The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-23
There's the rock; lend or not; it's
Nixon Made the Loan.

Nixon Made the Loan.
The loan was made and then and
there the future United States senator
had won the friendship and devotion
of George Wingfield, 10 years old, with
only a diamond ring to show for sew
eral years of roughing it in various
towns and camps of Nevada.
Wingfield was much of a gambler at
that time. He never made any pre-
tense of anything else, but he was the
kind of square western gambler that
and in after days Nixon unquestionably
and without regret backed Wingfield
in various enterprises that became
enormously successful.
Wingfield was Arkansas boy, but was
take to Oregon when a youngster. He
had a rough and ready bringing up
when he drifted over into Nevada,
reached Winnemucca and made mis-
first transaction with Banker Nixon.
For a few years Winnemucca held him.
Then came the gold excitement at To-
nopah, and he was off like flash for
new prospects, novel experiences, any,
thing out of the line of humdrum.
Nixon had staked him again and he
had $500 or $500 when he reached the
new camp. Unknown to Nixon he set
himself up in a gambling house, which
he called the Tonopah club. The touch
of Midas was with him from the start,
for that establishment is said to nave
in the five years of it's existence. 1t is
the only enterprise that Wingfeld has
in which Senator Nixon has never been
in partnership.
In the earliest days of his Tonopah
prosperity, Wingf1eld, ever mindful of
his obligations, wrote to Nixon in Win
nemucca, inclosig a check for $1,000.
take out what owe you" ne wrote
Enthusiastically, land send me the
change. By the way, you had better
come to this Tonopah country. There
is a chance to make money"
Almost Split.
Nivon went to Tonopah and pros
pered. Wingfeld had accumulated
much real estate and mining property
there and Nixon went in with him in
everything. An anecdote shows now
near they were to parting of the ways
wnen the gold discoveries were made
at Goldfield less than two years ago.
Ready to get in on the ground floor
in all that was doing, they took an OPP
ton and paid down $4,000 on several
claims that were included in what was
known as the Grandpa group, now split
up into such rich properties as the
Sandstone, Columbia Mountain, May
Queen, Kendall, Nevada Boy and some
others. 1t was a big group of unde-
veloped claims, and when the time
came to take up the option, Nixon did
not think it worth while to put in any
more money. The man who controlled
the property went to Tonopah and
Wingfield was there with the cash. To
Nixon he simply said:
You are in for half"
WingfieId TireIess Worker.
Wingfield is absolutely interchangeable,
and he is alert to every new oppor-
tunity, his tirelessness is brought into
frequent play 1t is estimated that at
least 200 prospectors are scattered over
the desert and mountains, all of them
working in mis- interest. All that
Wingfield had as a boy was a rudi-
mentary education, but he has found
constant opportunity for improving
it and even now, with his innumerable
enterprises ne manages to put aside
some time each day for study. In what
he undertakes he is always thorough
as is shown by his adeptness in short
hand and typewriting, which he UNDER
took as a necessity for business affairs
in desert towns. His charity is wide
spread, but seldom heard of. He can
not resist a genuine tale of VICE.
Wingfeld is a republican, but he has