Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-04-10
JONAS SIMPSONS MONEY.

matter with MI. sampson sdii MIS-
Grant to me, one evening, as | entered
the parlor set aside for the general use Of
Mrs. Smiths boaracrs.
had arrived at my boarding house later
than usual that evening, and, consequently,
had dined alone, so | had not heard the
latest boarding house gossip, and may
add that my boarling-house-perhaps |
should be speaking more correctly if | said
the boardcrs, especially Mrs. Grant-itl-
ways had full and never failing supply of
that commodity on hand.
Thinking Mrs Grant had some new gos-
sip to impart l smilingly rejoincl:
81 really couldn't think, Mrs. Grant, what
is the matter with him.
ole has the di,hthcria,' She slowly and
solemnly slid. "He came home this even
ing at five o'clock, sid h. felt very i'll and
that his throat paine him badly, and went
to bed, after sending for u doctor. The
latter soon came, AMI found that he was
suffering from djuhtherin. As soon rs Mrs.
Smith informed us OF it at dinner, Miss
G..rdner, vino says she's had the disease
herself and has attended others who have
had it, volunteered to nurse him at least
three nights this week. Very generous on
her part, certainly; but, nevertheless de
cidedly reckless Of her to expose herself to
the chance Of catching That terrible diph-
liberia. Poor young, g.,man! pity him. So
1,1, Il, IL,
Had I not at this jrncture left the room,
Mrs. Grant would have poured copious
comments into my ear, for at least an hour,
based upon the subject of Mr. Simpsons
diphtheria, and diphthcri1 in general for
she assumed to be an authority upon ali
subjects, from cheese to-wel, | really
can't say what.
Jonas Sampson had been boarding at the
house for nearly two months. He WAS a
nice, genial fellow, and about twenty eight
years old. That he waS Il clerk in a large
wholesale dry good house in this city, and
the other boardcr5 knew, but nothing more.
| was really sorry to hear that he Was sick
with that fearful lifc-destroyin@ disease;
and, on leaving Mrs. Grant, went up to
his room to see if | could be of any service
to him. |, a stranger, had once been ter
ribly i'll in Il clearinghouse myself, and
want of proper care and nursing had ag-
grayatod my sullcrings greatly; so | could
fully appreciate Jonas Sampson precui-
ous position. | say rrccarious, because
comparatively few out of the many that
are attacked will diphtheria ever recover.
He was breathing heavily and with dili-
Guilty when I entered the room. Knowing
something about the nature of the disease.
at once saw, as ii hai advanced its hold
SO far upon him already, That he WAS suffer
in from the most malignant type of dipl
thora and that he was more liable to die
than to recover. Under the circumstances.
| thought that if he had any relatives, it
would he bat ri Int for them to be sent for
Immediately. After iIluiring how he felt,
and asking if l could be of any service to
him. suggested as much. He said he
would wait till tomorrow noon, and if he
was not better by that time, he would have
telegram sent to his mother, who, he in
formed me, lived in Ohio. AS Miss Gard
ncr had already installed herself Us nurse,
l told her that | would sit up with Mr..
Sampson the following night. She told
me that she had offered her services be-
cause Mrs. Smith, our landlady, had said
that he must so to the hospital, unless he
had nurse, for that she haln't any time
to look after sick people.
She, Miss Gardner, after seeing him.
did not think he was in fit condition to
be removed, the night being wet and damp,
so had offered her services which had been
thankfully accepted.
Just before neon of Tie following day
Jonas Sampson died. The physician said
that the disease had been decp-scated, be-
fore he had been called to prescribe for him.
and that it wasn't surprising that it had SO
quickly ended fatally.
Mr.. Smith our landlady's husband, i'll
my presence searched Jonas Simpsons
effects; but not a letter or paper was found
that gave any clue as 10 who his relatives
were or where they resided neither was
more than five dollars found in his clothes
pockets, and Il silyer watch worth about
double that amount He had told me his
mother lived in Oho but in what town,
village, or county he did not state so we
could not apprize any of his relatives OF
his death.
Mr.. Smith, as it happend, knew the firm
by whom he had been employed; and the
evening of Jonas Simpsons death he, ac-
companied by myself, called on one of them
a Mr.. Horton.
Mr.. Horton knew nothing about his late
employees relatives. and was greatly sur
prised when told hy Mr.. Smith not more
than five dollars had been discovered
among his (Sampson's) effects. He said
that Sampson, the preceding afternoon, at
three o'clock, had drawn part OF four
months salary due him, amounting to just
three hundred dollars. Not feeling well,
he had requested to be allowed leave ot
absence for that afternoon, which had been
granted.
"Now," said Mr.. Horton, 'what has be-
come of that three hundred dollars p
"Mr Smith" he remarked, ''it has either