Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-08
JIM WARDNER
HIS REMARKABLE LUCK AND THE
STORY OF AN INTERESTING
TELEGRAM.

"Jim Wardner Of Idaho and all over"
said a Westerner just in from the Pacific
slope, fought to be somewhere in New
York City at this very minute. for I heard
he had left for the east on a prospecting
trip, just before / got down from Skag-
way. Wardner is a genius that cannot
be downed, and besides having one town
named for him in Idaho and another in
British k%ootenai, he has made and lost
four fortunes in mines, and is now start
ing in on his fifth. At least. his fourth
is gone, and he only makes a fortune
when he happens to be out Of one. His
last venture was big, but it went wrong.
He had two steamboats, on the Kootenai,
and started the town Of Wardner. which
went with a boom, and Jim started to
win a million.
There was a rival town across the
river, but they had to depend on Jim's
steamboats, for their stuff, and naturally.
under the circumstances, Wardner had
the bulge ON Steelton, the name of the
other town. One day, when everything
was coming Jim's way, both of his boats
went on the rocks and sank, and jim
wasn't yet in a fix to replace them. In
other words, it busted him, and he got
out of it the best he could, which was to
81 Oil I oioil anu L w llio lS" tto- y
for a stock Of goods. These, to the ex-
tent Of $40, 900, he carried up to Lake Ben
nett and started down the river for DaW-
son. Evidently Jim's luck wasn't on the
water, for his boatioad of stuff was
wrecked and he only saved enough out of
it to bring him in SO 1000. when, if he had
had luck his $40, 900 would esaily have sold
for $500, 900 at the usual. Dawson profit.
That sort of thing would have knocked
out most men, but Wardner went right
on, and now | understand he has got
something to present to the notice OF
New Yorker better than anything he
ever struck.
His black cat farm was one Of the
things that gave him a reputation for
wealth. This was a farm on an island
in Puget sound, when he raised, according
to his representations to an eastern jour
nalist, such vast numbers of black eats
that their fur brought him a fabulous
revenue. OF course, it was a fabric of
the fancy. but the story was told every
where, and Wardner's black cat farm was
one of the features of the coast-on
paper, at least.
"Another story is told on him of a time
when he was between fortunes and want
ed to get to New York for q grub stake.
He was at Vancouver, and as he couldn't
swim. nothing was left for him to go on
but the land, so he struck the Canadian
Pacific railroad. He stated his case to
the agent and asked him to telegraph
Mr.. Shaughnessy, the general passenger
agent at Montreal, TO the effect that Mr..
Wafdner was at Vancouver, and unless
he got transportation he would a to
walk. The pblising agent sent the mes
sage and asked, 'Shal I issue the trans
portation?' Later the agent received a
reply: Don't let Mr.. Wardner walk
ard that same night Mr.. Wardner was
flying eastward on a Canadian Pacific
train. Arriving at Montreal, Wardner
Went to Shaughnessy to extend his
thanks. and when the general passenger
agent saw him he threw up his hands.
"'How did YOU get here SO soon? he
asked.
'Ov the Canadian Pacific, of course
responded Wardner.
But how? Didn't the agent get my
telegram"
Yes. and it said: DON'T let Mr..
Wardner walk and l didn't smiled jim.
Great Scott exclaimed S~haughnessy,
That telegraph operator left out the per
iod. THE telegram should have read:
Don't. Let Mr.. Wardner walk
Then Wardner gave Shaughnessy the
ha. ha, and S~haughnessy ave Wardner
a dinner, and Wardner didn't have to
walk on to New York. either. He's a
great chap, is Jim Wardner, and l0ll be
on top again. by and by, see if he isn't"
New York Sun.