Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-22
His Rise From Pov. erty to Great
 Wealth. How He Became a Copper King. Instances That Depict His Good
 Luck.

"HE recovery of Senator William
 A. Clark of Montana from two
 delicate operations consisting of
 the removal of the mastoid bone from the base of the brain may be ascribed to "Clark luck At least that Is what it is called in Montana. These two operations both occurred within fifteen months. The first it was thought would remove the trouble, which started from cold producing an abscess in the middle ear. But the symptoms recurring, Senator Clark de- cided to have another operation de- spite the fact that the surgeon said it was not absolutely necessary. Clark does not believe 'in half measures and was determined to have the matter over with for good and all.
 This operation is one of the most delicate known to surgery. It necessi- tates exposing the brain, and a false movement might easily result in death. Thomas A. Edison was recently oper- ated on in similar manner. The fact that Edison pulled through would indi- cate that the fortunate outcome in both cases was due to the triumph of modern surgery. But despite all this. the Montana people would insist that Clark luck would have pulled the cop per king through in any event.
 Worked Twenty Hours a Day.
 Senator Clark himself ascribes this 50 called luck to the fact that he used to work about twenty hours a day and habit The natives, while admitting the senator's steam engine industry. insist, however. that it alone could not have brought all the good things that have been piled in his lap by fortune For example, there was that time when Clark was just starting. He had saved up a little money from mining, peddling. storekeeping and sharp trades when some miners got portion of it away from him by selling him hole in the ground. Clark tried to work the hole. only to find that he had been bunkoed Being a good trader himself. however. he said nothing. but leased the alleged mine to some other innocents. who squandered more money on il without result By this time the story had got about camp and the other miners chucklingly called the hole "Clark's Colusa" One day stranger beckoned the future million aire aside and asked him if he owned the ''Colusa." Clark rather sorely ad- mitted the fact, when the stranger ventured the cheerful information that It was bonanza. Clark was tired Of being cha6ed. rather wearily admitted the drinks were on him and started to liquidate. The stranger insisted. But there is not an ounce of gold or silver in the hole." said the now indignant owner of the "Colusa.' Gold or sil- ver.' said the man. Why. that Is a copper mine. There is 15 per cent copper And this was the start of Clark's career as copper king.
 "Bakins Powder Billy"
 But there were other things that came to Clark in the old days that the miners do not ascribe either to luck or hard work, but to more subtle qual- ity. For example, Clark once cornered all the baking powder in the mining camp and was thereafter known as Baking Powder Billy" Then he cor nered all the apples and sold them at a dollar apiece. On one or more occa- sions he bought up all the available tobacco and sold 1t for dollar a plug. Money was plentiful in Montana then and tobacco was scarce. Clark made it scarcer. As consequence. he also cOrnered quite little of the money supply. H.. thus showed all the in.