The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-12-06
THE OLD CARTMAN
ATRUE STORY.

have mind ~ tell little story. Tba
IL l. brief may be seen at a glanc. or
lhat u Is true most emphaficallg ayov-
II the reader deapises 10 because Of fh
hrst, or The editor rejects il for the reaso,
oi the last. Then Will eschew truth i'm I'M
iuture. aud devote myself 10 the elaboratio,
oi lies into chapters, and the pure.t ffc
uons into volumes of seventeen hur,i~,.
pages e.lcn.
with iss understanding proceed al
once % remark that I've wears aga q,
There aDo2ts, John Ansley-0r Pan Ain
s.et as Dee was familiarity calleG-was Nh,
owner ~ 4 hanl-cart. and earned q liyina
uy convey lng miscellaneous parcels from
one section 10 another. and receiving There
I Tor tLe reasonable remuneration Of fff,
cents per load
/" designate the occupation in Tie bro
slesl language possible, he was haud-car-
man, anu when not employed. could alnay.
ue iound during working hours al The corn
CT Ol montgomery and California street.
Ills har and long beard were quite .rrit
ana his limbs feeble: and if be could not
shoEe as heavy load through the deem
sah' or up The steep grade above him a.
lhe sldlWart IeutOn on the opposite corner
therepy losing many q dollar. all tie I0ht
loads IN the neighoorh0ol feH 10 his IN
and klnd-hearted men not unfreouently
lF3'eled a square or two ont OF their way
20 give an easy job 10 d" Zap Ainsfe,.~
four years last September Il recol'ect
the month, for had q note Of four thous-
ana dollars TO pay and was compelled 10
DO some pretty sharp fnaucierng To- meet
ill having Two or three dozen volumes of
DOCKS 10 transfer 10 my lodging. 7 rave
rap Alns!ey the task OF Transportation.
arriving al my room just as he deposited
lhe iast armiul on the table, observing. that
the Ola man looked considerably fatjeupd
alter climbing three flights OF stairs five or
SIX times, invited him 10 take a glass of
Orandy-a bottle Of which usually kent I'm
my room Tor medicinal and soporifc pur-
poses. Although grateful for the invitafiop
he politely declined. urged but he was
ihne2lOie- was greatly astonsbed
" Do You ever drink ?7 said
o. Very seldoni, " he replied. ,ir,...,.i,.-... -.
to chair al my request. and wlnIno tha
perspiration from OFT his forehead
" Well ii You drink at all. insisted
you will not lind in the next six months
80 fair an excuse for indulging. for Won
seem iatigued and scarcely able 10 stand
60 To be frank, " said the old man - do
not drink any now. have not tasted in
ioxicating liquor for fifteen years-since-
since"
" Since when ?" | asked. thouehtlessiv
observing his hesitation
The old man told NE that sixteen vear-
ago he was a well-tO-dO farmer near Svra-
cuse y I. He had but one cbild-a dsf0h-
ter. While attending boarding school In
that city, the girl then but sixteen wears Of
age, formed an attachment for a youno nhy-
siclan. AcquainiiDg her father win tie
circumstances; he fatty refused his consent
TO her union with man he had never seen
ana removing her from school. dispatched
lote 10 the young gallant, with the some
What pointed Information that his pres
ence IN the neighborhood of the Ainslev
iarm would not meet with favor.
The reader Of course surmisps the result
lor such proceeding could have but
one result
In less than month thoro ,vas an clone
ment. The iather loaded his double-barrpl
shotgun, and swOre vengeance. bur. fail
ing 10 find the tugltives, be took 10 the bot
tie. His good wife told him not TO despair
but he drank the deeper and accused her
OF encouraging the elOpement.
In three months the wife died and NJ
the expiration of a year the Young connie
returned 10 Syracuse from Conneticut
where they learned that the old man after
the death OF his WIFE OF which they had of
course been apprised. had sold his farm
squandered the proceeds. and WIS almost
destitute. Learning Of their arrival Aims
ley drank himself into a frenzy and mo
ceeded TO the hotel where they were sfop-
ping, attacked the husband. woupdinr him
IN the arm with pistOl-shOt, and then at
tempted the life OF his daughter, who hap
ply escaped uninjured through the inter
posiiion OF persons brought to the spot bv
tue report Of the pistol Anslev was ar
rested Tried and acquitted on the plea OF
insanity: The daughter and her husband
Ie'uEned 10 Connecticut, since which time
tne Ia'her had not heard from them. he
was sent 10 4 lunatic asylum, from which
ne was dismissed after remaining SIX
months. In 1851 he came 10 California.
he mad followed mining for TWO years, but
nndlnS he had not strength for the pursuit.
returned to this city, purchased Z hand-cart
ahu-the rest IS known. Since then.
concluded the old man, bOwing his face in
agony, Il have not tasted liquor. nor have
l seenmy child. l regretted that I had
been so inQuisitive, and expressed 10 the
sufferer the sympathy l really felt for him.
After that | seldom passed the corner with
out looking for " Pap Ainsley. and never
saw him but to think of the sad story he
had told me.
One chilly drilling day in the Decem-
Der following. Z gentleman having pur-
chased small marble-top table AZ an auc-
ton-room opposite, profered the old man
the loo OF conveying il 70 his residence on
stockton street Not wishing 10 accom-
pany the carrier. he had selected the face
probably, giving the best assurance OF the
careful delivery Of the purchase.
Furnished with the number OF the honse
the Old cartman, after pretty trying strno-
gle with the deep descent Of California
street reached his destination. ami danos-
tied the table in the hall. lirrerino mo
ment, the lady did not seem 10 Snrrn;sa
the reason. until he politely Informed nor
that her husband for such be took him n
be- had probably by accident ueglec,ed "a
settle for the carriage.
cry We'll 1 VIII pay you. said tho lady
stepping into an adjoining room. She -
turned and, stating that She had no small
er com IN the house, handed the old man n
twenty dollar gold piece. He coDlJ not
make the change. ''V'
Never mind viii call to-rnorro7,,., -.
SAID he. turring-t0 90.
" No; no, :, replied the la,lg. s,snc,ng
glt{ingly al bis white locks ani tTamblinS
limbs; i will not permit vou to nnf v6nr7
sell TO so much trouble, and She hs9fe5
the coin 10 Bridget. with ins,rrc,iors
70 see Il she could get it changed at one al
the stores or in some of the markets in the
neighborbood. - IL 'H'
S'ep INTO the parlor Until the Girl re-
turns, The air IS chilly and You must no
COLO continued the lady, very kindly.