Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-04-15
COL. STEPHENS TRIP TO ENG
LAND.
Where he went, and what he saw.

been requested to publish an account OF
my trip, as the scenes / have just visited
are familiar to so many of your readers III
this vicinity.
In company with my brother Richard,
| left this village Dec. 9Th. $50, and arriv-
ed without accident in New York on the
18th. After procuring our tickets for pas
sage on beard the City Of Paris, we pro-
ceeded to the business of converting our
money into English currency. We were
accosted by two we'll dressed persons who
informed us they were 70 be fellow passe.l-
gers of ours, and who expressed tkeir de.
sire to bcfriend US by directing US to a
place where we could rake the exchange
three per cent better than any place on
Wall street. ] thanked the gentlemen for
their politeness. but declined their offer,
and started for Col. Vermilyer, barker
on Wall street, with whom had been &C.
quainted Tor over twen'y. three years |
turnci to speak to my brother, but found
e my establishment that he was not in
sight. ! Immediately retraced my steps
in the direction we had come, and after
waiting some time he made his appearance.
The cause of his sudden leave taking was
this He had seen two friends Of bis from
Lawrence, Kansas, marching down street
with a policeman, and upon overtaking
| them found that they had been robbed -
They had tickets for the same steamer
| that we were to leave on, but would not
sail with us unless their money was forth
coming.
After finishing our business and making
some purchases, we wendell our way to
the steamer, and in Q short time we were
carried away from the land Of our adop
ton, to the land of our birth. When the
confusion Of starting had somewhat subsi-
ded. we began to look around us but failed
to find the two gentlemen who had been
so 'solicitous for our welfare financially,
and as night was coming on we retired
The next morning we found my brothers
Kansas friends, and from one of them we
learned the particulars of their robbery,
which l give for the benefit Of any one
contemplating going abroad.
Two men had approached them with the
sa ne story of a nice place to buy tickets
and get their sovereigns three per cent.
less than anywhere else in the city, and
had induced them to take the bait. They
had seen the money, over fifteen hundred
dollars. counted out all right, and their
tickets all right. The man then told them
he would supply them with belts so that
their money would be secure from robbers.
He suggested that they should put a
small amount in their pockets in order not
to be obliged to disturb their belts. After
being assisted on with their money saving
apparatus they departed in high good hui
| NOR. The two friends who had accompa-
MED them taking them to saloon and
| treating them. The next day one of them
concluded to count his money for amnse-
nent, and upon inspecting the contents Of
his famous belt, he found nothing but
shillings in the place of sovereigns, and his
comrade proved to be at unfortunate.
They went Immediately to the men with
whom they had dealt, who, by the way,
were Jews. and accused them of swindling
them. This charge was denied. They
tried to find the men who had taken them
to the place, but of course were unsuccess-
full They then came TO their lodgings
and told their landlord Of their tribula
tons. and he suggested policeman. They
found one and he went with them to the
establishment. He told the Jews that
| they had tue mems money and that they
had better refund, which they refused to
do. After some alteration they paid one
half The policeman informed them that
they were very lucky to get any at all !;
and now our Kansas friends, in deep dis
gust returned to the hotel where the land
lord gave them the same consolation.
They then went to lawyer who would
take the case after various fees, etc. The
poor men concluded to hold on to what
little they had left, thinking, no doubt, it
was as bad to lose their hard earnings lc-
4 galy as illegally. After this story was
known, no less than nine Of the passengers
found they had been the victims of the
same swindle.
For the greater part Of the passage the
weather was very rough. On the tenth
day we landed in Liverpool. Here We
dined, and the same evening left for Bris-
toll From thence to Plymouth, and after
a short stay departed for Tavistock, my
birth place. Here we spent Christmas
with relative After a week of pleasure
we took the cars for Liskeard, Cornwall !;
here we found three cousins and were re-
ceved with kindness We drove out to
the mine, the last place we worked before
leaving England. Captains Rule and Hol-
man invited us to their ooms to partake
of refreshments after this we were shown
around the surface works and saw many
| improvements. / found my brother con.
versing with a veteran miner, an ancient