The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-01-19
A GOOD STORY.
The Old Cartmsn.

John AlnSicy-Or rap Aihsiey. Is Ht
was familiarly called--was the owner OF
handcart, and earned, living by con
veying miscellaneous parcels from one
section of the city To another, and re
ceiving therefor the reasonable remu-
neration Of % cents per load 10 des-
ignate the occupation in the prosiest
manner possible, he was a handcart man,
and when not employed he could always
be found during working hours at the
corner OF Montgomery and California
streets. His hair and long beard were
quite gray, and his limbs feeble; and If
he could not shove as heavy load
through the deep sand, or up the steep
grade above him, as the stalwart Ieuton
on the opposite corner-thereby losing
many a Job and many dollar, all the
light Jobs in the neighborhood fell to his
lot, and kind hearted men not unfre-
quently Travelled square or two out oil
their way to give an casy job to "Pap
Ainsley."
Four years ago last summer { l rec
collect the month, for ! had note OF
$1,000 to pay and was compelled to do
some pretty sharp financiering to meet
il J having two or three dozen volumes
TO transfer TO my lodgings, l gave Pap
Ainsley" the task OF transportation.
Arriving Mt my room just as he had de
posted the last armful on tho table, and
observing that the old man looked con
siderably fatigued after climbing three
flights Of stairs two or three times, in
vited him to take glas. of brandy-s
bottle OF which / usually kept in my
room for medicinal and soporifc pur
poses Altho grateful for the invitation,
he politely declined l urged but he was
infexible. was astonished.
"Do you never drink Z"
Every seldom" lie replied, dropping
into chair and wiping the Precipitation
from his forehead
well If YOU drink at oil l insisted,
YOU will not find as fair an excuse in the
next twelve months for indulging, for
You appear fatigued and scarcely able to
stand"
ITO be frank said the old man. IL
do not drink now. j have not tasted in
toxicating liquor for fifteen years,
since -
sSince when p 1 inquired, thought
lessly, observing his hesitation.
The old man told me. Sixteen years
ago he was well to do farmer, near Sy
racuse, New York He had one child, a
daughter While attending boarding
school in that city, then giil of sixteen
years Of age, she formed an attachment
for young physician. Acquainting her
father with the circumstances, he fatty
refused his consent to a union with n
man whom he had never seen, and re-
moving her from school, dispatched a
note to the gallant, with the somewhat
pointed information that his presence in
tho neighborhood OF the Ainsley farm
would not meet with favor. The reader
of course surmises the result, for such
proceeding could have but one result.
In less than month there was an elope
ment. The father loaded his double bar
relied shot gun and swore vengeance,
but failing to find the fugitives, he took
to tho bottle. His good wife implored
him not to give way to despair, but he
drank the deeper, and accused her of en-
coursging the elopement. In three
months his wife died, and at the expira-
ton OF a year, when the young people
returned TO Syracuse from Connecticut,
where they had remained with the par
ents of the husband, they learned that
the old man had sold his farm, squander-
cd the proceeds, and was almost desti-
tutc. Learning their arrival, Ainsley
drank himself into a frenzy, and pro
ceeded 10 the hotel where they were stop
ping, attacked the husband. wounded
him in the arm by pistol shot, and at
tempted the life of his daughter, who
happily escaped uninjured through the
interposition Of persons brought to the
spot by the report of the pistol Ainsley
was arrested, tried, and acquitted on the
plea of insanity. The daughter and her
husband returned to Connecticut, since
which time the father had not heard from
them. He was sent to lunatic asylum,
from which he was dismissed after re-
manning six months, In 1851 he came
to California He had followed mining
for two years, but, finding his strength
unequal to the pursuit, returned to this
city. purchased handcart, and-the
rest is known s'Since then" concluded
the old man, bowling his face in his
hands in agony, Il have not tasted
liquor, nor have l seen my poor child
regretted that had been so inquisi-
tive, and expressed TO the sufferer the
sympathy really felt for him. After
that 1 seldom passed the corner without
looking for Pap Ainsley," and never
saw him but to think of the sad story he
had told me.
One chilly, drizzly day in the Deem
Der following, gentleman having pur-
chased small msrble-top table at an
auction room opposite, proffered to the
the old man the lob OF carrying IL 10 his
residence on Stockton street. Not wish
ing TO accompany the carrier, he had Sc
lected the face probably giving the best
assurance OF careful delivery OF the pur-
chase
Furnished with the number of the
house, the old csrtmsn, after a pretty
trying struggle with the steep ascent Of
California street, reached his destination /
and deposited the table in the hall |
Lingering moment, the lady did not
surmise che reason, until he politely In
formed her that her husband { for such /!
he took him to be,3 had probably by &C
cident omitted 70 settle for the carriage.
"vefy, aeli, I will pay you" said the
lady, stepping into An adjoining room. - /
She returned, and stating that she had
no sn,Ali coin in the house, handed the
mau twenty dollar piece
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