Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-21
BONANZA GEORGE CASHES IN
Queer sample Of Human D~riftwood
Lodged In Mining
CEnna


In the death list OF a new 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 "Bo
nanza George" whose death at Reno. New,
is chronicled. Born a gentleman and edu-
Gated at oxford, he became early IN life
a drunkard and improvident, remaining so
for forty-five years in the town Of Carson.
During all that time he never passed 4
woman In the street without raising his
hat. With men he was digulfied and
courteous, but with all children familiar
and affectonate, realizing to them In soma
sort the existence Of a benign santa Claus.
keeping Christmas every day. During al
this time he rarely drew a sober brea II
Regarded as a drunkard's, his was a happy,
successful life. 1t knew no break or In ca.
val. lie differed from the remittance man
Of the west in that his income was spor.
adic, although 1t fell in with a frequency
and In amounts to justify his title. Blu
this uncertain source OF income failed at
last, and some Of the strait-lRced citizens
to whom "B~onansa's' way Of life was a
scandal sought to have him TO
the poor farm as a v%Rgabond, Then he
fled to Reno, where he ended his life by
starvation.
During his residence in Carson he in
herited from England four several fortunes.
one Of them In the gross sum Of $50, 900
the smallest $4,000. The former amount
was paid In to his credit 10 the Ormsby
County bank in one net sum and lasted
Bonanza Just eighteen months. How he
spent II would be difficult to say, except
that he gave it away. He didn't gamble,
but his way Of life when he had money
| ~ hoo The F,IV.A .g,.t.. e - - .r, -,
ME Steele and his reckless extravaganccs
pale and uninteresting. Everybody who
wished rode in carriages while "Bananza
Georges" money lasted. The scamps OF
the streets bled him freely; it was. George.
give me a 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 AZ such
times he eked out a precarious livelihood
by writing letters for profliEate or unlet.
tered persons, running errands and being
fed, some times well, and clothed, but more
often half starved and naked. But he was
never thirsty. The shrewd observation
that kept itself awake by reading Mon.
taigne and Pascal at times Of leisure had
not failed to notice a profit by the quality
In human nature which denies to its fell
SNS Nha Ahey most neeu ana gives them
with a free hand what they can best do
without. Bonanza George was persona
grata in all the whlsky-drinking communl-
ties Of the town at all times No hottie
held SO little that a portion or its contents
didn't pass to George with readiness
There was that quality of bonhommle in
George which made II a pleasure to give
a drink TO him. He accepted It so cordially
and took it with such evident satisfaction
l was so graceful, courteous, SO thoughtful
! to say the right thing in the right way
that 1t was a pleasure to do him this small
I service.
Had he remained in Carson he had never
died of starvation. The amiable drunken
and ne'er do well was too much loved L
a be permitted to suffer such a fate. ant
= cuTiously enough that affection went on
4 to him and was given when 1t was too late
A whole car laden with people went dow
=, to Reno to attend his funeral, ~carryin,
n flowers and other foolish tributes. The,
subscribed a fund for a stone to mark hi
= grave, and his body was redeemed from tn,
pauper's cemetery, where II was for a day
n or two. On the memorial was cut thes,
a words: