Arizona republican., 1896-08-12
THE BATH OF CHAMPAIGN From the Extremity of
 Poverty. To Wealth, Luxury and High
 Life.
AFamous Tombstone Teams ster Dies in an Insane Asylum-History
 of Ills Rise and Fail.


 nary people indulge in in these days of depression, but there died in the Stockton insane asylum few days ago a man who actually did bathe in this costly wine, and an ordinary hotel bathtub was the receptacle which he used for the purpose. This man was J. B. Durkee, whose name was one of the best known before or since in Ar izona. He went there in the later sev- enties, and by a fortunate combina tion of circumstances wholly of his own making was soon enjoying princely income, ranging from $500 to $1,S00 a day. 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 bounty.
 When he struck Tombstone in 1879 he did not have a dollar.
 He set about securing contracts for hauling ore from the mines about Tombstone to the railroad, and he soon had a number of them at the stip- ulated price of $3 per ton. He had no money to buy teams or outfits, but this did not disturb him in tha least. A day or so after securing the first of the contracts he went to D. B. Gage of the Grand Central mine, and with out any preliminary talk opened up as follows:
 MT. Gage, want to borrow S60 0000" Gage was a wealthy man at that time, but he was rather taken back at the request, particularly when Dur kee told him that he did not have any collateral for security. However, af- ter taking in the makeup C.. the man i for a moment he said that he would let him have the money.
 He went to Missouri, where he pur- chased trainload of mules These he shipped ito Tombstone, and soon fitted out twenty teams of sixteen mules each and began hauling ore. Each team hauled thirty tons of ore a day, or total of 600 tons a day, which brought in an income of $1 800 a day or $650,000 a year. It was not case of gradual increase in business with DuMkee. He went to work one day without dollar, the next he was draw ing a prdncely income
 |
 seventy-five men, to all of whom he
 was paying $50 a month In addi- tion 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. Period.
 ically he made excursions to Los An.
 geles and other places, where he could
 enjoy a season of riotous living anG wild debauch.
 I One of the visits was made to Los
 Angeles in the summer of 1886. Dur.
 kee was equal to the widest of tht
 boomers in his ability to spend money
 and even those who were makins
 money by the thousands stood aghas
 at his utter abandon.
 The most eXtravagant circumstance
 was the occasion when he had just re
 turned from driving behind some fas
 horses he had been purchasing fol
 trotting purposes. Ringing up tn, boy he ordered that half a dozen bask
 cts of champagne be sent up at once
 as he wanted to take a bath Tn, wine was produced without delay ant the bath, such as a few even anon. , the very rich have indulged in, wa taken, and Durkee, evidently yer. , much refreshed, paid for the luxur, and resumed his riotous carouse.
 The story of Durkee's high gamblin. in Tombstone is perhaps the most in , teresting of a series of wild eXtrava 1 gances and of which Arizona peopl like best to talk about. One day Dur
 kee came into town and announce, 1 that he was out for little fun. HSee here," said he, q want a chanc to play a little faro, and I don't wan 2 any one to chip in. Do you under l stand? ?"
 "They understood, and he was tol f to shout his orders. The first to b
 issued was for a woman of the plac = called Elm to take the dealers plac l at the table, and another young VIC 3 man of the same character to take tn 2 lookout" His first bet was fo t $1,O00 on an ace. He lost before h S had time to draw his breath, but in stead of being disconcerted he went g 8 it with renewed vigor. Luck was a r ways against him, save with an occa D sional small winning, and in thre 8 hours after taking charge of the tabl 8 he lost just $5,000, all the money h s had with him, and he withdrew froi d the game.
 s When coming to Los Angeles he a 2 ways appeared dressed in teamster 6 garb of blue overalls and a big ha g On his hands, no matter Tow warm tt Il day, was pair of gloves Fin
 clothes was not one of his weaknesse