The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-03

A TRUE STORY.

have mind to tell little story. That il
is brief may be seen at glance, and that II II
true most emphatically avow. II the reader
despises il because Of the first, or the editor
rejects it for the reason of the last, then will
! eschew the truth in the future, and devote
myself to the elaboration Of lies into chapters,
and the purest fictions into volumes Of seven
teen hundred pages each
With this understanding proceed ct once
to remark that FIVE years ago. or thereabouts.
John Ainsley-or "Pap Ainsley," as he was
familisrly called-was the owner OF hand
cart, and earned living by conveying
miscellaneous parcels from one section 70
another. and receiving therefor the reasonable
remuneration of fifty cents per load.
To designate the occupation in the prosiest
language possible, he was hand cartman
and when not employed, could always be found
during working hours at the corner Of Mont
gomery and California streets.
His hair and long beard were quite grry
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 stSl-
wart Teuton, on the opposite corner. thereby
losing many dollar. all the light loads in the
neighborhood fell to his lot. and kind hearted
men not unfrequentlv travelled square or two
out of their way to give an easy job to Pap
Ainsley.
-Four wears last September. Il recollect the
month. for had note of four thousand dol
lars to paw, and was compelled to do some
prettv sharp financiering to meet It'll, having
two or three dozen volumes of books to trans
fer to my lodging, gave Pap Ainsley,' the
task Of transportation.
Arriving at my room just as he deposited the
last armful on the table. observing that the
old man looked considerably fatigued. after
climbing three flights of stairs FIVE or six times
invited him to take a glass of brandy-ta
bottle of which usually kept in my room Il Z
medicinal and soporihc purposes. Although
grateful for the invitation he politely declined.
I urged, but he was infexible. was greatly
astonished.
"Do YOU never drink ?'' said J.
"Very seldom" he replied. dropping intb
chair at my request, and wip;ng the persIi-
ration from off his forehead.
| "Well, if you drink at all. Il insisted, 'you
will not find in the next six months so fair an
excuse for indulging, for you seem fatigued
and scarcely able to stand
/ ssTo be frank said the old man, ~ do not
drink any now. have not tasted intoxicat-
| ing LIQUOR for fifteen years-since-sn-e-"
..Since when?' asked, thoughtlessly, OBJ
serving his hesitation.
The old man told me that sixteen years ago
he was q we'll to do farmer near Syracuse, N.
Y. He had but one child-a daughter. While
attending boarding school in that city, the
girl, then but sixteen years of age, formed an
attachment for a young physician. Acquaint.
ing her father with the circumstance, he fatty
refused his consent to her union with q mar
he had never seen, and removing her from
school, dispatched note to the young gal
liant. with the somewhat pointed information
that his presence in the neighborhood Of tht
Ainsley farm would not meet with favor.
The reader of course surmises the result
for such proceeding could and can have bu
one result.
In less than a month there was an elope
ment. The father loaded his double barre
shot gun, and swore vengeance but, failin,
to find the fugitives, he took to the bottle
His good wife told him not to despair, but b
drank the deeper and accused her Of encour
aging the elopement.
In three months the wife died, and at tn
expiration of year the young couple return
ed to Syracuse from Connecticut, where the
learned that the old man, after the death G
his wife, Of which they. had Of course bee
appraised, had sold his farm, squAndered tn
proceeds, and was almost destitute. Learniu
of their arrival. Ainsley drank himself into
frenzy, and proceeded to the hotel where the
were stopping, attacked the husband, wound
ing him in the arm with pistol shot, and the
, attempted the life of his daughter, who haI
PLY escaped uninjured through the interpqs
ton Of persons brought to the spot by the Il
port of the pistol. Ainsley was arrested
tried and acquitted, on the plea of insanity
The daughter and her husband returned I
Connecticut, since which time the father ha
not heard from them. He was sent to . lunt
tic asylum, from which he was dismissed aft<
remaining six months. In 1861 he came
California. He had followed mining for tw
years, but finding his strength unequal TO Ii
pursuit, returned TO this city, purchased
hand cart, and-the rest is known.
ssSince them concluded the old maj
bowling his face in agony, 81 have not taste
liquor. nor have seen my child"
regtetted that had been 80 inquisitiv
,. and expressed to the sufferer the sympathy
really felt for him. After that seldom pas
ed the corner without looking for "Pap Ain
ley.n and never saw him but to think Of Il
sad story he had told me.
One chilly, drizsling day in the Decemb|
following, gentleman having purchased
small marble-top table at an auction-roo
opposite. proffered the old man the job
conveying it to his residence on Stockt.
Streel. Not WlsHiuS W hCCOuPdiIy tuS VI
rier, he had selected the face, probabl
giving the best assurance of the careful deli
cry OF the purchase.
Furnished with the number of the hons
/ the old cartman, after pretty trying struge
with the deep descent of California sire.
reached bis destination, and deposited 4
table in the hall, lingering moment, the "a
did not seem to surmise the reason, until
n@lsx~lv sd - kn~ that kae huahnnA ~
: such be took him to bel had probably By -
9, dent neglected to settle for the carriage.
a"very vsll, I win pay you, " aid TIE I'D