The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-08
Began Career as Miner.

began career as Mlncf.
Senator Sparks was born in Monroe
county, Missouri county that has
never had a Republican ticket in the
field at any election-so you know
what his politics are-or is. When he
was IL years old his father moved to
the lead and zinc fields near Joplin
and he began working as miner
when he was II. His family was very
poor and he had to work so steadily
lie never had a chance even to learn
thoroly his three Rs The only
time he ever did go to school was
part of one term when living near
Joplin. Then he and another boy
started to run off to Texas after tell
ing their schoolmate sweethearts
goodbye but they were caught by
Sparks father and driven back to
school with a blacksnake whip.
Sparks stayed in the class room the
rest of the day, but he never entered
another one as a pupil.
When he was 16 years old the
Galena senator became a miner ION
his own hook" operating a mine on
Swindle Hill at Joplin with two other
boys. From that time there has never
been a day when he has not either
owned a mine or worked in one.
Made $4,000 in Year.
Sparks says the most money he ever
made out of one mine was when he
took $4,000 worth of ore out of the
8. H. and S. mine on Spring river in
the Badger Diggins" on the bor-
der between Kansas and Missouri.
When he began to operate this mine
he could not keep miners because it
was so far from wet" territory, but
one day he bought two acres of
ground near his mine property and
during the night an old crippled man.
without ever getting his consent or
ever saying a word to him, moved a
little shanty on to the land and the
next morning he had a store and sa-
loon open and ready for business.
This old crippled man. who answered
to the name of "klm| operated his
joint there on prohibition Kansas soil
until about two years ago and never
after his arrival did Sparks have any
trouble keeping miners as long as he
operated the S. H. and S.
Sparks made and lost most of his
big money in the Badger Diggins."
The last time he went flat broke, "
about six years ago was when he was
trying to get more money out of the
old S. H. and S. A flood came and he
spent lot of money. pumping out the
water. Then. just as he got all the
water pumped out his mill burned and
almost before the ashes got cool an
other flood came and he had more
water than he had had at the begin
ming.
When he took stock of himself Sem
ator Sparks found that he had moth
ing and was $4,000 in debt. Remem-
Der, this was only six years ago and
today he owns the finest house in Ga
lena, a sixteen room hons with bill
lard parlors and dancing pavilions. a
lot of nGalena property. more than
1900 acres of land. five mines and
other little valuables such as bank
stock, etc.
How did you make your last come
back? % he was asked.
We'll Sir, one day happened to be
in Joplin and met a fellow who said
he had lost $1,000 in a mining VEN
ture and that if his wife found it out
he would catch hell. He sad another
mine operator had told him I was a
lucky dog and that if he wanted to
get his money back I-could get it if
any man could.
II told him 1 myself was broke. but
I had been broke SO damned often
that didn't make much difference to
me- 1 told him I knew of a piece of
land 1 believed we could make a stake
on and that if he would put up some