Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-08-01
THE OLD CAR T MAN
A TRUE STORY.

a TRUE 6lOh1'
I have mind to tell little story. That
it is brief may be seen at glance, and that
it is true | most emphatically avow. If the
reader despises it because of The first, or the
editor rejects 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 fctions into volumes
of seventeen hundred pages each.
With this understanding l proceed at once
to remark that FIVE years ago, or there'abouts,
John Ainsley-or Pap Ainsley," as he was
familarly called-was the owner of hand
cart and earned living by conveying mis-
celaneoussparcels from one section to another,
and receiving therefor the reasonable remu-
neratiou of fifty cents per load.
To designate the occupation in the prosiest
language possible, he was hand-csrt-man,
ami when not employed, could alweys be
found during working hours at the corner
of Montgomery and California streets.
His hair and long beard were quite gray
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 stal
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 unfrequently travelled square or
two out of their way to give an easy job to
" Pap Ainsley."
Four years last September, q recolle'st the
month, for l had note OF four Thousand
dollars to pay, and was compelled TO DO
some pretty sharp fnauciering to meet III
having two or three dozen volumes of books
to transfer to my lodging, gave Pap Aims
lev" 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, af-
ter climbing three flights of stairs Ere or six
times, invited him to take glass of brandy
"a bottle of which usually kept in MI room
for medicinal and soporitic purposes. Al
though grateful for the invitation, he politely
declined. I urged, but he was inhexible.. L
was greatly astonished.
"Do YOU never drink ?" said /.
every seldom" he replied, dropping into
a chair at my request, and wiplng tue per-
spiration from off his forehead.
"Well, if you drink at all, !" insisted, you
will not find in the next six months SO lair an
excuse for indulgipg, for you seem fAtigued
and scarcely able to stand"
"To be frank" said the old man, 81 do
not drink any now. have not tasted intox-
icating liquor for fifteen years--since'-
since"
"Since when ~. 1 asked, thoughtleasly, OBJ
serving his hesitation.
The old man told me that sixteen years
apo he was we'll to-do farmer near Syracuse,
Ny. 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 young physician
Acnuainting her father with the circum-
stances, he flatly refused his consens to her
union with man he had never seen and re-
moving her from school, dispatched a note
to the young gallant, with the somewhat
no;nted information that his'presen,e in the
neighborhood of the Ashley farm would not
meet with favor.
The reader of course surmises the result,
for such proceeding could and can have but
enc result.
In less than month there was an elope-
ment. The father loaded his dou5le.barrel
shot gun, and swore vengeance; but, failing
to find the fugitives, he took to the bottle.
His good wife told him not to despair, but he
drank the deeper and accused her OF encour-
aging the elopement.
In three months the wife died, and at the
expiration of year the young couple return
ed to Syracuse from Connecticut, where they
learned that the old man, after the death OF
his wife, of which they had been apprlsed,
had sold his farm, squandered the proceeds,
and was almost destitute. Learning OF their
arrival. Aiusley drank himself into phren-
", and proceeded to the hotel where they
were @ stopping, attacked the husband, wound,
cd him in the arm with pistol shot, and
then attempted the life of his daug hter, who
bannily escaped unipjured through the inter
nosition of persons brought to the spot by the
renort 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 lun'
attic asylum, from which he was dIsLnissed al
ter remaining six months. In 1861 he came
to California. He had followed mining tor
two years, but finding his strength unequal
to the pursuit, returned to this city, p1rchas'
ed a hand cart, and-the rest is known
n Since then," concluded the old man, DOW
ing his face in agony, Nor have seen my
chiId.n regretted that l had been 30 IN
quisitive, and expressed to the sufferer s + the
sympathy really felt him. Aeter that
seldom passed the corner without looking
for "Pap Ainsley," and never saw nlm ou'
m think of the sad story he had told me.
Ore chilly, drizzling day in the December
following, gentleman having purchased
small marble-top table ct an auction room
opposite, profFered the old man the JOB OF con
veying it to his residence on Stockton sIrees
Not wishing to accompany the carrier, he
had selected the face probably giving the
best assurance of the careful del.sersot the
purchase. a.. ho,a.
Furnished with the number Of the house
the old cartman, after pretty Trying strug
gle with the steep descent OF gailornia s'fee. .s.
| reached his destination, and deposited ths
t,t,. ., aias Rail. iiu1ering uOal3eps, TOO ID