Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-01-10
.,,m wAeonea or IDAHO.

Gave q Name to Two Tow ls' Lost -Four
Fortunes, and After Another. -,
Jim Wardner, of Idaho and al
over" said a visitor in Chicago from
the Pacific slope. fought to be some
where in New York city at this very
minute, for l heard he had left for
the East on q prospecting trip. JUST De-
fore l got down from Skaguay. ward
ner Is q genius that cannot be downeo.
and besides having one town nameu
for him in Idaho and another In BRUSH
Kootenai, he has made and lost -FOUR
fortunes in mines, and Is now stafths
In on his fifth. At least, his 1ourln
is gone, and he only makes fortune
when he happens to be out Of one. his
last venture was big. but 1t went
wrong. He had two steamboats, on tne
Kootenai, and started the town OF
Wardner, which went with q DOOM
and Jim started to win a million.
There was a rival town across tnt
river, but they had to depend on Jim's
steamboats, for their stun, ana, nat
urally, under the circumstances
Wardner had the bulge on Steeron
the name of the other town. One Gay
when everything was coming jim
way, both of his boats went on tht
rocks and sunk. and Jim wasn't ye'
in a fix to replace them. In othef
words, 1t busted him, and he got out
of it the best he could, which was to
go off to Toronto and trade his town
site for a stock of goods. These, to
the extent of $4,000. he carried up to
Lake Bennett and started with 1t down
the river for Dawson. Evidently Jim's
luck wasn't on the water, for his boa'
load Of stuff was wrecked. and he only
saved enough Of it to bring him IN
$1,000, when, IL he had had luck, his
$40, 200 would easily have been SOLD
for 100000 at the usual Dawson
profit That sort Of things would have
knocked out most men. but Wardner
went right on, and now, 1 understand,
he has got something to present to the
notice Of capitalists better than any.
thing he ever struck.
His black cat farm was one Of tn
things that gave him a reputation for
wealth. This was a farm on an island
in Puget sound, where he raised, &C
cording to his representations to an
Eastern journalist, such vast numbers
of black cats that their fur brought
him in fabulous revenue. or course,
it was a fabric Of the fancy, but the
story was told everywhere, and Ward
ner's black cat farm was one of the
features of the coast-on paper, at
ieast.
Another story is told on him of &
time when he was between fortunes
and wanted to get to New York for
grub stake. He was at Vancouver, and
as he couldn't swim, nothing was left
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 hat Mr.. Wardner was at
Vancouver, and unless he got trans
portation he would have to walk. The
obliging agent sent the message and
asked: Shall l issue the transporta-
tion| Later the agent received re
ply: Don't let Mr.. Wardner walk
and that same night Mr.. Wardner was
flying Eastward on a Canadian Pacific
train. Arriving at Montreal Wardnel
went to Shaughnessy to extend his
thanks, and when the general passen
ger agent saw him he threw up his
hands.
How did you get here SO soonT he
asked.
"'Over the Canadian Pacific, OF
course responded Wardner.
"'But how? Didn't the agent get
my telegram
"'Yes. and it said: Don't let Nj
Wardner walk. and l didn't smiled
jim. :
"'Great Scott" exclaimed Shaugh
messy. that telegraph operator left cut