The herald., 1897-12-22
POVERTY AND .
PROGRESS :
aEqa..a-.arsAsases..s.>a +++F

|
| A private lettr from Colorado informs
me that w. S. Stratton has presented to
H. A. w. Taber $4,000 as free will Of
fering. The men named have no more
than a casual acquaintance. The donor,
a few years ago. was carpenter, ac-
cepting odd Jobs about Colorado Springs.
He Is now many times a millionaire He
will not miss the fifteen thousand, for
1t represents but a few days income.
The beneficiary will appreciate the gift
beyond the power Of words to express,
because for some time past, although
65 years of age. he has been performing
manual labor as an employe Of the Oma-
ha and Grant smelter at So per day.
Only a few years ago Tabor was re-
puted to be worth seven millions! He
built and owned the Tabor grand opera
house. costing three quarters Of a mil
lion, and the Tabor block, worth half ss
much, at Denver; the Tabor opera house
at Leadville. valuable dock property at
Chicago; a rich mins at Jesus Maria, In
old Mexico; the Matchless mine at Lea l.
vile. a property that for ten years lived
up to its name; valuable timber estates
in Honduras; a beautiful homo in Colo
radios capital, where he lived for many
years more like pampered prince than
. simple American citizen, with liverisd
footmsn and coachman, two sets Of
cooks for day and night service. and
every other purchasable accessory to
comfort and luxuriant indulgence.
4 4 Y
Tabor was once a member Of the Kan
sas Legislature; later he became town
trustee, mayor. treasurer and postmas-
ter at Leadviile; then he rose to the dig
nifty of lieutenant governor, and for
thirty days he represented the Centen-
nial state in the United States senate,
succeeding Teller when that gentleman
resigned to accept a cabinet portfolio.
+ \ +
It is only fair to state, in passing,
that there wasn't a word OF truth in tn,
newspaper yarn Of that day, crediting
him with this possession of a fifteen-hun-
dreddollar n.ghtshirt. Tabor himself
once assured me that he never in his
life owned a nightshirt that cost more
than 81. 1 have known him quite init
mately for twenty years. and 1 never
knew him to taste liquor or use tobacco
In any form, though fancy he has paid
for enough champagne to hoat modern
battleship.
Tabor today accepts a gratuity from a
man who could scarcely have secured an
audience with him ten years ago. Polit-
ical ambition may be credited with 95
per cent Of the woes that have como upon
him. He aspired to a seat in the senate.
and IT, after making millions in the
mines Of Leadvllle and investing them
in Denver. he had continued to make
similarly wise disposition of his surplus
along the lines of material development
he might have reached the height of his
ambition without an effort Public graf
itude would have been a passport to any
offics within their gift No power could
have resisted his advancement The pco-
pie would have nominated his reward.
and politicians would have had to yield
to the popular clamor.
But Tabor lacked that composure and
All pCt t0t b&CAitJ ~ SSSShti2i W a Uieati
in the pursuit Of high ideals He couldn't
wait for the natural working out of his
destiny He could not brook delay; he
spurned all good counsel and vaulted
into the political arena, legitimate prey
from the start for microbes that fatten
upon human conceit and human ambi-
ton
Tabor's money flowed into the Repub-
lican treasury like rain into a catch
basin, and for a whole decade he carried
the financial burden in each successive
campaign Scheming politicians fiat-
tered his vanity, and robbed him. They
breathed the word OF promise to tho ear.
but broka 1t TO the hope, and robbed him.
They made him provide the banquet. but
ever compelled him to sit at the foot OF
the table. The prize was always kept
just beyond his reach Upon one occa-
sion the manager OF his senatorial
campaign himself walked away with it,
Tabor is broken, physically as well rs
financially. But his people entertain a
feeling OF gratitude for him for the i'm
petus he gave to building and to ma
| terial development generally before po-
titical ambition came in to blight his
life and bankrupt his hopes and finances
4 + \
Stratton is wiser in his day and gener-
alton. He will never again be poor. Hc
owns a gold mine rich beyond compare
| He refused ten millions for it giving as
| reason that he shouldn't know what tc
| do with so much money AS it is," ht
said, 'thc values are in the mine, un-
| taxed, and cannot get away I will take
| them out only as ] need them" The les
son he has learned from Tabor's career
| should be worth to him many times TIL,
sum he the other day sent to the strand
ed statesman of California gulch.
| MADURO
| A WALL STREET DITTY