The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-07-03

having been fortunate enough to scrape to
gether several hundred dollars by frugality, in
dustry, and, Pm almost ashamed to confess it
an occasional hand at bluff. had been here
but couple of days when heard that party
was fitting out for Southern California, and al
once decided to join it. l sought the leading
men of the party and making known my desire
was at once enrolled amongst their number.
hadn't the faintest idea what should turn my
hand to when got there, but it was a change
anyhow and knew couldn't very easily prove
one for the worse. l will not bore you with an
account of our trip overland until our arriva
at the old town of San Diego. Suffice it to say
that it was as full of incident as such pilgrim
ages usually are, and not without its hardships
| either, but we reached the land of promise
| without any serious accident or death, and with
our number augmented by two, for which the
| wives of two of the male members of the train
| were responsible
l attached myself to an old fellow of about
| fifty, who having neither chick nor child OF his
own, appeared to take quite fancy to me, aid
with our spare cash, his sum quadrupling
| mine, we purchased ranch and went into
raising cattle, sheep and grapes. We prosper
ed well, especially with our grapes. My part
ner died two years ago and left by wiz all he
| had to me, so l am now not only "well fixed, "
but can indulge all my reasonable whims, one
of which was to come up here aud see the San
! Francisco of day and compare it with the
| San Francisco of eight years back, also by
| which have made very agreeable acquaint-
ance," he added courteously. Mr.. Loessring
| also told me everything Of interest in connec-
| ton with San Diego, amongst others of which
was the building of new town a mile or so
distant from the site of the old one which hsd
not been properly located. you would be
| astonished," he said, "to see how rapidly the
new town is growing both in favor and dimen-
sions, but we are much in need of one thing
We want good daily newspaper, a small
sheet, and few lawyers could settle advanta
geously there, think"
Just the very thing for Young and |,
thought. This man cannot possibly know we
are looking for some such chance, and being
an owner Of land, perhaps the very land upon
which the new San Diego is situated, want to
inveigle us into wild goose chase. Still not
wishing to be caught, determined to clay
low" and find out who my was before
gave him my confidence, although his exceed
ing lack of reserve strongly constrained me to
do so.
Our drive ended, declined pressing invi-
tation to dinner from Mr.. Loessring, and has
tened to hunt up Young. He chimed in with
my views at once, the more his proposed
partnership had that day fallen through owing
to the other party showing a.strong disposition
10 take the lions share, but agreed with me
that an exercise OF caution could do no harm
and might keep us from making faur pas.
Whatever suspicious we may have had were
speedily to be removed, however, for upon the
same evening, whilst strollng down the street,
we saw my companion of the morning in ia
miliar conversation with merchant of our ac-
quaintance. / accosted the pair and found an
opportunity to call the merchant aside shortly
after and question him as to Mr.. Loessring.-
His reply was eminently satisfactory. "You
will find him a man of strict integrity" he
said, sand he is one of the largest ranchmen in
Los Angeles county, as well as one of the
wealthiest. Whatever he says you can rely on"
Less than a month later found us three
Young, Loeasring and your humble servant,
safe in the town of San Diego, called city by
courtesy. Young at once posted flaming hand
bills Of the San Diego Herald which was to
make its appearance with the incoming OF the
new month, and sizeable shingle bearing the
inscription, "Robert G. Pentland, Attorney at
Law" occupied prominent position over the
door of an Office adjoining and communicating
with that of my friend.
1t lust now occurs to me, dear reader, that
this is the first mention have made of the fact
of being possessed of any name at all. | will
endeavor to atone for my neglect by stating
that your chronicler bore the patronymic of
Pentland, and the pre-nomens of Robert Gamer
h hs P Ssfs taGksd SR Ry my pdHGsgE parents
Eastern friends, when they heard Of my deter
said parents forseen my future intentions, but
I frowned down the execrable pun and stepped
aboard the steamer with an unfaltering step.
Whether l was Gamer, however, the sequel
will show
AS have already stated, my friend Young
and | had been inseparable for period OF up
wards of four years, and we had been number
ed amongst the inhabitants OF San Diego for
about three years. My practice in law had as
sumed very gratifying proportions, ana the
Herald, from the first moment OF its career,
gave indubitable evidence OF success which mad
been fully realized. Mr.. Loessring, who lived
about twenty miles in the interior, often rode or
drove down to see his proteges, as he would
facetiously term u.s. and occasionally contribu-
ted valuable notes upon agriculture and the
cultivation of the grape to my friends newspa-
per, as we'll as bringing me number OF clients.
In short we were prospecting fairly; not max
ing fortunes with that quick, sudden rush so
characteristic of the American people, but ac-
cumulating in addition to what we already
had with a reasonable expectation of retiring
from active life, when old age should overtake
us, with comfortable subsistence.
NV friend devoted two or three columns OF
his weekly Herald (for he had early conceived
the project of publishing weekly sheet in con-
nection with the regular daily paper,) to short
sketches, stories, travels and such matter as
will generally be found upon the front page OF
most country journals. Sometimes there would
occasion either he or l would spin off some
thing of our individual experience or cudgel
our brains to supply the deficiency, but usual
ly contributions came in fast enough, and IN
deed, poor enough. We had amongst others
one regular correspondent whose writings al
ways met with a cordial reception, both on &C
count of their chaste, pleasing style and the
remarkable neatness of the manuscript. They
always came without blot, erasure or inter
lineation all the way from far eastern Balt-
more. This person signed herself Roby Gamer,
which was doubtless non dc plume. Inc SIM
ilarity to nv own name struck me from the
first and aroused in my mind desire to know
more of the author. Having no connection
with the Herald by name, and giving my as
sistance gratuitously to Young from motives OF
friendship, did not think it possible that this
similarity could be other than mere chance,
especially as the manuscript came from such
a distance, and where, / felt confident, the
newspaper had never extended its circulation
Something, too, in the character of these
contributions struck me with the belief that
they must eminate from an unusually pure,
clear mind, and 1 honestly believe | was al
ready half in love with woman OF whom
knew no more than did of the antediluvians
| l invariably looked ever and corrected-no, not
corrected for never found an error-the man :
uscripts of this writer, and the more l saw of
| them the more firmly was | impressed with
the correctness of my first convictions, and the
more interested did become in her work.
| About this time was the recipient of let
| ter from my sister Alice with whom had main
tanned strict correspondence, acqualntlng me
with the fact of her successful graduation
from school, and another from the noble lady
who had watched over her during my absence,
desiring to know what disposition proposed
to make of the lite girl had left behind me,
now grown into handsome, accomplished
lady Of eighteen. had often felt yearning
wish to have my sister with me, but fearing
that any expression of my sentiments while
she was yet a student, mightunsettle her mind
from study, prudently refrained from making
known the object of my hearts desire. Now,
however, that the obstacle was removed, |
l could at once write for her to join me and
lost no time in sending the necessary letter
At the very moment was writing it, William
Loessring dropped into my office and accosted
me with the remark, "Put up that letter tor
few minutes for want to talk to you" Com
plying with his request he began. 81 believe
once told you Of my sister whom remember
as quite a wee baby when left home" You
certainly spoke of a sister once, but conceived
the impression that she was older than your
SELF" / answered. "Quite true, he replied
al have a sister older than |, but she has been
married number Of years. The one OF whom