The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-05-06

Stark County Man Who Left Years Ago
To Seek His Fortune Returns
to Old Haunts.

sC WV ssossteSs
n HARLES Cramer, who left Pike
~. township when 25 years old
to seek his fortune on the Pacific
coast, has just returned on visit
to friends in this city and has many
tales to tell of his adventures among
the mountains of California.
He went out in 81, a penniless boy,
and located in Sweetland, Nevada
county, in the midst OF the mining
district. He delights in recounting the
events of the frs. year, during which
he lived in a cabin on the hillside and
never earned a dollar, on account OF
not being able to get work.
Luck turned at the end of the year
and he got job as laborer in saw
mill. He worked 378 days straight,
including Sundays, without losing one,
and received 50 per day. At the end Of
that time he had saved $500. With
this he bought team and secured
the contract for hahling logs to the
mill. t .Nsfss =
Soon he was. able to employ other
teams and was fast piling up money.
The gold fever seized him, however,
and he started out three prospectors
on "grubstakes," to exploEe for the
precious metal The result was that
he went broke" AS he expressed 1t,
the prospectors got the money and he
got the experience, about $4,000 worth.
He then removed to Laslend coun-
ty in "a and took government claim
on which he built cabin and start
ed ranching on very small scale.
In 6S disastrous food swept the
ranch into the valley and he went to
the wall once more.
Next he managed to secure a stage
line from Susanville to Virginia City,
Nevada, the heart of the silver mining
industry. This line he managed him
self, driving the four-horse team
across the dangerous mountain pass
es. BY SO he was once more on his
feet financially and came east on a
visit, leaving the staging business in
charge of stranger. He returned to
find himself broke for the third time,
tie man he trusted having decamped
with his earnings,
1t was 20 when he got possession OF
another stage line, this time from Su-
sanville to Ft Biddle. The route was
over 70 miles of mountain trail and for
the first six months he drove the coach
himself. Then he became able to en-
ploy a driver and was again on the
road to prosperity.
At this time he married young
lady from Delaware, o., a. Miss Riddle,
who was also living in the Golden
state. 1t was IA when he discovered
that he had scraped together 10000.
With this he paid off a debt Of $500
left from his previous stage venture
and located on ranch including A.
900 acres of fenced. grazing land. This
he stocked with 1,400 head of cattle.
From that time fortune has smiled
on Mr.. Cramer. A few years ago he
invested $4,000 ina wholesale and re-
tail meat business in Chico the City of
Flowers" This venture has proved a
complete success, all the cattle being
raised on ranches under his imme-
diate control. He is independent Of
the beef trust and proudly declares
that he sells the very choicest cuts Of
tenderloin at IS cents a pound, which
is about two cents above his normal
price.
Mr.. Cramer is very enthusiastic over
the future of Chico. 1t is q prosperous
city surrounded by fruit groves and
orchards. The industry of raising nuts
is also large one, and lemons, Or
anges and figs grow in profusion with
moderate cultivation.