The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-11
FORTUNE FROM 4 MISTAKE
HOW 4 TELEGRAPH OPERATOR
MADE A Lucky TURN N STOCKS.
which Made Hin Rich-lps aaA
Downs Of = spec1iater-SOw o.
the noaA q Another Fortune.

~ LITTLE upward turn in some
~ Eastern Washington mining
HNN stocks the other day, with .
2 profitable movement In a town.
i site. has almost put on his feet
again and in the way OF posi-
bilities fer a fresh fortune Burt Honey. .
man who Is well remembered among old
time telegraph operators. railroad men OF
the Northern Pacific and construction con-
tractors from Puget sound 20 the Missouri
river.
Honey win be easily recalled by those
who in one way or another were asso-
ciated with the early construction OF the
telegraph lines along the Northern Pacific
in the Northwest Pacific country and who
dabhled hugely in Tacoma land specuia-
tons years ago
downs OF sudden speculation as usually
fan to the lot of a greater financier than
he ever was. He L. still interested In
Puget sound land holdings. and through
the years of depression and change when
luck seemed to have moved across the way
from him--and then never called on him
he has chung to the faith that some day he
would regain his footing. He is now in
the East
Some OF his intimate friends regard him
as one Of the luckiest and nerviest men
that ever managed a stock speculation.
and yet the gentleman himself a most
modest man, does not share this feeling.
for he feels tina; he has fallen down.
more than Is his share.
He has made uwo or three small fortunes.
which led TO greater operations He has
held many fine positions OF trust. and per-
haps there would have been much more to
tell OF him ere this had II not been that
the former Northern Pacific regime pro-
NOTED him and then abolished his position
that being an ingenious scheme Of a
great corporation TO perform a disagreeab,e
task when ii became necessary TO iop or.
Honey went by the board" in the Taco
ma collapse some years ago. But previous
TO that time. with a persistence which
eventually coaxes fortune IL patience en-
dures, he had made two piles"
The story OF his deal in mining stocks IL
recalled best by telegraph operators OF fif-
teen to twenty years ago. BY freak OF
fortune Honey made a fortune by single
trining error in a telegraph message.
Honey drifted into Ogden In the early
's0s well nigh broke" said an old ex-rail-
road telegraph man Of Seattle, who was
among the first In the business in this part
Of the country Burt, as the old gang
at Tacoma used to call him, had failed in
some promising fownsite schemes OF the
Middle West. along the Union Pacific.
When this failed he had recourse TO
TIE Key ana u Suck IHe superintendent
Of the cd telegraph line from Utah to San
Francisco was TOO much surprised TO give
Honey a job in that Office, so he sent him
out TO Phoebe. Nevada. to take sole charge
OF the Office there. He teiegraphed. car
ried his own messages for delivery. re-
paired the line IN case of breakdown
and made the most Of rather unpleasant;
position. He himself had employed more
men than the old Deseret line had ever had
altogether. and il was more or less CALLING
| 10 him 10 take orders and be reproved now
| and then by the manager and patrons for
/ srifiing errors or inattension TO duty
| Zone day the stage brought to Phoebe
| then a booming mining town-two agents
| OF large stock brokers company They
| Inspected the Gussie mine a new claim OF
| wonderfully rich promise lying a few miles
| out OF town. and which was being quoted
| on the Frisco Change A few days after
| the arrival of the agents the Gussie began
! to boom.
| Honey followed the varying fortunes OF
| the mining stocks with idle interest. He
| saw chances for taking hand In the spec.
| uation in stocks. but he was almost pen.