Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-29
a SECOND MARK TWAIN
How Senator Finn Lost Gold Mine.
Or. Warren's story About Can.
nibai Birds-Labor Leaders
Who Have Dlunlty
BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN


BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN
CTATE SENATOR WILLIAM TLINN,
~ of Pittsburgh. is n millionaire several
times over, I presume.
He has been a State and national figure in
politics for more than generation.
All sorts of stories and anecdotes have
been told about him. Here is new one.
1t puts the Senator in the same class as
Mark Twain--thc reali Mark Twain, who
actually lost a gold mine in Nevada over
night.
Senator Flinn-it happened before he had
risen to the senatorial dignity-did not lose
| his mine over night. ....
ing to the verncious citizen who told the in
cident 1t was by all odds the costlrst bit
Of '.lawing" the erstwhilc Car of Pitts.
burgh ever engaged in.
| COME years ago, which is the modern YER.
~ sion Of ''once upon n time" william
Finn, Of Pittsburgh. became interested In
some mining properties in California.
they we're gold mines up in Sierra County.
It's away back in the mountains.
After some examination Of the property,
subsequent to his purchasing n one-sixtcenth
the conclusion that he had been taken in.
lie began suit for the return of his money.
! The ground upon which he demanded the
return OF his cash was that the mine had
| In other words that the other fellows had
planted gold where there was no gold.
| In the subsequent legal proceedings in
California the present United States Senator,
Sam NJ. Shortridge, acted rs attorney for the
defendants.
The other night in Washington the Unite
| Stntcs Senator from California and the for.
| mcr State Senator from Pennsylvania met
at n dinner.
That, however, as Kiping would com
ment, is another story.
! A TToRNEY sHoRTRIDGE lost his suit.
"A The gentleman from Pittsburgh won It
and got back the money he had paid to the
promoters OF the mine up in Sierra County.
But. according to my friend the narrator.
the assumption that the gold mine had been
''salted" was Films error.
1t was a bona fde mine, all right, only
the owners had hard luck in finding the
big precious vein.
While Mr.. Flinn's suit was in progress
they struck it "rich," and before long some.
thing like $167 900 in ore was at the mouth
of the mine.
Since then this mine. located, oddly
enough, Mt Allegheny. Sierra County, hns
produced millions worth Of gold.
None of 1t went into the Pittsburgh gen.
tleman's pocket.
ne got MS money ana was out OF II De10re
the big vein was located.
As said. Senator Shortridge met Senator
Finn at dinner in Washington.
That day the incident was related to my
friend. who told It to me.
II s. CRUTCHF1ELD is in the city.
=. He was Vice Food Administrator for
Pennsylvania during the war.
When at home, which Is as often as he
can get there. he re idcs at Sewickley.
suburb of Pittsburgh, down the Ohio River.
Mr.. Crutchfeld is the largest individual
handler of fruit and vegetables in this coun.
try.
He not only buys and sells fruits and
vegetables, but he raises them.
AS the head Of corporation he owns
apple orchards in Pennsylvania and in Ore
gon and Washington.
Orange and lemon groves in Florida and
California and other fruit ranches in various
parts of the West.
He operates these properties not BY hun.
dreds but by thousands of acres.
Often his shipments and receipts In Pitts
burgh run into hundreds of cars a week.
He Is a Kentucky boy, who went to Pitts.
burgh twenty-five or thirty years ago to
make his fortune.
He's made it, all right!
DHILIP MURRAY. international vice
1 president of the United Mine Workers
Of America in charge of the anthracite Sec
ton, is stopping at the Hotel Walton.
John l.. Lewis. international president, Is
a guest Mt the Bellevue -Stratford.
Twenty-Five or thirty years ago such a
thing would have been unthinkable.
Had any labor official stopped at any big,
first class hotel, 1t would have been grounds
for his impeachment.
In those days, as we'll recall, labor lead
ers thought it necessary to stop at remote
third and fourth class hotels. They didn't
want to arouse hostile criticism.
All that has changed now. Big men in
labor, a dignity to sustain.
They meet and mingle with captains Of
industry on an equal footing, as becomes
themselves, also captains Of labor.
In that respect at least labor has gained
some common sense.
DR. B. II. WARREN, former State
DZoologist and author Of The Birds of
PENNSYLVANIA Is now especially engaged
expert on migratory bird life.
Most Of his time he spends along the Viz
gnia and Carolina coasts.
He haunts the habitat Of the sea fowl, OBJ.
serving its manner of life, peculiar habits
and character Of its food.
For weeks at a time DR.. Warren makes
his home on Chincoteague Island.
1t is n paradise for sea fowl.
DR.. Warren has some rare stories to tell
about these winged wanderers Of the air.
One in particular, which has to do with
the fish crow, is the incident Of bird pirate.
The fish crow Is not only n buccaneer, but
it is home robber and n destroyer Of life,
ONTNIIE fish crow is perhaps the most de-
i structive bird that finds home along
our coasts" said DR.. Warren.
1T devours the eggs and young Of other
birds and on occasions gets n meal among tho
crabs that are fung up on the beach.
THE fish crow is at its worst as de-
stroyer when 1t is rearing its own young.
I'm its forays for food for them it makes
q specially Of the eggs Of other birds.
II have counted within a short distance
Of each other thirty nests with the eggs
destroyed.
In some cases the young birds have been
partially mangled by this cannibal of the
air.
$50 great have hccoma its dauastatiana