The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-12-02
THE OLD CARTMAN.
A TRUE STORY.

l have a mind TO tell little story.
That it is brief may be seen at Il glance,
and that it is true [ most emphaticslly
svow. 1t the reader despises it be-
cause of the first, or the editor elects it
for the reason OF the last, then will [
eschew truth in the future and devote
myself to the elaboration of lies into
chapters. and the purest functions into
voumus OF seventeen hundred pages
each.
With this understanding proceed
at once to ren.ar< that five years ago, or
there about, John AinSley--Or Pap
Ainsley," as he was famliarly called
was the owner ola hand. cart, and earn.
ed living by conveying miscellaneous
parcels from one section to another, and
receiving therefor the reasonable remu
neration OF fifty cents per load.
To designate the occupation in the
prosiest language possible, he was a
hand cartman. and when not employed,
could always be found during working
hours at the corner Of Montgomery and
California streets.
His hair and long beard we're quite
gray and his limbs feeble; and il he
could not shove as heavy load through
the deep sand or up the steep grade
above him as the stalwart .euton on the
opposite corner. thereby losing mauv a
dollar, all the light loads in the neigh.
horhood fell to his lot, and kind hear
ted men not unfrequently travelled a
square or Two out of their way to give
an easy job to "pap AinSley,"
Four years last September, Il recul.
lect Tie month, for | had note Of four
Thousand dollars to paw and was com
pelled to do some pretty sharp fnan'
ciering to meet it,, having twoor three
dozen volums of books to transfer to my
lodging, l gave Pap Ainsley" the task
OF transportation.
Arriving at my room just as he de,
posted the last srmful on the table,
observing that the old man looked con.
siderably fatigued. alter climbing three
flights of stairs FIVE or six times, invi-
ted him TO take a glass Of brandy-a
bottle of which | usually kept in my
room for medicinal and soporifc purpo'
sea. Although CRATE ful for the invita-
tion, he politely declined. l urged but
he was inAexible. l was greatly aston
ished.
"Do you never drink ?" said I.
Very seldom" he replied, dropping
into chair at my request, and wipiDg
the pNr>piration from off + is forehead.
well. if you drink at ALL" insisted.
'you will not find in the next six months
as fair an excuse for INDUCING, for you
seem fatigued and scarcely able to
stand."l
"To be frank" said the old man, II
90 not drink any now. | have not tas.
ted intoxicating liquor for fifteen years
-since-since-"
"Since when?" l asked, thoughtless.
ly, observing his hesitation.
The old man told me that sixteen
years ago he was weiltodo farmer
near Syracuse. n. I. lie had but one
child-a daughter While attending "A
boarding school in the city the girl then
but sixteen years OF age. formed an at.
tachment for a young physician. Ao-
quaintirg her father with the circum.
stance ; he fatty refused his consent to
hey union with u man he had never
seen, anu removing her from school, dis.
patched note to the young gallant with
the somewhat pointed information that
his presence in the neighborhood of the
Ainsley farm would not meet with
favor.