The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-05-14

eventually he ot some Importance"
- agree with you. Let 1t be as you suggest,
| replied the merchant.
" That word is the gold In the mouth Of Toto,
Mr.. Barrow. 1t puriiies the water for the time,
aud ii, afterward, the impurity returns, at least
tn, gold is there !"
That's good philosophy" remarked John
Barrow, as hc made his adieu.
| The manpulatiuns necessary TO pas the act
Of Incorporation through the Legislature occu-
pied Some weeks Of the spring Of 1893. At
/ last the draft, substantially as settled in
! 'as studio, became a law, dated April 81.
| BY this The Manhattan Company were cmpow-
cfcl aul Obligated, within ten years 10 fur
nish ani conlinucn supply Of purc AND whole
some water, sufficient for the usc Of all ctil'us
| dwelling IN the city,
During nl this time, John Barrow 'shelri was
! equally divided between his love for Ida nud hi
/ expected dividends from Manhattan winter. lie
vihrated between his lack paflor and the studio,
| but a. often NJ he piled her brass kLo her, az
. often was he arnin disappointed. Not ~ glimpse
Of her ll he obtain, save that be often imagined
/ that certain my st,rou. black vail. which he
sometimes met uu broadway, mi Sht conceal u
form most dear 10 him. But all was mystery,
and from 1t his love drew it, most consuming
fuel. Where was llai VIVA, was sle doing
Who occupied her heart Z Thee were Question
which began TO rack the merchants heart, even
moro than the ventures Of his bonds aud stocks.
Finally, during tie middle Of April, thu Nam
haitian Company duly received their act If incor-
poration and, with authenticated phpcrs in his
pocket, the merchant again rappcd the knookcr
Of lda's dwelling. To his exceeding JOY, lac was
admitted. Ida was at home.
Proceeding UP stair to her studio he gently
knocked, snd, after pause AMI no reply lie
softly opened the door There sat Fla on tho
sctt.c. her head thrown listlcssly buck. pale and
apparently iieless. Iiy her side lay an open
letter. Hastily rushed in the merchant, and ON
the impulse Of tho moment he first hurriedly
seized the letter. II was brief, and from tho
surgeon of Cccl's regiment. II ran thus;
"Cayt.in Harrison IL severely and probably
morts.ly wounded II, skitrt,.sh with the Indians
to-day. lie desires me T. inform yor Of the fact,
and 10 say that his last thoughts will he Of you. !
pray God to spare him. In haste, 6c."
In moment John Barrow comprchcnici 1t
ALL and his eye. were opened. lie bad deceived
himself. Ida was blainclcse. Choking down
on. great gasp Of agony, he applied himself to
the task Of rcyiviug the fiiniing girl. In this
he succeeded. Ida was soon mistress Of herself
again, and in "a brief time rs calm and collected
as though no inward sorrow pfcyed upon her
heart.
" Pardon this sudden weakness, Mr.. Barrow"
she said. " In truth, some bad news has unex-
pectedly overcome mo"
"Can aid you in your grief :" asked tho
merchant.
mo lit matters not now. II is past for
tho time. Have you any news from Albany Z"
4" Yes Here are the papers giving IA the
authority TO proceed. We shall commence at
once, and in accordance with your plans.
" That IL truly gratifying, sir. Let me now
show you, MIR. Barrow, what has been my EN-
ploymen, for some time past. 1t l. work Of
fancy, and yet you may recognize also graft
tudc IN it,
So saying she raised n crimson curtain,
which concealed II door, Opening it, she ushered
the merchant into an Ohh,r. Amid plaster
models standing round, and chips Of marble aud
stone scattered about the rough floor, the ner-
chant behcld n colossal statue Of Neptune in
granite, reclining, with large water vase un-
der his right arm, and his LETT hand poising
| trident.
The features were perfect. It was copy Of
John Barrow's own bust. lie recognized it im-
mcdiately.
And this has been your labor for weeks, you
say p he asked.
| alt has. "A You perceive, 1t perpctua'es the
founder Of the Manhattan Water Works, AMI is
a labor Of gratitude for his kindness to me-"
At previous day, John Barrow would have
spoken Of love- but he now knew the true posi-
ton Of affairs. Two mysteries had been reveal.
ed to him that day. One, the identity Of til,
unknown visitor who had once thrown him int
helpless torture, aud the other, the cause Of Ida,
strange absence from the studio lately. In til,
first he read her love for another, and in the lat
ter her Friendship, merely, for himself. lie nc
ceptcd the situation, AMI, calmly turning to her
. he said:
, "Your services, Miss Ida, deserve liberia
, rccompcnse. Name it,"
al leave that with you, Mr., Barrow"
4 "Thcn let III, present YOU with twenty share
, ! Of this water stOckS
Z" By no means, sir. NV labor Is not wortl
So much. But YOU may do this make me tn
, owner OF one share. That will be all suiicien
DO You remember that you once styled me
fair engineer, and told you that You woul
call me by another name When the Manhat
tan water has reached its final success, tina
name will lie the youthful iinancicr.'"
Thus terminated the interview, and with |
John liarrow's brief dream Of love. licndn
. now all his energies to his pet scheme, the waite
works were soon completed and for years al
iorded the chief supply for the growing city
The principal reservoir In Chambers street,
vet fresh in the memory of our citizens, and cor
= spcuous upon its front was that figure Ol Nep
! tune, the work of ldas gratitude.
, The remainder of my story is soon told Ccc
Harrison shortly afterwards came hack, cntire
recovered, from the wars, and was hnppil,
united 10 his early love, as Providence and pU
: ctic Justice demanded.
Years afterwards the Manhattan water he
came cloulcd by tho increasing a. brs Of the city
Il and its chct supply, the Collect Pond, was file
/ up. Bu, the gold, which, Tor time had key
4 itpurc, remained and it is now, with its tw
millions Oi capllAl, anu It's substantial l'o'llol
, a chief pillar Of Wall street. The one sing
share which was the reward Of Iias ongincerin
and financial labor remains to this day as mo
: nument % the foresight of the youthful linan
, cicr." II has returned to its present possesso
more remuneration than any similar invcstmen
ON tho continent. Aud may add, that the gr,
mite Neptune Of the old water works now top
the Jdclde Of the Manhattan Company in Wal
street, and underneath its base may he ioun'
, the words " IpA, SCUIrSIT.'
The gratitude which was "A chief element in tin
, the fair. artists character, found proper cNprc-
sion IN after ycars. When John Barrow died
and when his well-carncd gold had vanished, hi
; children were sayed from want by the true
hearted woman who remembered the lonctacto
4 OF her early years.
SO, while Manhattan water hal its own mis-
sion for its own day its gold remained aud s,il
remains, to bless the generations of its founders