New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-06
SENATOR N|X0N'S CAREER
SeIf-Made Mu|timi||ionalre Lived
Strenuous Life.

OH ClItUuo G''N'
George : Nixon self-madc Wuiu-mil'-
ionarc. who died iu Washington last night
had lived a strenuous life almost from the
time Of his birth. in 1850 on Placer County
.arm. IN California.
"Alv childhood vas no. spent exactly IN
poverty" senator Nixon said recently, IN
recountjng his career "but my parents ana
tlcir children lived rather plainly. As a
matter ~ TACT. I was fourteen years old be-
fore ! had a Siit of st"rr clothing. My
father and mother spent six months III
moving from Arkansas 20 California IN
covered wagon. At the end OF their jour
ney they had an o., some homemade FUR
ni,tno. Il few pans and a bundle Of bedding
Ihoy planted fruit farm oC fifteen acres
pl"m>. peaches and apples.
when not working among the fruit
SAY. TO- two months i'm vear-I attended
an alleged school In the noghborhood.
went TO school eight weeks In the winter
but didn't learn anything worth mem
tioninc In the mean tim" I was trading
around in an amatcurish way and learning
10 make money. | put eggs under an old
hen and got nine turkeys, which sold for
81 % apiece at Thanksgiving. ! could pack
rrui, and nail the boxes Ike streak OF
Young lightning and was wanted through
ont the community Birds ate our plums
and p,achas. and my father bought an old
shotgun. and ordered mcIto the orchard
So I became mighty good wing shot. The
station agent at Newcastle. eight miles
away. heard of my shooting. and suggested
that supply him with quail for the mining
camps at 81 ~ a dozen. hunted from the
middle Of October urt!i lat" in the winter.
leaving home i'm the morning long before
dawn, and often walking forty miles befor"
q late supper. Some days shot six dozen
quail. and. walking home through the
,uooplight. would tumble together various
pictures and plans concerning the future
Worked for Nothing and Paid Board.
when WAS between eighteen and nine
teen years old. my station agent irlend
advised me To come into his Office ana
learn telegraphy. | had saved $500. !
Maid him $50 "A month for my board, ana
got nothing for my services, although
was on duty from o'clock I'm the morn
ing until II o'clock at night But 1
learned tclegraphy. and also he railway
and express business.
81 remained fifteen months at Newcastle,
and / didn't spend cent. except tho
money | paid for mys board. When my
ca sh on hand had been reduced TO s22
was given "A position at Brown. across the
line I'm the State of Nevada. Brown was
nothing more than a water tank. My
wages were s,5 a month | did my own
cooking Indians wanting crackers and
bacnn. | bought small stock of such
frontier delicacies. and I'm that way added
a little 10 my salary.
"By degrees | was sent along to larger
stations keeping out OF saloons and never
drinking | learned to smoke after | was
twenty-six years old Humboldt, green
oasis I'm the desert. was the last place
worked as n railroad employe. II was
dinner station My office was In the hotel
made the acquaintance OF number OF
ca,tlemen. and also Of Mr. Bender. the
general freight and passenger agent of the
railway and the president of a bank at
Reno. When Mr.. Bender offered me a place
in bIs hank at 500 a month took It.
"a man whom | knew told me about
some land at Pomona. Cal l bought TWEEN
,v-one acres for $2,l00 paying 500 in cash
and giving "A InoTtbdbe' Alter DelHS III
Reno for fifteen months | sold my Cali
,ornja land for 1900. Then I organized a
conuany, taking In boy friend Of eight
.ep who had $1,000. and several cattlemen
whom / had known at Humboldt, and
.,arted q bank at Winnemucca. The bank
nrospered from the start. People brought
me their money and asked me to invest II.
railway engineer gave me $4,000. He
died. and I nursed his little estate along.
and now his widow has $4,000. In 1897
opened a bank at Reno. capitaizing IT at
q 600 900 and making it the strongest bank
ha,veen Denver and Sacramento. | am also
Interested I'm banks in Goldfeld and Tono-
psh.
Lost at First in Mining Ventures.
81 lost steadily for fifteen years In min
ing property. never dealt In mining
ehares. but would stake prospectors who
,hought they had already found mines or
,o,,ld 20 into the mountains and locate
,hcn, Every man should keen AT least one
=, his feet on the ground. II he spcculates
no IL likely to got both feet in the air ana
lose his toehold on tangibility ! had pros