The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-19
Chicago Inter Ocean,

Chicago Inter ocean,
With the death on his ranch in south
ern California Of Lucky Baldwin, the
last of the spectacular figures Of the
early mining days of the Pacific coast
passed away. Although he was not one
of the 'fOrty-nineus. having reached
the gold fields some four years later,
ne was one OF the associates of Mackay,
Flood. Ralston. O'Brien, Sharon and
Fair, and accumulated quite as large
a fortune as did these men, but did not
nave the same capacity for holding onto
II. From the moment ne arrived on
the coast he began to make money, says
the Evening Post. Almost everything
ne touched seemed to turn into gold. -
SO that he died worth about S25. 900 600.
In his later years Baldwin was about
as well known in the east as in the
west, chiefly because of his racing in
terests. He was tall, lean and thin
faced, with long white hair and moth
ing 'fashy" about him. although he had
no refinement, and his associates were
largely Of the same type. He has been
painted as a happy-go-lucky sort Of
man, who rarely succeeded in any ven
ture until he struck the Pacific coast,
and then became a millionaire purely
through stTeaks Of fortune. This he de-
MED, declaring that hard work got his
money for him, while others averred
that he was man Of genius for money
making, trader who would shame a
gypsy, whose first steps to wealth were
through uSuTy, who was closet listed and
ungenerOus, but who never hesitated to
spend money in advertising himself and
his schemes, and who was apparently
callOus to an unenviable notoriety.
va - 100
his bOyhOOd days were passed there and
in Great Bend, Ind. to which place
he was taken when years old. When
he was Il he cut loose for himself, and
went to Chicago to make his fortune.
He worked for a couple Of years on
grain boats on the Illinois canal, and
at the end of that time he had succeed
ed in buying three canal boats. in which
he carried grain and alternately made
and lost money for a few years In 1853
he had drifted to Racine, Wis, and was
keeping a small store there, trying to
exc out living for himself and young
wife, but the venture was not at all
profitable. and he sought about for a
better way TO make money.
At that time the Mississippi valley
was agog over the tales Of sudden
wealth which had been obtained in Cal
ifornia, and finally young Baldwin be-
came smitten with the California fever.
Hearing that party was about to start
for California, he sold out his store and,
with his wife, left for Chicago to Join
the band of fortune-seekers who were
going to make their perilous way by
wagon train across the plains to the
new FL Dorado The party started Feb.
of that year, and the journey was
made without incident until after about
thirty of the party, including Baldwin
and his wife, had left the main body at
the Humboldt river in Colorado to take
the northern route.
The travellers had been on their way
only a few days when they were at
tackled by Indians. They formed bar
ricade Of their wagons and fought from
the middle of the improvised fort. but
with little success, as the Indians
Apaches-were we'll armed. while the
pioneers were not. SO the train started
on again, pursued by the Indians
through narrow canyon, with little
hope Of escaping with their lives. For
tunately, however. they stumbled into a
larger body Of immigrants, which had