Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-27

TABOR and MAJOR DuDOlS DOuSnC lOI
$4,000; a dead loss, said Leadville,
Two months later they sold out to an
English syndicate for ten times that
amount the luckiest hit ever made, as
Leadville put it. But the syndicate
didn't like the looks OF the claim after
they had bought, and raised such la,
mentations over the matter that Tabor
said he didn't want to swindle any
body and he'd take the mine back at
the same price. Thereupon Leadville,
which hadn't learned any better yet,
wrung its collective hands and said
that somebody ought to look up nice
quiet lunatic asylum for poor Tabor,
where he'd be restrained from dissipat-
ing his fortune in such a manner. A
year or so later somebody tried to buy
that same rejected mine for $4,000, 600
and was greeted with cheerful laugh.
Thus far all had prospered with Ia
Dor to which he had put his hand.
People called him the luckiest man in
Colorado, and as soon as he got the IT,
tie his luck changed. 1t is singular
circumstance in a world where evil
deeds are not always visibly punished
that as soon as he deserted the wife
who had been a true helpmeet in the
days of his adversely, Tabor's affairs
underwent a change for the worse.
He got divorce from her-through
no fault of hers-and with 100000
which he settled upon her as the price
of his release she went to live in Den
yer and dropped out of his life. His
money 100000 approximately
was now scattered all over this CONT
nent. Much of it was in Honduras,
much in the northwest and some on
the Pacific coast. He invested heavi-
ly in Denver property and some of the
handsomest of the old houses there
were built by him but all had passed
from his possessions before his death.
Going to Washington, he married
there the young woman for whom he
left his wife. The marriage was made
famous by Eugene Fields poem of the
$4,000 nigbtgown, which was alleged
to be part of the mine kings trous-
seau. From that time he became the
butt of the western newspaper para
graphers, sore trial to him. He had
been in politics and had been elected
lieutenant governor of Colorado, and
had run for United States senator but
had been defeated. Subsequently he
was appointed senator to fill an unex-
pired term of one month but his pub
lie life was embittered by the enmity
of many men who had known him in
Leadville and could not forgive him
for his treatment of his wife.
Tabor built opera houses and hotels,
but lost money on them. There is
not space here to tell of the steps by
which he was reduced to beggary, but
the end came in 1898, when he was
left with nothing. Then the best of
the man shone forth again. At the
age of 63 he took pick and went to
work. His second wife stood by him
in his misfortunes as the first had done,
and they lived as other laboring people
do. For a year he worked thus, de-
claring with unbroken courage that he
would dig out another fortune for him
self and his family. Then Winfield
Scott Stratton, the Cripple Creek min
ing king, gave him $4,000 to start
life anew. President Mckinley ap-
pointed him postmaster of Denver,
and there he finished his life; but to
the end many of his old friends of the
mining days would have nothing to do
with him.