Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-08


in himself a possibility of great things
and an irresistible inspiration to find
some one who had the mind and means
to assist. Accident had led him to attend
the first lecture in Quincy, when, al first
sight Of the lecturers face, he had been
impressed with sense of peculiar nat
ural sympathy between them Aside
from the matter of the scientific discourse,
the speakers personality had exercised
over him a magnetism not to be either
described or resisted, SO that he had been
impelled to follow to Plymouth. 1t was
his final conviction that the stranger so
influencing him could be no other than
the great friend whom his needs had in
stigated him to look for, and in this belief
he now wished to submit a certain pro-
position. The California gold fever had
| Just broken out; he felt absolutely sure
| that if he could go out as a miner it
would be to certain riches, and his propo-
| sal was that, IN consideration of receiving
! half of the results Of the golden venture;
the lecturer should supply him with a
pecuniary outfit to the extent of 81 600!
| Il shall surely succeed" concluded the
/ youth, with singular earnestness of man
ner "Only lend me the sum | ask and
have faith in my honesty, and I will make
| fortunes for both of u.s. Trust me and
you shall find me truel" Extraordinary
and homogeneous as this proposition to a
| scientific lecturer was, Doctor Wieting
| did not receive it so astoundedly as a
more ordinary character might have done.
| The stranger had magnetiZed him in his
turn, and the disposition to charity of
which previous mention has been made
| inclined him to take a peculiar view Of
the curious application. Hence, in
stead of dismissing the applicant as a
| lunatic, or a very shallow and auda-
| ciOus impOstoT, he told him to call upon
him at his rooms on the following day.
| Nor did subsequent reflection and con-
sultation with his more worldly-minded
brother, who was his business agent, in
duce the benevolent lecturer to think
worse Of the wOuld-be Californian. In
short, at the next appointed interview, he
thought still more highly of the youths
sincerity, abilities and confident mission,
and, after an earnest conversation, babe
| him come with him to Boston, where the
money should be given. Wright went to
| that city, of course, received there the
| $1,000, and-with the words repeated,
| "YOu shall find me e!"-departed
| quietly and resOlutely for the gOld-felds
! Of the Pacific. BY incompatible instinct,
rather than reason, DR.. Wieting felt sure
| that his generosity in so trusting a stranger
! and boy had not been fOOlish-sure that
he and Wright had been predestined to
mutually beneficent association, and
! that the act would be blessed Nor was
! this blind, problematic faith disappointed.
Within two years he received from his
| absent debtor from varying addresses in
the California mines no less than $1,000
in gold Writing at last to say that he
was already muniticently Overpaid for his
benefaction, and to release his grateful
correspondent from all possible future
obligation, he was answered that the con-
tract for the half of all mining gains still
held good and should never be foregone.
"The obligation is as much with my
Maker as with yOu," wrote the Califor-
MAN, "and insist upon paying accord
| ing to my agreement" So, at intervals
| of months, from year to year, but no long
er with places of address given, the over
| whelmed benefactOr was the recipient of
| golden shipments, until in 1862 the sums
which had been thus sent amounted
| to nearly $4,000 in coin. Soon after
these splendid figures had been reached
there came another surprise. The vol
| untary debtor for life wrote that he was
| d
| curing $4,000 more capital than he had
at command, and begged his friend to
| lend him that sum. Here again another
man might have hesitated; but the Doc
| tor, with faith mistaken, freely sent the
money, even at great inconvenience to
| himself In those war times In 1864 it
came back to him with full interest, and
with it another letter of ardent gratitude
! from tho borrower EtYOu dOuhtla
| think" concluded the writer, ''that you
| have been well repaid already for your
| kindness; but the time is coming when
| you shall receive yet further proof Of my
gratitude. You will yet be the pOssessOr
| of a larger fortune than you ever thought
possible" But, since the letter so
ending, and without address, DR..
Wieting has never heard again
| from Wright, and now communicates the
story to a writer for the Troy Times, in the
| hope that the publication may lead to
some certain information Of the fate of his
/ long silent princely debtor Whether the
| grateful Californian is dead, or
| has experienced reverses of fortune which
| he cares not to reveal, is unknown to his
| old benefaCtOr, whose letters to CalifOr-
| mia, inquiries and messengers, have all
! proved unavailing to solve the question.
| Hence il is, after all, in a most uusatisfac-
| tory condition of incompleteness that the
| remarkable narrative finally comes to pub
| lie knowledge; but this artistic defect is
more than counterbalanced by the high
and fairly poetic humanity running
through the given facts, and the fine spirit
of manly trust and consummate LOYALTY
characteriZing the respective actors in
this drama of faith.