The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-04-21
A Debt of Gratitude.

nNE day, not long ago, while an En-
~ glish merchantmen was on voyage
in the Mediterranean, the captain was call
ed to the hammock of dying sailor who
had asked to see him. The invalid seafarer
desired his commander to draw up for him
a last will and testament, wherein the sum
of $1,000 in English sovereigns was to be
devised to citizen of Memphis, in Tennes-
see, U. s., and the uncomfortable surprise
of the captain in his performance of the re-
quest of the sinking man caused the latter
to make the following explanation of the
past circumstances enabling him to be.
queath such sum Of money. An English
man by birth, he was mechanic, in Mem
phis in the year 1861. No matter about the
causes of his expatriation and humble for
eign occupation. Suffice it to say he had
chosen to be q mechanic in America Only
for short time, though for when the Sc
cession war began he enlisted in one of the
Tennessee regiments, having been scarcely
able to earn living as an artisan, and be-
ing just recovered from weary sickness of
which he must have died but for the gener-
GUS ministrations of family of strangers.
Shortly after the discouraged convalescent's
enlistment, and before his regiment march
ed further southwark, he received from his
family in England the sum of $1,000 in
gold, which had been left to him by dy-
ing uncle. Instead of availing himself of
this windfall, however, to Withdraw from
the army and devote himself otherwise
than as soldier, it was his eccentric whim
to bury his whole treasure under tree, in
a lot belonging to the gentleman whose
family had been so kind to him in his sick
ness, and to neither speak nor act rs though
ba had raaaivn1 nv ornI oh oil
Leaving the gold thus secretly placed, he
marched away with his military comrades.
Not long was it though before his eccen-
trio character again displayed ITSELF Be-
coming speedily weary Of the precarious
fortunes of war, he deserted from the army
into Mexico, and from thence embarked on
an English vessel as common seaman.
Reaching England in due time, instead of
rejoining his family there, he at once be-
came sailor on another vessel for a voy-
age around the world and had remained
an obscure sailor until the fatal sickness
overlook him in the Mediterranean and an
expiring impulse of gratitude induced him
to bequeath his gold yet hidden in Memphis
to those who had so long ago befriended
him in that city. L
Such was the strange, scarcely credible
story which he told to the captain in ex-
planation of his curious win and, after
signing the latter with another name than
that by which he had been known on ship
board, he carried the remaining mystery
of his career with him into the world Of
shadows. 11.t.a I.4,
The captain hardly knew whether to re-
gard either story or will as anything more
than the diseased fancy of madman, but
upon reaching port, mailed the document,
as he had solemnly promised, to the ad-
dress of the Memphis gentleman to whom
the buried gold had been devised And,
according to late issue of the Memphis
Register, that gentlemans reception of the
will, together with the captains explana-
tion Of the foregoing circumstances, has
been followed by realization proving that
, the dying wanderer of land and sea spoke
truly. The gentleman in question chad
, some time before sold and delivered to
. another party the lot on which the valu-
! able sovereigns were deposited. How to
get at it now without incuTTing opposition
y and perhaps litigation was the question
y which arose in his mind. After taking the
Q advice of counsel, he concluded to develop
=, the whole matter to thepurchaser and own.
er of the place, and asked for the right e
f make search. This was done, and the new
Q proprietor generously forwarded his wishe.
!. and gave him every facility to possess him
/ self OF the treasure. On digging at the
Z foot OF the tree described in the will th'
= gold, amounting to $1,000, was happil!
, found and the new owner made glad BY
t the glltteIing heap" Who the departed
\ giyer Of this little fortune really was in hi
native personality is not known, and The
= secret is buried with him beneath the blu
. waves Of the Mediterranean.