The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-09-20
BROKEN IN FORTUNE, Ex-MIL-
LIONAIRE IN HUMBLE HOME
IN NEVADA.
EX- Senator Stewart Has Once More
Begun the Battle Of Life in That
State.

RHYOLITE, New, Sept. 1S.-Ap-
parently as pugnacious and virile as
a man of half his age, former Senator
William M. Stewart, known in Wash
ington as the Santa Claus Of the Sen
ate," because of his wor61ous white
whiskers, mas come to this little town
years.
Since his retirement from public
life last March, after a service in the
upper branch Of congress covering
more than forty years, the world has
heard little of Senator Stewart. The
newspapers published dispatches to
the effect that he was once more a
poor man and that ne would make his
residence in the west Then they for
got all about him.
To lose a fortune is serious enough
misfortune at any period of life, and
at Senator Stewards age it is almost
without exception a crushing blow.
The fact that it has not proved so in
his case may be because ne is used
to losing fortunes and making them,
or it may be because he is not like
other men.
Not Crushed by Failure.
What ever may be said about the
senator politically, his bitterest enc
mics will not deny that the physical
makeup of the man is marvellous to
the last degree and that his courage
is splendid. He is Of the type that
cannot conceive defeat, but goes right
on fighting in blind ignorance of the
fact that it is hopelessly worsted in
the battle of life. And the senator
has more than once rehabilitated his
fortunes when his friends believed he
was at last down and out" Those
who know him best are not so sure
that he will not do it again, if he is
nearly fourscore.
Senator Stewart-the title will al
ways stick to him-expects to move
into mis- new home here in few days.
When he started to build it, down in
the Bullfrog district, the townspeople,
who knew his record for gaiety in the
east said:
Were glad to have you with us,
senator; but what are you doing way
down here in this lonely placer"
"Oh, I'm just going to get back
among the boys for WHILE" answered
the old man, Strengthening his six feet
of stature and throwing back his
broad shoulders. This air makes me
feel like a 4-year-o old. There's no
place like Nevada, 1 tell you, and !
figure that I'll be doing a big law
business here before lond. Better to
wear out than to rust out, you know
Back Among the Boys.
His new house cost $4,000. Tina:
is more than he was believed to have
saved out of the wreck when the mod
ell dairy farm in Virginia put the last
touches on a financial ruin that was
begun when he tried to force a real
estate boom in the direction of "Stew-
arts Palace" the gorgeous structure
he put up in Washington at a time
when he was one of the wealthiest
men there.
The new home is a one-stOry adobe,
ornamented with red and white stone.
1t has 10 rooms and is finished
throughout in the finest woods. The
bathroom dazzles with tiles and sill
yer trappings and has a genuine show
er bath.
Il want to make it as comfortable
as 1 can for my wife and daughter
said the old senator. They're not as
used to roughing it as I am
A wide verania streached around
the entire house, and the grounds are
being graded and fenced and sodded.
There is a pretty stable and quaint
little chicken house. for the senator
is partial to chickens. He has pur-
chased 200 fowls and in his stable,
instead of thoroughbred horses, he has
large, sleek pair of mules, which he
considers more appropriate to tine
country.
One more addition is to be made to
the stock. The senator is now nego-
tiating for COW, a well-bred Jersey,
that is warranted to give milk so rich
that cream can be lifted off the crooks
with a knift.
He is as interested in all these prep
arations as though he were so years
younger than he is, and combining a
hneymoon with the first serious battle
of life The mules please MIN as
much az thO,1ph he had never ridden