather taken back at the re-
quest, particularly when Durkee told him
that he did not have any collateral for
security. However, after taking in the
makeup of the man for a moment, he
said that he would let him have the mon
ey, and it was paid over there and then.
Durkee was thus in position to buy all
the teams and outfits he could secure,
and he went to Missouri, where he pur-
chased a whole train load of mules. These
he shipped to Tombstone, and with them
he soon fitted out twenty teams of sixteen
mules each, and began hauling ore in a
manner that convinced people that he
would make a success Of the venture.
Each team hauled thirty tons Of ore a day
or total of 600 tons a day, which was
transferred from the various mines to the
railroads each twenty-four hours, and
which brought in an income of 81 800 a
day, or $780, 900 a year. 1t was not case
of gradual increase in business with Dur
kee. He went to work one day without a
dollar, the next he was drawing a prince
ly income. He saw the opportunity, and
had the nerve to grasp it. Success fol-
lowed as a matter of course.
During this time he was employing
seventy-ive men, to all Of whom he was
paying $50 a month. In addition they
were being fed on the best the land could
afford. But Durkee, like other men who
have suddenly come into possession Of
much wealth. was unable to keep his
head. Periodically he made excursions
to Los Angeles and other places, where
he could enjoy a season Of riotous living
and wild debauch. One of these visits
was made to Los Angeles in the summer
of 1886. At that time the southern me-
tropolis had real estate boom and mon
ey was in consequence, flowing very Free
~. Durkee was however, equal to the
widest of the boomers in his ability to
spend money and even those who were
making money by the thousands stood
aghast at his utter abandon.
The most extrayangant circumstance,
and one which has lived to this day, was
the occasion when he had just returned
from driving behind some fast horses he
had been purchasing for trotting pur-
pcses Ringing up the boy after going
to his room he ordered that half dozen
baskets Of champagne be sent up at once,
as he wanted 70 take a bath. The wine
was produced without delay, and the bath,