The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-17
B001BLACk M|LL|0NA|RES

of his class he found it difficult to hold
or to the money.
Two other young men who have
achieved fame and wealth and who are
not ashamed to admeit they were once
giad to get nickel in return for hav-
ing impaired mirror-like gloss to a
pair of boots are Joseph N. Weber and
Lewis M. Fields. Their success has
been phenomenal, as evry one knows,
They were boys on the East Side and
used to ''shoot craps" together when
they were not backing shoes and SELL
irg papers. Like most East Side boys
they saved pennies in order to go to the
cid London theatre one night a week.
One evening they went on the stage to-
gether on amateur night" in a song
and dance with a German dialect.
That settled it. No more bootblacking
for them. They were thoroughly stage
struck and finally obtained an engage
ment with burlesque company at SIS
week 70 rthe team. 1t was a good
many years before they attained any
considerable fame in their line, and
they do not hesitate to say that they
have played in some of the toughest"
houses and concert halls in the land and
were glad of the chance.
Hartford, Conn.,, seems to have been
prolific of bootblacks who have gained
fortune, for besides Pat Sheedy there
are Father Bill DAILY the turfman;
Andrew j. WEIGH, the owner of the IA
nous Charter Oak Driving park, and
Danny Maher and James Mclaughlin,
the jockeys. 1t was a great many years
ago that Father Bill" shined shoes
so long ago he may have forgotten it
but now he is worth a great many dol
lars. He owns stock far min Connec-
tcut, a big hotel in Hartford and many
horses.
1t was Father Bill who found Jim
my Mclaughlin on his knees polishing
leather and made him one Of the great
est jockeys that ever lived, and it was
he who later found little Danny Haher
pursuing the same calling. Maher, it is
said, at the end of the present racing
season in England have earned more
than 100000 in fees.
ANDY" WEIGH left Hartford as a
bootblack following the circuit. He
| used to ride with the grooms in the box
care with the horses. 1t was at Pitts
burg he made his first venture on the
trotting turf. He invested one dollar
on race in the Paris mutuals and won
SAG. Twenty Of this he again invested,
$500. Encouraged by his success he
threw aside all his tools of trade and
became follower of the trotters. Fin
ally he bought mare; she won several
races, and at length he sold her to an
Fnglishman for $4,000.
| But his great coup was made nearly
ten years ago. The Connecticut legis-
lsture had passed an anti-pool law and
the corporation controlling the famous
Charter Oak park, near Hartford, had
gene out of business. Weeds grew on
the once immaculate track; the stables
and grandstands We're falling into de-
| cay. Then it was that WEIGH and a
man named Jones stepped in. They
purchased the property with the many
acres for mere song, ostensibly as a
real estate speculation; but when the
next legislature met they very quietly
/, went to work, and on the last day of
the session the anti-pool selling law was
suddenly and Unexpectedly repealed.
Since that time circuit meetings have
been held in the spring and fall at
Charter Oak, and WEIGH and Jones
have made fortunes. Welchs is esti-
mated at from 100000 to $75O,0O0.
| Numerous other ex-bootblacks could
he named who have grown rich, famous
or notorious, but these are a few who
are known to most New Yorkers.-New
! York Herald.