Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-12-24
The Fool and his Money is soon
Parted

letter which we published a few days since
from man who in fit of drunkness, liste'
with Col. Stevenson's regiment in the fall 0
ls47, and at the close of the war went to dig
gold in California We copy his letter, there
fore, for the sake of the moral which we hav'
to append to it,
SAN FRANcsco, Cal, April 9th, ls4o.
DEAR WIFE, received your letter this day
dated LIST March, 1913. Dear Bridget, have
wrote to you four letters, which expect you
never received them but when received this
this day, ii causes me more gladness than one
thousand dollars, which | can spare at II mo-
ment's warning When came down from the
mines, deposited twenty-seven pounds ofgold
finer than Barnet could make it, in Mercer
street. Dear Bridget, if you're at a loss fol-
anything, draw what you want from Mr.. c., as
! will pay him double interest ON every cent
that he gives you. want you to keep George
ut school, as have something in my power
now to make him Il man during his life. Dear
| Eliza, my daughter, | hope you're good girl,
and take your mothers advice. After being
discharged, spent six months at the mines,
| after that came down to San Francisco, on
account of hearing of a letter from New York.
This caused me eight hundred miles of jour
ney, dear Bridget. From here, | am going
right back to the mines, but you may expect
me back next fall You may not write amy
more. James Brogan is going with me, next
turn, TO the mines; and from James sentiments,
he is coming on with me to New York. Dear
Bridget for these last six months it cost me
fifteen hundred dollars. Snow or rain, could
pick up doubloon or ounce day. Dear
Bridget, I am as smart now, after all the fatigue
of California, as French dancing master
wish you all well, but in short time you Will
see another kind of an Andrew Loughrey in
New York. have not danced paddy Burns
the School Master" in eighteen months.
This letter was received here, and published
in the Post on the goth inst Only two days
after its receipt to the extreme surprise and
joy of his wife and family, Loughrey presented
himself before them. lie had accumulated at
the mines nine or ten thousand dollars, and
supposing the sum inexhaustible, took passage
to this country very soon after the above letter
was written, having about $1,000 worth of
dust in his trunk, and the balance of his wealth
on his person.
His idleness and prosperity were too much
for his new resolutions. lie abandoned him
self to intemperance, and the money so easily
acquired was lightly priced On his arrival in
this city he hired a carriage to carry him to
his home, which his golden letter had but a
few hours previous made so happy; but before
he reached it he had contrived to spend forty
dollars, in drink and upon his driver, and on
his arrival, the trunk containing his $1,000
was missing, and a large portion of the money
which he had brought away upon his person.
His unhappy wife, when she became aware OF
her foolish husbands improvdencc, solicited
the aid of gentlemen to whom she was known
and steps were Immediately taken to preserve
what money had not been wasted, and to re-
cover what had undoubtedly been stolen from
him. About $1,000 were thus saved and sent
TO the mint at Philadelphia. The trunk and
its contents are probably lost forever Lough-
rey can give no account whatever of it.
The1oss of his money is not the greatest OF
Loughrcys misfortuncs. His friends here in
dulged the hope that he had eflectually mas
tered the vice of which he had so long been u
victim, and that the iervent resolutions con-
tanned in his letter would be respected. Had
they been, he aud his family would now have
been insured comfortable home for life; his
children would have enjoyed the incstimable
advantages he promised them in his letter
and he would have been the pride of his wife
the hope of his children-and an object Of re-
spect. both to his friends and to himself. lie
has now forfeited all confidence in himself and
he has fooishly and wickedly plunged his iaml-
ly back again to poverty and Ignorance. The
moral of this story needs no ampliiication'--
NJ T. Evening Post