The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-20

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Jim Wardner Is the best-known miner
from Cape Nome to Arizona, and his fame
spans the continent from The Golden Gate
to Sandy Hook There have been men
who piled up bigger fortunes. there have
been men who could hold on to what they
had won, there have been men who SUE
passed him in every way except in the
variety of his experience and his never
failing goodfeIowship-but there is only
one jim Wardner. He has made a score
Of fortunes. and he has lost each one Of
them. This seems natural to him, for
he believes in the law Of averages-no
night without a day, and no day without
a night no disaster without luck, and no
luck without disaster.
Two mining towns are named for him,
one In Idaho and one in British Columbia
Both prospered uniformly while he, after
having founded them, was having his next
series of ups and downs. An epitome of
his career would mark him as one Of the
most versatile Of Americans says the
New York Press. Born in Milwaukee If
ty-four years ago, at the age of eight he
made money raising rabbits on a capital
Of 70 cents his mother lent him. Gen.
Charles King was one Of his youthful GUS
toners. Perhaps King didn't buy a pota-
to-swelled rabbit for a mother rabbit, but
other Milwaukee boys did. When he got
Older Wardner studied the drug business,
and went into the Civil war as a regi-
mental hospital steward. Then he cleTked
In Five Points drug store in New York
He made d platform lecturer Of John AL
lem The Wickedest Man in New York"
He was assistant to a quack specialist in
Broadway. He was agent in Wisconsin
for an anti-cow-ldclzing machine. He was
drummer for a druggist, and then a drug
gist himself He was a California fruit
grower. and then hog raiser Then he
became a mine owner for the first time.
In Ivanpah, Arizona He specialized in
mine stocks in San Francisco and lost ev-
erything- He won several thousands the
next day, and then the market 'bustel,''
and he with it.
He shoveled snow near Salt Lake City
for, a day, and earned 81, and the next
day made $1,000 on a mine option He
bought a mine and sold 1t, and specu-
lated In wheat and lost all he had. He
ran candy store in St. Louis. He took
the 'Wlld Man" Of Butte, Mont out on
the road and made money. He Travelled
for a Milwaukee store that dealt in sup
plies for miners. He ran a bar in Dead
wood. and then a restaurant and a store
He went into the freight business. He
cornered all the corn, oats and feed in
Dakota. and fire wiped out every grain
of IT. Then he cornered all the eggs and
CAME out $1,000 ahead. He conducted a
walking contest He 5became a farmer On
tho Belle Fouche, and lost everything
He bought 4 coal mine near Deadwcod
and sold il with profit. He built a sixty
mile mining ditch, and a cloudburst tore
it to pieces. He bought q gold mine and
III,
butterine. went out on the road in the
Southern states with 1t, and lost all. He
went to the Occur d'Alene district in
Idaho for gold, sold butteTine and did a
frelghting business. Then he ran a sup
ply: store, and afterWard built q ditch
on which the elements let him make
money. He found and snatched the water
rights for the Bunker hill galena mine,
and actually sweat blood when the galena
seemed about to give out. He founded
the town of Wardner, Idaho, and cor
rallied all the corner lots. He specialized
in wheat, oil and stocks In SO, which WAS
a bad year for him. He developed the
town Of Fairhaven, Wash, and then ran
a cat ranch on an island six miles from
the city. He went to South Africa nearly
broke. and came back completely broke.
He went to Rossland, British Columbia,
and founded another town of Wardner,
and expected not to owe a dollar in the
world by Christmas of that year. Before
the holidays he lost his two boats that
plied between Jennings, Mont, and Ward
ner. and was plunged in debt again. He
went to the Rlondike to sell goods ard
prospect, and from there to Atlin, and
then and last of all, to Cape Nome.
Then. being led to believe that his life
had been a little out of the ordinary-ne
had "kangarooed" around bit, as ne
says-he wroteea book about himself, and
had 1t published by the Anglo-American
Publishing Company of New York. Ee
who is downcast because his luck" won t
turn should get this book and read it.
It's more inspiring than the Self Help