The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-17
NUMBER 10.
Ruined by Visitors.

Major Philip Y. Schottguhn, we'll
known resident of the Fifteenth Ward,
was last night seen carrying a big car
pet-bag and wandering disconsolately
in the neighborhOod of Washington
square.
"Whats the matter, Major?" a re-
porter asked. "Anything gone wrOng?n
"WrOng" said the Major, violently
slamming his carpet-bag upon one of the
benches in the park. Wrong! Get
out your blackest pencil
"FOr weeks as walked Broadway to
and from my place of business, found
great pleasure in gazing upon the fresh
and honest faces of the many Centennial
visitors who now throng the town. To
see the young and loving newly-mar-
ried couples, the fond husband support
ing a doting wife on one side aud cheer
fully struggling with an enormous
valise OH the other, was sight calcu-
lated to bring to mind the fresh air of
the open country and the tints of au-
tumn leaves. little thought that l
should come to it myself, L mean the
valise part of it, so soon.
1--WE had saved a little money, you
know, and hired fiat and gone to keep
ing house. That effort cost US every dol
lar we had, and left us in debt, but We
looked hopefully to the future. But
three weeks ago last night when went
to. dinner l found our narrow hall
choked full of travellers luggage. My
little daughter, too young to know the
extent of the calamity that had befallen
US, crOwed gleefully from the top of a
mammoth trunk. Mrs. SchOttguhn,
wretched and downcast, met me at the
door.
Lucy asked, whats up now%
Centennial VISITORS she said.
"'Many of 'em p
"'Eight.'
"'GOing to stay lOng?'
About week, they say
''Phey were friends of Lucy's, whom
she hadn't seen for years, and had
stopped to make us a visit on their way
from the Centennial. They never
meant any harm to US, but at every
meal they ate could almost hear Lucy
groan, as she thought of some longed-
! for article of needed furniture whose
| purchase must now be deferred or given
up.
"On the first day Mrs. Schottguhn
| told them how to reach Central Park,
and advised them to stay all day, there
was so much to see.' Just before they
started ] saw my little daughter slyly
tucking a wisp of hay into each visitors
! hat-band.
"'Why do you do that? I asked.
"'They'll visit the menagerie, won't
they, papa?'
"'Of course they will, darling
"'Elephants like hay
"T know they do, pet
""Hhe elephants'll grab at the hay
maybe they'll bite off the folks head.
at the same time; mamma says she
wishes she could
But, alas! the elephants were no
hungry. Along about seven in the
evening two of the visitors returned
The others were lost. On Lucy's fac,
rested a sympathetic cloud, though
think it was lined with about a ton o
bullion; but about 10 o'clock the los
ones found their way back. They die
not get lost any more. They kept to
gether, and were punctual and powerful
at meal times. And they prolonged
their stay until ruin stared us out O
countenance. I tried to get Lucy to tel
'em to go, but she said it wouldn't do
they'd tell such stories about us whel
they got home. So they stayed one
two, three weeks, and the butchers bill
were more than my salary. On tn
: very day they went deputy sheriff
seized our furniture for debt, and ou
home was broken up.
81 must say" the Major added
"there is one slight offset to our grief
I could not keep Mrs. Schottguhn in tn
city, and she has gone to the country
intending to visit for about three week
at the home of each of the friends VIII
have just gone from US; that will It'd
US over till spring, and meantime Pv
got to live cheap and pay up the debts
= Do you know" said the Major, as h
t mournfully gathered up the hig carpet
bag, "do you know of some place wher
can live cheap through the winter? :?