The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-05
AFren,k OF Fortune.

A wooD.sAwER FALLS HEIR TO AN Es
TATE WORTH FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
| The Dubuque (Iowa) Times OF Marcel
25 tells this story:
"Three years ago there resided in this
city sun-burned; ha5o,hsted, indus
earned the food required for the con.
sumption OF himself, wife and family
of seven children, by saving wood from
door to door. But little was known OF
his early history beyond the fact thai
he was an exile from Poland, Europe
an item of information which he i'm
parted to one or two personal friends,
with the further statement that he had
relatives living there who were very
wealthy, and might place him above
want, If so disposed. During the in
ternal feuds and tyrannical govern
ment which oppressed that unhappy
land, he, with a number of others, de.
termined to emfgrate and seek relief on
the shores of free America. After a safe
and prosperous voyage the party land
ed in New York, from which point Mr.,
Gull continued his journey to the West
until he came to Dubuque, where he
rented a cheap tenement on Washing
ton street, and settled down to the bu-
siness we have before stated.
"How long Mr.. Gull would have re-
III CITY 4OllO"lu& his ~
BILE employment, and congregating
with others of his class on Seventh
street, we do not know, had 1t not been
for the liDerality manifested by Uncle
Sam. In 1866, Mr.. CULTS attention was
turned to the homesteads offered by the
general government to all actual set
tiers in the western frontiers -four state,
After revolving the matter over, he re-
solved to avail himself ofthe benefits OF
so humane provision, and flinging his
buck and saw to one side, he packed up
his household goods, babe adieu to his
comrades, and, with his family, started
for the fields OF promise. He was for
tunate in procuring good location
within twelve miles of Fort Dodge, and
soon had nice little patch of ground
under tho plough, Here he worked
and toiled month after month, and was
gradually becoming independent in
circumstances through his own eXer-
tons, when all at once the tickle god
dess Fortune came to his relief, and
made him a millionaire.
ION the 18th inst. he was called to
Fort Dodge on business, and on inquir-
ing at the post Office found letter
directed TO his address, from the old
country, which had evidently been
awaiting his order for some days. Mr..
Gull took it out, glanced at the Super
scripti0n iutently, and remarking that
at last some of the folks had concluded
to write to him, opened the document
and commenced to read. He had not
deVoured more than half a dozen lines
before he uttered loud yell and COM
menced to dance around in q manner
absolutely inexplicable to the bystan-
ders, who thought that the man had
become insane. After the
first surprise was over Mr.. Gull became
more rational, and informed the specta-
tors that he was no longer poor plodd-
ing farmer, but u millionaire, by the
deCease OF an uncle in Poland, who had
willed to him his entire property,
TO five millions of dollars,
which was now awaiting his disposal.
All this and much more the letter con-
tanned.
"To make long story short, Mr..
Gull sold his farm the next week, and
is now on his way to the old country to
take possession of his property, passing
Dubuque last Monday evening.
We have only TO add we hope he will
be successful and find everything all
right. But who would have supposed
that Dubuque woodsawer could ever
have turned out a millionaire ?"