The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-06-28
in San Francisco, but now Ralston is at


the head of it"
"Well, Mr.. Goold, that's the same
Billy Ralston that borrowed five hun
dred dollars of me down in st. Louis in
'4S. Do you think he could pay it back
now?"
"Pay it backl" said Mr.. Goold, "wliy
you're joking. Pay it back! Ralston
pay five hundred dollars! Why, Martin,
Ralston can pay five million dollars -
"Well," +" said Martin, "when you see
Billy in Frisco, you just tell him bout
me-and if he amt strapped and if 'twont
break lin up, just wish he'd pay me
that five hundred dollars
"The fact of it is," said Mr.. Goold,
as he told the story, 81 thought Martin
was joking. I had no idea that Ralston
owed him anything. But when got
back to California L thought I'd banter
Ralston about it. So one day when L
was in Ralston's room, I said jokingly !:
"Youre a nice fellow, Ralston, to be
cheating an old friend out of five hundred
dollars, ain'tyou9"
"What do you mean ?" said Ralston.
"Why, when was in New York the
other day, a man by the name of Mar
tin -
"What" exclaimed Ralston, jumping
to his feet, "Warwick Martini"
eyes, Warwick Martin -
"Where's his address?" "HereW
he shouted to the cashier of the bank,
telegraph ten thousand dollars to the
credit of Warwick Martin-quick!" and
Ralston danced around like a crazy man.
"The next day." continued Mr..
Goold, "Warwick Martin received a
telegram from Lees & Walters, "a Pine
street, to call and receive something de-
posted to his credit"
"By iingo!' said Martin to his wife,
"I'll bet Billy has sent me that five hun
dred dollars. If he has, Betty, you can
pick out silk dress at Stewart's," and
then he hurried off to Lees & Walters.
"I called to see about some money"
said Martin, looking through the bank
screen at Mr.. Lees. "You say have
some to my credit here
Glow much are you expecting, and
who from ?" asked the banker, carefully,
as is the custom with people who receive
money by telegraph.
"I'm looking for five hundred dol
lars, from Billy Ralston, " said Martin.
"No five hundred to your credit here, "
said the banker, "but there is ten thou
sand to Warwick Martin.
"Ten thousand ?" gasped Martin.
eyes; ten thousand dollars p
" Well, faint me-" said Martin, sor.
rowfully. "It's some other Martin
and faint from Billy, after all. Just
my luck p and Warwick drew his hanc
across his brow, and sighed with disap
pointment.
eff your name is Warwick Martin
you can take this ten thousand dollars,
said Mr.. Lees.
"By Jupiter p said Warwick, as he
narrated the incident to Mr.. Goold, "]
didn't think twas mine but though
of Betty-thought of the dress L prom
ised her, and then took the money ant
sneaked home like culprit. I handed
it to Betty, but never smiled for two
days, was so afraid the mistake woulC
be detected. But when I got Letter
from Ralston himself" said Martin, "]
tell you there was high old celebration
in our house %
"Did Ralston have a great funera
when he died ?" I asked Mr.. Goold.
Funeral, sir should say he did
Why, was in that funeral procession
for four hours, and never moved out o
my tracks"
"How was that %
"Why, the head came to a halt be
fore the tail started. 1t was the frs
procession ever seen in San Francisc
where the tail processed four miles with
out moving"