The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-31

He rented the hrSC f100r OF the
building, which comprised two rooms
the store, only l5xl5 feet, and a
small back room, l2Xl2 feet. He con-
vertet! the hack room into a sleeping
apartment. barred UP the windows and
the back door, and rendered the little
chamber as gloomy and darksome as
possible. Eere he slept and ate, year
after year, without light, comfort, or
ventilation.
His breakfast and supper consisted
Of weak coffee, heated OH 0ne of those
little hernaphrotlite stoves which a
poor family may use either for cook
ing or heating purposes For dinner,
in the years before the War, he went
to Gentscn's beer-sal0on, on Vine
street. near Twelfth. where he could
get beefsteak for 10 cents and glass
Of beer for 3 cents This was his
MONDAY meal for years and years, and
he was never known to purchase two
glasses OF beer at mealtime, or to dis
burse more than l3 cents for dinner
before the War. In latter years he
changed his dining-place to a German
clearinghouse on Court street, where
he could obtain a meal for 25 cents.
But he evidently considered this too
much money to spend at one time in
the satisfaction OF hunger, as he con-
tinualy grumbled at the cost of his
food. For twenty-three years he lived
thus, always sleeping in the same
small, noiso.ne room, eating the same
coarse food, and maintaining the same
strict rules with regard to business
hours. The store was always opened
early in the morning, and always
closed late at night. During those
long years the old man had no eompan-
ions, 10 friends, no confidants. o.
casionally, when business was brisk,
or when lie felt seriously ill, or when
it was necessary to leave his haunt in
order to replenish his stock, he would
employ boy about IL or IL years old
TO attend to the store for a nominal
salary. But he would never keep boys
for any length OF time, discharging
them with harsh words and without
cause, simply to save the expense of
their pitiful salaries. He would never
trust customers, never lend money,
and never spend a cent for his own
pleasure or for that of others.
Neither was he ever known to put
money out 1T interest. Folks always
thought him too cautious to keep: any
large quantity of money about his
premises, and the old man was perfect
]y we'll aware that they thought 50. So
he piled up his money amid pale dust
and black spider-webs and broken
medicine bottles, feeling assured that
no human being knew anything about
it; eat stale bread and weak coffee,
and discharging his unfortunate boys,
and gradually growing gray as the gray
dust upon his bedroom floor, in which
the feet of gloom-loving insects left
elfin.shaped tracks.
But last summer the old man began
for the first time in quarter of CEN
fury to gossip little about his own az
fairs. He told people that he would
sell out his business and visit the old
country. He had also become weak
and broken down in health his lower
limbs had become like those of the an
Gent ascetics, fearfully affected with
ulcers, by reason of his inactivity and
wretched living and he evidently
felt that to continue much longer in
his business would hasten death rap
idly. Nevertheless he fingered still in
the old drugstore for months, until it
became difficult for him to move his
bandaged legs.
A purchaser was found for the store
at 81 200 and August Salpius was sat-
istied with the bargain. After the
necessary arrangement in regard to
the transfer that had been made, he
then requested druggist friend to
find out for him what silver coin was
worth. It was then worth los and 1O8.
On being asked how much silver coin
he had, the old man said he did not
really know, but he supposed he had
between $4,000 and $4,000, mostly in
fifty cent pieces. He was asked to go
home and count them, and he was &C.
cupied in counting for more than two
days. On returning to his friend he
remarked that he hated to part so soon
with his money but that the Office safe
was not big enough to hold it all. The
silver had been lying idle in his bed
room since 1859 he had not time, he
averred, to lose in putting it out at in
terest. His friend succeeded in selling
the coin for him at l06, and as it
weighed nearly four hundred pounds,
q wagon had to be procured in order
TO fetch it to Third street bank.
Having obtained check for the sill
yer sold, while walking up the street
with his friend the old man asked for
advice as how he could best invest the
balance of his money. He was then adj
Vised to buy government bonds, espe-
clally as he purpOSed leaving the conn