The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-03-24
JONAS SIMPSONS MONEY.

UONdO SOI ~ 11S4s"As
"What do you think, Mr.. SLocomb, ia the
matter with Mr.. Sampson ?" said Mrs
Grant to me, one evening, as I entered
the parlor set aside for the general use o.
Mrs. Smiths boarders.
had arrived at my boarding-house late1
than usual that evening, and, consequently
had dined alone. so I had not heard the
latest boarding house gossip, and suaJ
add that my boarding.house-perhGps
should be speaking more correctly if salt
the boarders, especially Mrs. Grant-al
ways had full and never failing supply Of
that commodity on hand.
Thinking Mrs. Grant had some new gos'
sip to impart I smiling'y rejoined:
ri really couldn't think, Mrs. Grant, what
is the matter with him."
"He has the diphtheria," she slowly and
solemnly said. "He came home this even
ing at five o'clock, said he felt very i'll and
that his throat panied him badly, and went
to bed, after sending for O doctor. The
latter soon came, and found that he was
suffering from diphtheria. As soon as Mrs
Smith informed us Of it at dinner, Miss
Gardner, who says she's had the disease
| herself and has attcn led others who have
had it, volunteered to nurse him at least
three nights this week. Very generous on
her part, certainly; but, nevertheless de-
:idedly reckless of her to expose herself t
the chance of catching that terrible diph
liberia. Poor yourss man! I pity him. Sc
young and almost sure to die"
Had I not at this juncture left the room,
Mrs. Grant would have poured copiou:
comments into my ear. for at least an hour
based upon the subj, It Of Mr.. sampson't
di, ',eria, and dphtheria in general; fol-
she assumed to be an authority upoh al
subjects, from cheese to-well, I really
can't say what.
Jonas Sampson had been boarding at the
house for nearly two months. He was 0
nice, genial fellow, and about twenty eight
years old. That he was clerk in large
wholesale dry good house in this city, ano
the other boarders knew, but nothing more
was really sorry to hear that he was sicl
with that fearful ife-destroying disease
and, on leaving Mrs. Grant, went up t|
HI, room to see if I could be Of any service
to him. I, q stranger, had once been ter
ribly i'll in O clearinghouse myself, and
want Of proper care and nursing had as
gravated my sufferings greatly; so could
fully appreciate Jonas Simpsons precari
GUS position. soy precarious, because
comparatively few out Of the many that
arc attacked with diphtheria eyer recover
Ee was breathin; heavily and with diff
Guilty when I entered the room. Knowing
something about the nature Of the disease
at once saw, as it hal advanced its hold
so far upon him already, that he was suffer
ing from the most malignant type Of diph'
liberia and that he was more liable to die
than to recover. Under the circumstances
I thought that if he had any relatives, ii
would be but right for them to be sent fol-
Immediately. After inquiring how he felt
and asking if could be Of any service te
him, I 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 Inc, lived in Ohio. AS Miss Gard
uer had already installed herself as nurse,
told her that I 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 go to the hospital, unless he
hadl nurse, for that she hadn't any time
to look after sick people.
She. Miss Gardner, after seeing him.
did not think he WIS in Il fit condition to
be removed, the night bc;ns wet and damp,
so had offered her services which had been
thankfully accepted.
Just before noon Of the following day
Jonas Sampson died. The physician said
that the disease had Lccn dcep-seated, 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, in
nv presence searched Jonas Sampson S
effects; but not letter or paper was found
that gave any clue AS to who his relatives
were or where they resided; neither WAS
more than fve dollar found in his clothes
pockets, and q silver watch worth about
double that amount. lie had told me his
mother lived in Ohi,; but N 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 lrappend, knew the firm
by whom he had been employed; and the
evening of Jonas Simpsons death he, ae-
companied by myself, called ozone Of them
Mr.. Horton.
Mr.. Horton knew nothing about his Lite
employees relatives, and was greatly sur
prised when told by Mr. Smith not more
than five dollars had been discovered
among his (Sa,npson's) effects. He said
that Sampson, the preceding afternoon, at
three o'clock. had drawn r,rt Of four