The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-13
THE OLD CARTMAh.

7 have q mind to tell little story. That
It ia brief. may be seen at a glance; that
It ia true. I most emphatically avow..
About five years ago, or Whereabouts
John Ainsley-or "Pap Ainsley," as ne
WOO fami,iarly cslled-was the owner OF
hand cart and earned living by convey
ing miscellaneous parcels from one s .SeNo
of the city to another, and receiving tnere-
for the reasonable remuneration Oh hity
cents per load. To designate the occuPa-
ton in the prosiest language possible ne
woS a hand cartman, and when not en-
r,oye5 could always be found during
Working hours at the corner of Mentgom-
erv and California streets. His hair and
Iono heard were quite gray, and his limbs
feeble: and if be could not shove as heavy
a load through the deep sand or up the
steeD grade above him as the stalwart leu
ton on the opposite corner, thereby losing
many q lob and many dollar, all the
light loads in the neighborhood fell to his
LOT. and kind-hearted men not unfre-
quently travelled square or two OUT OF
their way to give an easy JOB TO rap
Ainsley."
Four years ago last September / recol-
lect the month, for / had note OF four
thousand dollars to pay, and was COM
PEELED to do some pretty sharp tinanclerlng
to meet IT'D, having two or three dozen
volumes to transfer to my lodging, gave
"Pap Ainslie " the task of transportation.
Arriving at my room just as he had de-
posited the last armful on the table, and
observing that the old man looked cOnsid-
erably fatigued after climbing three flights
of stairs two or three times, invited him
to take glass of brandy-a bottle OF which
usually kept in my room for medicinal
and sporiic purposes. Although grateful
for the invitation, he politely declined. l
urged. but he was infexible. l was as
tonished.
"Do you never drink ?" said /.
every seldom" he replied, dropping
into q chair at my request, and wiping the
perspiration from bis forehead.
"Well, if you drink at ALL" / insisted,
"you will not find as fair an excuse in the
next twelve months for INDUCING, for you
appear fatigued and scarcely able to stand"
"To be frank" said the old man, 81
do not drink now. l have not tasted in
toxicating liquor for fifteen years, since"
"Since when2" inquired, thoughtless-
ly observing his hesitation.
The old man told me that sixteen years
ago he was well-to-do farmer near Syria
cnse, New York He had one child,
daughter. While attending boarding
school in that city, then girl of sixteen
wears Of age, she formed an attachment for
young physician. AcquaintiDg her father
with the circumstances, he fatty refused
lis consent to union with q man whom
he had never seen, and, removing her from
school, despatched note to the young
gallant with the somewhat pointed infor-
nation that his presence in the neighbor-
hood of the Ainsley farm would not meet
with favor. The reader, Of course, sur
misses the result, for such q proceeding
could have but one result In less than
a month there was an elopement The
father loaded his double-ba rrelled shot
gun and swore vengeance, but failing to
find the fugitives he took to the bottle.
His good wife implored him not to give
way to despair, but he drank the deeper,
and accused her Of encouraging the
elopement. In three months the wife
died and at the expiration of q year,
when the young people returned to Syra-
cuse, from Connecticut where they had
remained with the parents of the hus-
band, they learned that the old man had
sold his farm, squanderet the proceeds,
and was almost destitute. Learning
of their arrival, Ainsley drank himself
into frenzy, and proceeded to the
hotel where they were stopping, attacked
the husband, wounded him in the arm by
a pistol shot, and attempted 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
acouitted 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 a lunatic asylum, from which he was
dismissed after remaining six months. In
1851 he came to California. He had fol-
lowed mining for two years, but finding
his strength unequal to the pursuit, re-
turned to this city, purchased hand-cart
and-the rest is known. "Since them"
concluded the old man, bowling his facein
bis hand in agony, 81 have not tasted
liouor. nor have seeu my poor child"
II regretted that bad been so inquisi-
tive and expressed to the sufferer the sym
pathy I really felt for him. After that /
seldom passed tie corner without looking
for "Pap Ainsley," and never saw him
but teothink of the sad story he hSj told
One chilly, drixzly day in December FOL
lowing a gentleman having purchased
small. marble top table at an auction
room opposite, profered to the old man
the lob Of carrying it to bis residence on
stockton street, not wishing to accom-
nsnv the carrier he had selected, the face
probably giving the best assuranceof care
&, a.1;varv of tha Durchase