Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-10
MIR. III. HARDIN'S wINDFALL
An Old Salt Falls Heir 20 AN Im me use

UNCLE GEORGE wELL-HALP MILLION
WANTED.
From the San Francisco ChronicleJ
A short time ago the commanding officer of q
man OF. lying at this station was informed
that one OF the old salts belonging to his ship
wished to speak to him on the quarter deck.
The captain promptly appeared, and as he
stepped from his cabin a venerable looking
man of-war's man, with eyes like ferret's aud
face as rough as nutmeg CRATER, drew himse
up and touched his cap with the precision of an
Algerine soldier. The old salt was dressed IN a
clean blue mastering suit, carried a jack knife
fastened to a snow white LANYARD, aud had
slowed in his stsrboard cheek something less
than quarter of pound of tobacco. " Well,
my lad, what do you want 2" asked the captain.
The old sailor hauled off his cap, slowed it
under his arm, let out quart or SO of tobacco
juice, and then hauled out from inside his shirt
letter covered with foreign postage stamps
and domestic dirt.
cpd like to go ashore, sir, to see about this
letter /" he said in reply.
"Let's see, your name is Hardin, isn't it. The
last time you went ashore you got oesstly drunk,
and we had TO pay $40 TO get you out OF the lock-
up. What's your letter about? Let me see it"
he asked.
THE LETTER
was addressed to Henry Hardin, L nited States
ship -, Mare Island, Cal. 1t was an aris'o-
cratic looking epistle, having a coat of arms IN
blue and gold and delicate water lines acro's
he sheet. The envelope was square, and also
bore the came heTaldo device III flaming cOlOrs.
The handwriting was neat and beautiful IN
lyle, and as the captain glanced at it he
ran a. iOllOws:
ARMAGH, County Armagh, Sept. p, 1873.
DEAR HENRY: Your last letter to me was
dated more than eight months ago, so l. DO not
know If you are yet on board the ---, though
hope so, for 1t is important that the news [
have should reach you. = \ 1t is so long
since you went away from home, and you have
led so checkered and eventful life, that pre-
sumo you have forgotten many OF your relatives
here and abroad. Do you remember Uncle
George, fathers youngest brother, who went to
a ma .S.WhN
Der correctly Il was very little girl them
il was just about the time you so fO0lishly
away from hOme-that was in 1885, was it
not? Well, Uncle George grew to be enOr-
mously rich as a linen merchant in New
York, and when he retired from business he
added to his fortune still more by lucky real
estate speculations in and around place called
Central park. we have now received the i'm
portant news of the old gentleman's death,
which occurred, it seems, several months ago.
His estate is an enormous one, beiHg valued,
the lawyers who have charge of it think, at
over 100000 coo. He leaves no family, nor was
he ever married, though | believe there is a
woman named Walker who claims to have
married him years ago, and now pre-.
sents claim to an interest in the es-
tate. She will not be able, though, /
think. to prove her marriage, and our in
teTests Will not suffer. There are, of course, a
GREAT MANY HEIRS,
as our family has so many branches; but still |
think our share will not fall short of 600 900
each. Lord Kenneally, who knew Uncle George
and not be sOld it will in few years be worth
much more. 1t seems some of it-a large tract
lies in what is known as Westchester county,
near New York, where they are making great
Improvements. | suppose though il Will all
have TO be sold. Cousin Sir Robert Hardin
yOu remember him, do you not has been
or is about TO be selected to go to New York
and arrange for a meeting OF the heirs. Can
you not manage to get discharged from your
present unfortunate position and 90 there
and meet your cousin? He would be glad
that now Is the opportunity for you to take
your place once more in the society in which
you were born and raised. NOu have for more
than thirty years wandered about the world,
accomplishing nothing, but losing much. Now
come home, I beg OF yOu, Your aunt, Lady
Mary Kirby, is stu living. She often speaks OF
you, and know regards you with more alice
lion than any member of the family So, too.
does you nephew, Sir James, who, by the WAY,
" as a very little boy when you went away. His
house, know, would be open to You, a. il has
always been TO me. Therefore, Henry, come
home. DO, neg Of you.
Write me at once, and let US know what ac-
ton TO take in your interest with reference -
Uncle Georges property. Your atfectionate
and loving sister, HENRIETTA HARDIN.
THE CAPTAINS AMAzENRNT.
The captain looked at the weather beaten tar
''Do you mean TO say, Hardin, that you are
the person addressed in this letter? Why don't
You go home"
Old Hardin has a voice that sounds, even in
its softest cadence, like the noise Of three
dozen rats inside brass drum. He rumbled
out, in a hosTse, cultural way:
''Wa'aI, cap'n. I've been in the service now,
man and boy, for nigh on to thirty-fve year,
an If this ere money e comm to me I'D ike
to get hold OF 1T"
"Bgt, Hardin, said the captain, what good
would il do yOu2 You know you can't let rum
alone, and your money would soon put you un-
der the sod If You didn't reform"
81 hat 80. =" said the Old salt; 'ibut / guess a.
how VI reform now. Mebee You can git some
IN q | Va " haan
blue jacket. / am almost ashamed ID say it
(here something like a drop OF salt water
coursed down through the cOrrugatons in the
face, but Cap'n, 1 ought ha'
been something else at sixty eight years old
than "a drunken old shellback."
SO ! gathered from this letter, Hardin"
said the Captain, "andl must confess am sur
prised.'
"Yes," Hardin went on and after emptying
his mouth OF another quart of tobacco juice.
eyes; / amt alters been an old shell. My
father (here he drew himself up and something
like scintilation y pride flashed out of the
ferret-like eye}-my father, sir, was Sir Robert
Hardin, of Hardin place, Armagh. Forty years
a go he was
HIGH sHEgIFF
Of Armagh county and master OF the rolls. My
mother was Lady Josephine, daughter of the
Earl of KIllislene, and my sister, not this one
pointing TO the letter. but another one, is now
the wife of the Earl OF Denbigh. 1 knew my
uncle George we'll. Have seen him in New York
often, and once dined with him down IN the
that is, don't you? But that was before | got
Disguised and took to rum. don't believe he'd
let me put my old rummy timbeIs under his
mahogany now II he was alive. Well, he's
dead now, and left $40 900, 900, and they say m
rich"
"well, Hardin, said the Captain, ''what do
you want to dO?"
sWa'al, 1 want to be lookin' after this bust
ness. Ia like TO go down to Frisco first and see
some Of them lawyers"
al can't let you DO that, Hardin, for | know
you will get drum, and perhaps be shanghaed
On board of some merchant ship But if you
" ant TO go east and see your cousin--what's his
name again?-Sir Robert Har iil--why, i will
you, and if you have money enough
you can start right from Vallejo here. Will you
10 that?'
'Wa'al, Cap'n, I'd kinder like to see some of
hem lawyer chaps first. You see, sir, I've seen
in the papers that there is goin' To
be lawsuit about the Hardin property Ia New
! erk. and s'pOse, as don't know much about
aw, why mebbe I'd better git some advice"
well said the Captain, "thlnk it over; but
irst you had better get my clerk to write a
etteT fer you in reply to this one, and"
HARBIN's LETTER.
ooh" said the old man, al can write little
1it. ! used to arrive pretty good quill" With
his Hardin rolled away and In short time he
was seated on the deck between two guns with
his dirty box on his knees and a dIlapilsted
~ II. Z.