The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
NATE T. LUCK.
Once Sold n Mine for $500 600 and Then
Went Broke-Has Struck 1t Again.


Some mems luck never deserts them" said
A.. ]. Hilton at an uptown hotel last night.
There's old Nate Vestal. who went broke
after making enough to keep him in whiskey
and cigars q thousand years. :and who has Just
struck it rich again.
when I lived out in Montana we pointed
out old Vestal as a shining example of the ups
and downs Of life In the mines. With Vestal
it had been pretty much all dow until he
struck q rich lead near Helena. which he
named the Ponobscot Up to that time life had
had little but hardship'for Vestal. for he was q
prospector. and lived principally on hope and
the none too generous grub stakes he could
squeeze out Of speculative Helena merchants.
The old man occasionally would find a rich
pocket. either in placer ground or quartz. and
while his money lasted he would have a good
time. In those days the only bank Vestal
knew about was the one kept by old King
Faro. and when he made a deposit there it was
for all time to come. with no interest.
"Put 'em on the high card: Vestal:would
say when the dealer had raked in all but his
last stack Of blues, and il he won his last bet
he would begin anew on this system. and if he
lost he would pack up his cayuse and start for
the mountains.
hills. That makes little difference. however.
for a pr3sspector's success depends; they all
SPOUT Il the b Belt nc Mountains. near Helena. and in
the main range itself beforelhe struck it. Seven
teen miles away from Helena and almoston the
top OF the main divide he found a promising
lead. which he followed down a few feet. The
vein widened out. and there was pay ore al
"TestSI had been chasing rainbows all his
life before. but he found the pot OF gold sure
enough when he opened up the Penobscot.
rich that he put up q little arastra and pound
ed out enough gold in a week or two to buy
After he put the stamp mill up things came
6 6S P PSs ! staf it. With 2Pe s gIS6t he S e9Re If jPt sm mflsna
ddmalEam wf ps, in a a aaGsiI 1 and when SGm the he stage 4 g,
into the road beside the curb, Just then an
old acquaintance stepped up and a drink at the
dde einfs fo SH5 W @ps and 1m9- W Rhenre ve s : sud denffy
O'Clock in the morning, The gold was Just
suspected its value; 1t was put in the hotel
and Vestal continued his celebration.
When Vestal had taken out several hundred
thousand dollars from the Penobscot he sold
CASH cas- IA" With q $756.t666 in his RH'f Possession lHt he was
suddenly seized with a desire to see q little OF
Some s%s zone one expiai8 ned Wall street to him. and
a week later he had dropped 100000 on the
s stfSEtin market anS he His MaI pl pat { ki nftrh in edvi s :
In trying to recover his money Nestal lost
100000 more. Then he became interested
in n patent street car which was to be tried
first in Syracuse. That experiment.. in the
course ou Of s q fey n m s30 n In cost 9 TtDs him S ~ or
and that, too. cost him money.
"Vestal was disappointed in New York. He
went to Philadelphia, where his eXtravagant
mode of living brought him moro notice In tho
newspapers. Finally. he landed in Washing
ton. whore. through the influence Of the money
he displayed. he was admitted TO a pretty fast
set. He undertook to show the Congressman
how to play poker and for Il short time he
made money, Then his luck changed, and
he had but $4,000 Of his original pile left.
The strangest thing about Il is that Vestal
stopped gambling long enough to count his
$40. 900. but he did. He wasn't satisfied with
the sport he had had and resolved TO go to
Paris. Vestal knew his failinRs and with, a
round:trip ticket to Paris and deposited in
New York enough money to insure his return
to Montana. Then he went abroad. Old Yes
tai didn't do things by halves in gay PIaree.
He blew his money and he had a wild. hilari-
GUS time while the long green held out. When
left at once for Helena,
''Vestal had his taste OF high life twenty
years ago. Since then he worked for years as
a common, miner at $3.50 o, day IN the same
to placer mining and until a few months ago
i didn't pay and four months ago he went TO
which says that Old yestal located q claim"
1870 miles from s.. Michael and that the pay
Nate Vestal might again be able, to gamble on
Wall street and visit Paris. II he has struck
1t rich again, you can bet that blue chips. and
blue chips only. will go with him."