Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-12-01


Under the above caption the 81. Louis
Republican tells . rather sensational story
which We cendsnss as follows:
"Who 10 il that does not remember the
financial crash Of 1857 Many Of eur most
snierpl isipg merchants had 70 succumb to
the pressure Of the time. Among them
was merchant whom We shall call
Smith His real name, and some OF the
Circumstances Ne are about TO relate, viii,
doubtless, be recciiseted BY many in st.
Louis, even to-day. He kept m extensive
mscantils establishment on street, and
BY his enterprise and promp.ituds wen the
confidence OF the best houses in the East
and West
He had . ysung wife and three little
children They lived in meat little villa
in fashionable portion Of the city, and
the nsighbsrs said happier fanily did not
exist in ths State Of Missouri.
The crash came; his debtors wsrs una.
bic to meet his calls, and - consequence
he WAS unable to meet the demands Of his
creditors. His first resolve was to make
over the villa to his wife and family, and
secure an annuity Of $500 year for the
the city secretly. So enc night be sailed
forth, determined to rebuild his fallen for
tunes or perish in the attempt Prsclana.
tons and rewards were Of no avail, and the
| universal verdict was-'mystsrious dissp-
| pearancs.'
| "Mrs. Smith mourned her husband %
dead for two years, till she wisely concluded
| il was useless TO mourn any more, 90 she
decided 70 rscsivs the long preferred attsu
tions Of WIN. Bradford. an old bachelor,
companion Of her late husband.
"But her happiness Was net destined Il
be perpetual, fer William Bradford Wal
afflicted With consumption, and died du
ring the last spring, leaving his wife for th'
second time widow. To her and hi
children fell bis business, which she con
vsrtsd into cash, realizing . sum that plac
cd herself and her children 10 easy circun
stances.
"During oil these years what became .
and worked in the mines, whore his iotelli
gsnes and enterprise soon put him on tn
road TO wealth. Seine years after be wen
there the smallpox broke cut among th
miners, and he caught the infection, fror
which be recovered, but 20 pittsd that hi
mother would net knew him"
Last spring be struck . rich vein, an
bshsld in shs bags Of gold dust around hir
enough TO liquidsts oil claims against hin
and place himself and fsnily-if they wsr
still in sxistsnss-in luxury for the rest Z
their days. He sold out, packed up, an
reached ST. L.suis about the let Of June.
preserving "a inc0gnito, he inquire
for Mrs Smith, Nobody knew her 9
knew Of her.
I "At length he met perssu who was &C
quaintsd with the circumstances Of Mr.
Smiths second marriage. and when Mr.
Bradford was pointed out 70 him he rssol
I nizsd the form and features Of his lspg loi
wife. After some difficulty he obtained .
introduction to her, and conccalipg HI
name and the knowledge Of his immsni
wealth, he voiced and wen her. She CAV
her consent to be his. on the promise III,
( the children Of the two previous marriage
should be we'll treated by him.
ION last Thursday evening, in the oil
villa. = clergyman was summoned to tie III
nuptisl knot. whom the real name Of h
new suitor, and his former relatienshi
we're disclosed, and, although the Bird
tainted, it was happy reunion. He va
+ happy 10 see his children we'll grown
, body, soul and intelligence in the intsrvsi
ing eleven years.
, "Ths facts which We have learned frs
, the clergyman who patterned this Ger
mony, are romance that beats Enseh Al
dsa 10 pieces