The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22
BONANZA GEORGE.
Queer Character Who Has Just Died
at Carson City.

Carson City New Cor. n. Y. Press.
In the death list of anew country there
stand without notice the names of many
with curious untold stories back of them.
The annals OF Carson are full of them,
but none of greater interest than that of
Bonanza George" whose death at Reno
New, is chronicled. Born a gentleman
and educated at Oxford, he became early
in life a drunkard and improvident re-
naming so for As years in the town Of
Carson. During all that time he never
passed a woman in the street without
raising his hat. With men he was digni-
fled and courteous, but with all children
familiar and affectionate, realizing to
them In some sort the existence of be-
nign Santa Claus, keeping Christmas ev-
cry day. During all this time he rarely
drew sober breath. Regarded as a
drunkard s, his was a happy, successful
life. 1t knew no break or interval. He
differed from the remittance man in the
west In that his income was sporadic, al
though it fell in with frequency and in
amounts to justify his title But this I'M
certain source of income failed at last,
and some of the strait-laced citizens to
whom "Bonanza's' way of life was a
scandal sought to have him committed
to the poor farm as a vagabond. Then
he fled to Reno where he ended his life
by starvation.
During his residence in Carson he in
herited from England four several for
tunes one of them in the gross sum of
$4,000. the smallest $23, 900. The former
amount was paid in to his credit in the
Ormsby County bank in one net sum and
lasted Bonanza Just IS months How he
spent it would be difficult to say, except
that he gave 1t away. He didn't gamble,
but his way of life when he had money
makes the tabled stories of Coal OIL john
ME Steele and his reckless extravagances
pale and uninteresting. Everybody who
wished to rode in carriages while DO
nanza Georges money lasted. The
scamps of the streets bled him freely; 1t
was George, give me hundred or two
hundred" They never borrowed it, and
OF course they never made return.
There were long periods of stress and
poverty for Bonanza George. At such
times he eked out a precarious livelihood
by writing letters for profiigate or I'M
lettered persons. running errands and
being fed sometimes well, and clothed.
but more often half starved and naked.
But he was never thirsty. The shrewd
observation that kept itself awake by
reading Montaisne and Pascal at times
of leisure had not failed to notice profit
DIV lne Quality III hHtuiS "i'fr''
denies to It's fellows what they most need
and gives them with a free hand what
they can best do without Bonanza
George was persona grata in all the
whisky drinking communities of the town
at all times. No bottle held so little that
q portion of its contents didn't pass to
George with readiness. There was that
quality of bonhommie in George which
made it a pleasure to give drink to
him. He accepted it so cordially and took
It with such evident satisfaction, was Sc
graceful courteous, so thoughtful to say
the right thing in the right way, that 1t
ygas a pleasure to do him this small serv-
ice.
Had he remained in Carson he had
never died of starvation The amiable
drunken and ne err do well was too much
loved to be permitted to suffer such a
fate, and curiously enough that affection
went out to him and was given when 1t
was too late. whole car laden with
people went down to Reno to attend his
funeral, carrying flowers and other fool
ish tributes. They subscribed fund for
a stone to mark his grave and his body
was redeemed from the pauper's ceme-
terry where it was for day or two. On
the memorial was cut these words: