A Rich Carpenter.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 124, 5 November 1901, Page 3

A Rich Carpenter.

THE Ulf! IE Sl' li T.I 3 WO ;Li). Mr Winfiild .lott Stratton, of Colorado springs, : 01., U S.A., can claim the distinction of being the richest carpenter in the world. Not a > m my years ag ) he works 1 wi h a plane and saw, making doors, fashioning windows, shaping u,p tables, and rounding out chair rungs, while to-day he is declared to be worth £5,033.0 'O. ; Stratton has made his huge pile aou out of cirpentenug, but through ; mining. All his life he has fc.tk.itj. a great interest in the goldfidlds of' Colorado, and his one ambition has been to own a mine. After years of bard work his wish has been gratified, and to-day the Colorado oarpeute- owns quite a number of mining concarut. on Cripp e Oreek, Colorado, For fifteen years he worked ana speculated. His first venture was a sum of £603, which be had saved out of the result of four years, -constant work. With this ara>unt he purchased amirve, and after spend ing another £IOO on it had to close it. This -did not by any means discourage him, for be Bimpljr "Went

b.tck to hid cntde and savod t» another pile. !Ibiahe aso lost. b(»t k'-'pti on working away, «p a?evv huudred pounds and tbo speculating with it. Hia luck came, at in the dioovry of the now famous InnV I Mine. Afteriia had take | out of the hole he sold i to a company for £2,033,03'. \lthou-wh he received a good |)ri«j for the 'inine, Stratton 'u sorry h sold it. Id has p:tid for itself ii two yftar.s, and of the extent of goli deposits yet imtapoed no man coi say. With the money he receive) for bis mine Stratton bought othef nining properties on Orippfe

()reek. '' Although a 'rich raine-ownef.-Stratton itj still a carpente't. Indeed he belongs to a union and takes a veiy ucti<-e iuf.ure.st in a'l organisations that promote tha well-b«ing of careen terß. When he goes to their meetings he always dresses in an ordin ary joiirneym.-m's Imb't, with soffwk hat Stratton has a beautiful home at Colorado Springs an I also a house at Denver. Ho is said lo ho tho only millionaire who bjiongi to a trades union. ' • " ; :