Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-12-31
Around the Block,

0eOS.s
Within = half hours easy walk Of the
courthouse of Chicago stands slightly
block Of highly improved real estate,
around which, for those who know its not
very ancient history, cluster all the romau-
tic suggestions Of tale as sentimental
and ingenious as even its least recounter,.
the whimsical Don Piatt, over rescued
from private gossip. for the larger houors
of public print. This storied block, now
piled with buildings of which the mere
rental is fortune, was, no longer ago
than 1S46, low and pestilent swamp, for
which its unenviablc owner, poor COOPER,
paid less than the modest sum which he
had previously given to the Methodist cir.
cult preacher who had married him, but
who also felt bound to count in the cost of
the estate the life which his young wife
lost by the malaria arising therefrom. In
short, the misguided mechanic of slaves
and hoops had scarcely purchased the
swamp and built shop and cottage on its
border, when malarious fcver left him
and little daughter to mourn the loss Of
helpmate and mother. The bercave.
meut seemed to rob the ill-fated man of all
energy and interest in life, for, although
working doggedly on at his trade, he gave
scarcely any attention to his child, who, as
consequence, grew to young girlhood
without culture or control. She was very
handsome, however, despite her neglected
dress and education, and, when not quite
sixteen years old, attracted the attention
young man whose wealthy father owned
property adjoining the swamp. The two,
after becoming acquainted, had frequent
meetings, which were carefully kept secret
from their respective parents, until ut last,
some fifteen years ago, the girl startled
her father into most energetic attention
to his long-neglccted paternal duty by
tersely informing him that she was mar.
ried. Finding him inclined to accept the
bare fact incredulously, and betray noisy
excitement over her assumption thereof,
she warned him to say nothing Of it else
where, as her husband would be ruined
were it known. Upon learning the name
of this husband, aud his superior social
station, the alarmed cooper was prompt to
infer that some wicked trick had been
practiccd upon his poor child, aud, dcs-
pitc her frantic remonstrances, declared
that not another hour should elapse be.
fore he had waited upon the father Of the
alleged bridegroom and exacted full in.
formation. Her warnings and cntrcaties
against this course availing nothing, the
girl gave him her duly written marriage
certificate, and, with this in his hand, her
father hasteucd to demand ar interview
with the sire of his son.inlaw. That
wealthy and pompous old gentleman was
at first disposed to regard his shabby Wis.
itor as maniac and consigu him to police
supervision but, upon bcholding the Ger.
tificate, ho betrayed an excitement not less
than that of his guest and, after pouring
a torrent Of wrath upon hcadstrong sous in
general, assured the other father in the
case that the iniquitous young man should
both acknowledge his girl.wife in public
and be as publicly disinherited therefor.
Such assurance was intended in no very
friendly spirit toward anybody, but the
cooper accepted it as relief from certain
painful apprchensions, and went homo a
more tolerant parent. On the following dav.
however, he -aved again with indignation
and vcngeful fury, when cold letter from
the rich man assured him that, by confes.
sion of his son, the marriage had been but
mock ceremony, carried on merely in
joke by associates disguised for the pur.
pose. 1t would be absurd, proceeded the
writer. to regard such matter in serious
light; but, to make amends for any
wounds that the feelings of the young wo-
man might have suffered the sum of
two or three hundred dollars should be
deposited in the bank, subject to her or.
der. Far from being placated by this
choice proposition, the cooper tore the let.
ter to fragments in frenzy Of just wrath,
and at once giving up all other occupation.
solemnly swore that be would compel Jus.
tice for his daughter if there was any law
or justice left in tho land. He had tho
papers, he believed, to make good his case
in any court but, alas when he sought
to sell his swampland for the money neces.
sary to secure lawyer, no man could be
found unwise enough to give anything at
all for such miserable property. Despair
mastered the poor man when this hopeless
fact confronted him he made only one or
two wild efforts to borrow the sum he
needed, and then, shutting himself up
alone in his neglected workshop, died
there of broken heart. The daughter
was not there to bury him. Just before
his death he had detected in her such
signs Of further result Of her misfortune
Is made his wrong through her still less
endurable, and his increased wildness at
the discovery drove her into . flight, no
one knew whittier. Thus closed the first
part Of the drama, a. the early acts of
such dramas generally do close-the rich
man triumphant, the poor laid in the dust,
the ill-used heroine an untracked fugitive.
Fifteen years rolled on, and in this time
the swift growth of the wonderful Western
city brought tho oooper's once despised
swamp fairly within the limits which ur-
ban fashion and trade had assigned to
| themselves. After long living uncl,;mad