The Washington herald., 1908-02-23

W.
From Photograph Taken in Denver Last summer.
the noise of the life-and-death scuffie. ran
away, and the shot went wide OF its
mark Stewart succeeded in disarming
his companion. and disdainIng to kill
him, stunned him with blow from a
brawny fist and hurled him into the sage
brush
Another thrilling chapter in Stewards
life occurred when ne lad the temerity
to brave mob of miners clamoring for
the life of an Englishtnan who had been
accused OF the wcrst crime in the deca-
logue of the '49er-horse theft.
Though score or so Of bristling guns
were leveled AT his head by as many de-
termined men. Stewart unfiinchlngly de-
manded that the mob hear him. His in
sistence on this point-and he an un-
armed man at that-won the admiration
of the crowd. and they gave heed 10 him.
Right on the spot. where 10 had been
planned 10 string up the prisoner. Stewart
declared that the man was going 70 have
a fair trial He announced tiat he him
self would act as judge. he summoned
jury. lie called up the witnesses and
quiZzed them. Then he made a typical
early Western harangue. pointing out the
lack Of evidence against the prisoner.
The crowd was convinced, the jury freed
the prisoner. and six hours later the real
horse thief was decorating an accommo-
dating limb of a cottonwood tree
The year that Stewart was admitted 20
the bar found him in politics ard Office
that Of district attorney in California
L. TnT Is. f,.
1908 ne divided his time between seeking
gold and political fortunes.
All the years that Stewart has spent in
the National Capital have not tanned him.
He viii be a pioneer in make-up-bOdy
and mind and spirit-to the death. He is
irascible. Outspoken, free 10 criticise.
hearty. blufT, ingenious OF manner; and
he looks like prophet-and can talk like
a fishwife.
Another ex-senator Pioneer.
The career of John p Jones, also
pioneer and ex-senator from Nevada,
offers some rather interesting parallels
with that OF his old-time colleague. who
is two years his senior
Both spent their bOyhood days in Ohio,
whittier their parents moved when the
boys were young. Each went 10 Cali
fOrnia in the first days OF the gold ex-
element Both were practical miners.
both had hair-breadth escapes from In
dians, and both early took a hand in the
political fortunes OF the new country
After a more or less brief stay in Cali
fornia. each man went to Nevada and
there made and lost a couple Of fortunes
between 1865 and 1880; but while Stewart
made his various piles out Of litigation
over mining properties, Jones made his
through mining straight. Both men were
Republicans from the organization OF the
party: when the silver issue became up
permost in 1926 both dramatically with
drew and supported Bryan; and when
silver ceased TO be an issue both returned
TO their first love Each represented Ne
vada in the Senate thirty years.
Stewards reputation for bravery in the
early days was no greater than Jones'.
1t took an absolutely fearless man to be
sheriff in the West in those days and
Jones first important political Office was
that OF sheriff. An incident in his fife
when he was superintendent Of the Crown
Point and Kentucky mines. on the south
ern end Of the Comstock. shows the sort
of sterling bravery he exhibited from the
day he. lad Of nineteen, and his brother
iRA klf Epldfn W est toSelnfr.
An alarm Of fire coming from the ], ,0oo-
foot level OF one Of the mines. Jones led
the rescue, and in comparatively short
time had all but nineteen men on the
surface. With handful Of volunteers he
dashed down again into the burning level.
and succeeded in getting all but one OF
the nineteen out of harms reach.
BY this time the level was a raging
furnace. the man who had been running
the cage had been overcome by smoke
and strain. and there was momentary
danger that the cage itself would fall.
Youth Comes to His Aid.
Though Jones doubtless realized all this.
he again called for volunteers. Not one
OF the great, abIe-bodied men about him
SO much as haltingiy lifted a foot for
ward; it remained for n stripping OF six
teen to step to his chiefs side.
Together they disappeared down the
NAV of the mine Silently the miners
waited around the opening. and as the
minutes dragged their length away there
was many an ominous shaking Of the
head. Finally. when some of the more
pessimistic were already muttering that
the boss and the boy had surely been
overtaken by flame or smoke. Jones, with
the listiess body of the miner over one
arm and his lone volunteer overcome and
in ole corner Of the cage, pulled all three
to the top of the shaft and safety.
To make this little chapter OF real life
seem more like the eliminating scene in
a Third avenue melOdrama, let It be
added that the three men were barely out
OF the cage before it broke loose and
went dashing to the bottom of the shaft.
Jones share OF the profits of these
mines amounted TO several million dol
lars. few years later all this fortune.
big for those days. had been dissipated
by bad investments. Nothing daunted.
Jones plunged into the fortune seeking
business again. and when he entered the
Senate in 1913 he was easily worth $780,
OoO To-day, after half century spent In