The San Francisco call., 1906-04-01

Wound have achieved j EtSalS4 N-7N-ii-
in this world-a distinction which he Is
justly entitled TO.
There is always some obis!ng aeauaint-
ance OF The. city newspaper reporter put
ting him on" TO some fresh source or
news. which tends 10. lessen the harasaips
OF. the daily paper scribe and brighten MS
p life Ny friend Of this day was OF that
sort. a gentleman who erjoyss helping
any one who is trying TO help himself
and ] was as -arpreciative OF his good IN
tentions and ready TO accept his tip. when
much to my surprise in following the d.
rection Of bis extended finger I diseoY-
cred that he was referring TO John Har-
per.
Had my friend asked me where he could
obtain information oIhanu on the mining
conditions Of California, or regarding any
particular phase Of mining in the whole
" est, or even IN South Africa, in the
rich districts OF Alaska or Australia. 1
doubt II 1 would have hesitated moment
before recommending him to this same
John Harper. Not that ii would bring
any financial remuneration to John HaT-
per for imparting such advice, for he is
not engaged in seeking fees, but because
I know that he woold rs Cheerfully share
his knowledge Of the worlds mining. ia
dustry with stranger as he would a
meal with q straggler on the desert.
I was not disposed, however, to inter-
rtfpt whatever pleasant references my
friend had in s-Drc for the man whose
acquaintance he would have me MAKE
for my own good and therefore
did not intimate to him that this
same John Harper had known me
since the early days of my repor-
torial career, when 1 boldly went
TO him for a bit of data and
received enough valuable information on
an important subject to enable me to
kindle my youthful coneeit and place my
. self before the reading public in the light
Of one who had inexnausuble Information
on. the question I was called. upon by my
city editor to deal with.
I remained silent quietly watching the
. interesting features of Harper as he sat
In his favorite place in the Palace Hotel
court, and listeped TO my friend tell how
this man had studied mining from its
earliest geology; how he had acquired
q knowledge that would have made other
men fabulously rich; of his splendid mem
OFy for historical facts concerning West
ern American mining and the reasons he
had for various failures Of men who IN
dertook the opening of the earth in the
hope Of enrichfng themselves for their
natural iives.
1 was told much that was interesting
about John Harper, much that I did not
know about his early career and much
that is as well known TO the better class
Of San Francisco mining men as is the
story Of the discovery Of gold by Mar
shall and the later. discoveries on the
Comstock-
''Some day you get hold Of Harper" my
friend advised me, when he is in a rem
iniscent mood and he VIII tell you some
interesting stories Of the early days Of
Virginia City, OF Austin, OF White Pine,
Eureka, Phoebe. Ely, Aurora; and Tusca-
rors- Get him to tell you of General
Fremonts western trip along the water
hows-he and Fremont by the way, were
old fIiends-or Head him into a discus
sion about Mackay Flood and OBrien,
or even some Of the other notable pio-
neers OF Western mining, all of whom
counted John Harper as their intimate
friend, and you will get a good story"
Perhaps what my friend told me about
the career Of John Harper, or perhaps
what he suggested Harper might tell
about some Of the departed mining men
he mentioned would interest the majority
of a story loving public But what ap-
pealed to me most in my friends well
meant advice was that it lacked the
merest mention OF one incident in the ca
. T.rfr hot 4
form an important chapter in the true
history Of one Of the most sensational Of
the worlds events that a Californian
figured prominently in.
How John Harper acquired his wonder
fuI knowledge Of mining and his world
wide acquaintsneeship is a matter that
the modern historians have not yet taken
up. Perhaps for many reasons, one of the
more important being that Harper is not
ia the habit of DOING out information
regarding himself for an inquisitive pub
lie. the biographer will not get to work on
this bit. of manuscript until the carved
name Of John Harper on a marble tomb
stone has been moss covered with age and
the incidents Of his lire, especially the one
1 regard as truly historical: has passed
from the recollection of those who sur
vive him. At may be interesting to those
who see this gray-haired gentleman, not
the gray hair of extreme advanced age,
sitting IN a comfortable chair in the
Palace court day after day, quietly read
ing his papers as he puns in a dignihed
way at his good cigar. to know that he
has had several fortunes, but. like many
others who made them in mining, later
npted fate in the stock markets OF
W York and London and eventually lost
IN tho game where millions move from
&C control to another He is by no means
3sor, but he no longer INDUCES bis for
p.sr desire for speculation He lives a
quiet. life, retains the respect of all the
l.iends he ever had and gains more
friends as the days pass.
Ask one Of his friends who he is and
he will probably answer you in that same
strain which marked my friends CONVEX
sation when he took me close to the pill
lars that surround the Palace Hotel court
and pointed out John Harper.
why, that's John Harper. one Of the
best known mining authorities in the