Evening journal., 1914-06-29
New News Of Yesterday
------@Z--
The First Million-dollar
Check CaShed in Idaho
BY Holland.

( was chatting, some time in the
spring of this year. with William Fl
Alexander, who is prominently iden.
tifiea with the copper industry Of THE
United States. principally as an ex-
nert authority. He gave much of mis-
experience in this field Of the mining
industry at the time he was a resident
of Idaho, Washington. and other
States Of the far West. He met IN
those years some eccentric and very
interesting characters and had know
ledge of some who at one time were
in possession Of millions suddenly
gained and who afterward knew
again what poverty was.
Mr. Alexander regards the late
James II. Warder as perhaps the most
typical frontier personality with
whom lie was ever brought in con-
tact Mr. Wardner was possessed OF
oNerabundant energy, so great, in
fact, that II sometimes impaired his
Judgment. He was a man of both
physical and moral courage, and for
that reason. probably was willing TO
accept chances which would have APP
palled the average man.
To illustrate this, Mr.. Alexander
recalled the following incident:
IL remember one occasion when
Wardner was challenged to play the
game Of seven up, or 'high-low jack
Tor $2.500 game He played several
games for this big stake, and my re-
collection is that he came out about
even.
"The most interesting feature OF
MIR. Wardner's career of which l have
any knowledge was the fact that he
was the recipient of the first million
collar check ever paid out for mining
properties in Idaho.
"Wardner was the promoter Of
what is now known the world over
as the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
mines This property is famous be-
cause il is, or was at least, until re-
Gently, the largest producing
mine in the world
Possibly a year after Wardner
promoted this great lead mine, two
men who represented large capital
which was seeking investment in
good mining properties called upon
him to negotiate for the purchase Of
his interests. They were very shrewd
specimens of high-grade mining
spectators. They no doubt expected
that Mr.. Wardner, who was only
known as a prospector, would jump
az the first proposition they made TO
him. They had not been long in ne
gotiation with Wardner before they
discovered that he was just as shrewd
as they were. Moreover, he owned
the property and was not particularly
anxious to sell. When they made this
discovery they decided to throw
subterfuge aside and to make him the
final proposition they had in mind TO
make in case they were compelled to
do so.
They said to him: We will give
you a certified check for $1,000, 900 in
exchange for your duit-elaim deed Of
all your interest in this property
Wardner did not hesitate about ac-
cepting the proposition, although he
was good enough actor to conceal
his qualification at the certainty OF
becoming a millionaire
1T did not take long to close the
transaction. nor did it take long for
the news to spread abroad that for
the first time in the history of Idaho
a single check certified for 81. 600 600
had been paid to any one in that
state for property of any kind.
The time is not distant when other
checks for larger amounts were paid
for Idaho properties. but Warder had
the exclusive distinction of receiving
the first check for $1,000 900 that ever
went through an Idaho bank"
(Copyright 1914. by +. i Edwards