Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-05-20
McFadden'S MaSteretrOke.

SAMUEL MCFADDEN was watchman
in bank. He was poor, but honest, and
his life was without reproach. The
trouble with him was that he felt he was
not appreciated. His salary was only four
dollars week, and when he asked to
have it raised, the President, and the
Cashier and the Board of Directors glared
at him through their spectacles, and
frowned On him, and told him to 60 out
and stop his insOlence, when he knew
business was dull and the bank could not
meet its expenses now, let alone reckless
ly lavishing one dollar week more upon
such miserable worm as Samuel MAJ ad-
den. And then Samuel McFadden felt
depressed and sad, and the naughty scorn
of the President and Cashier cut him to
the soul. He would often go out into the
sideyard and bow his venerable twenty
four inch head, and weep gallons and gal
Ions of tears over his insignifcance, and
pray that he might be made worthy of
the Cashiers and the Presidents polite
attention.
One night happy thought struck him ;
a CLEAN of light burst upon his soul, and
gazing down the dim vista of the years,
with his eyes all blinded with the mist of
joyous tears, he saw himself, rich, hon.
ored and respected. So Samuel McFad-
den fooled around and got jimmy, and a
monkey-wrench, and crOoss- cut saw, and
cold-chisel, and drill, and about half a
ton of gunpowder and nitro-glycerine, and
all those things. Then in the dead of
night he went to the fire-proof safe, and,
after working at it for while, burst the
door and brick work into immortal smash,
with such perfect success that there was
not enough of that safe left to make a car
pet-tack. Mr.. McFadden then proceeded
to load up with coupons and greenbacks,
and currency and specie, and to nail all the
odd change that was lying around any
where, SO that he pranced out of the bank
with over one million dollars on him. He
then retired to an unassuming residence
out of town, and sent word to the detect
ives where he was.
1t was all serene and beautiful fol-
Samuel McFadden now He felt that il
was all right at last, and that the dark
night of sorrow had passed, and that the
bright rays of the sun of prosperity at
last Illuminated his path. A detective
called ON him next day with soothing
note from the Cashier. McFadden treateC
| it with lofty scorn. Detectives called OF
him every day with humble notes from
| the President, and the Cashier, and TIT
Board of Directors, and the clerks, anC
stockholders. At last the bank officers
got up magnificent private supper, tt
which Mr.. McFadden was invited. HI
came, aid, as the bank officers boweC
down in the dust before him, he ponder
ed over the bitter, bitter past, and hi
soul was filed with wild exultation. Q
seems to me that that last sentence il
symmetrical and poetic 1t strikes me so
anyhow.) Before he drove away in hi
carriage that night, it was all fixed tina
Mr. McFadIen was to keep half a million
of that money, and to be unmolested if b
returned the other half. He fulfilled hi
contract like an honest man; but refused
with naughty disdain, the offer of th
Cashier to marry his (McFadden's) daugs
| ter.
Mac is now honored and respected. H
moves in the best society; he browse
around in purple and fine linen and othe
good clothes, and enjoys himself first rate
A1d often now he tsfes his infant sol
upon his knee ar d tells him of his earl
life, and instils holy preeepts into tn
child's mind, and shows him how, by in
dustry and perseverance, and frugality
and nitro glycerine, and monkey wrench
es, and enterprise, and cross cut saws, an
familiarity with the detective system, eve
the poor may rise to affiuence and re-
! pectability.