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

THE OLD CAkIMAN'
From the San Francsco Era
Ihaye a mind to tell little story. That
it is brief, may be seen at glance; 'lat
It is true. most emphatically aVow.,
:. About five years ago, or Whereabouts
John A;nsley-or "Pap Ainsley," as ne
was Familiarity called-was the owner OF
hand cart and earned living by convey
mo miscellaneous parcels from one section
Of The city to another, and receiving there
Sor the reasonable remuneration OF nifty
cents ner load. To designate the occupa-
t;on in the prosiest language possible, ne
nos a band-cartman, and when not en-
nIoved. could always be found during
Prorkino hours at the corner of Mentgom-
ery and California streets. bis mar ana
long beard were quite gray, and his ilmes
feeble; and if he could not shove as heavy
a load through the deep sand or up the
steep grade above him as the stalwart leu
ton on the opposite corner, thereby losing
many a lob and many dollar, all the
LIGHT loads in the neighborhood fell to his
LOT. and kind-hearted men not unfre-
ouently travelled square or two out OF
their way to give an easy job to Zap
Ainsley."
Four years ago last September l recol-
lect the month, for had note OF four
thousand dollars to pay, and was COM
PEELED to do some pretty sharp tinancierlng
to meet it), 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 a glass of brandy-a bottle OF which
I usually kept in my room for medicinal
and sporifc purposes. Although grateful
for the invitation, he politely declined. l
ureed. but he was infexible. l was as
tonished.
"Do you never drink ?" said l.
every seldom" he replied, dropping
into chair at my request, and wiping the
perspiration from his 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"
ssTo be frank" said the old man, 81
do not drink now. I 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, q
daughter. While attending boarding
school in that city, then a girl Of sixteen
years Of age, she formed an attachment for
q young physician. Acquainting her father
with the circumstances, he fatty refused
his consent to union with 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 proceeding
could have but one result In lees than
a month there was an elopement The
father loaded his double barrelled shot
gun and swore vengeance, but failing to
ind 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 SYRIA
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 a 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
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 a lunatic asylum, from which he was
dismissed after remaining six months. In
19b1 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
his hand in agony, 81 have not tasted
liquor, nor have ] seen my poor child"
81 regretted that I bad been so inquisi-
five and expressed to he sufferer the SYM
pathy I really felt foy him. After that /
seldom passed tie corner without looking
for aPap Ainsley," and never saw him
but tsethink of the sad story he hSj told
mo
One chilly, drixzly day in Deoember fol-
lowing a gentleman having purchased
small marble top table at an auction
0."--~' ---,;xo hrofEera6 IN thu old man