Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-20
A Singular Woman.

A Singular Woman.
Fosters Democrat, OF the 18th, gives
this singular history of Milton woman
A short time since some OF the Boston
papers noticed the death of Miss Joanna
Farnham, about 50 years of age, and fol
a long series of years known as the house
keeper at the American House in Boston,
She went from Milton, N. H., in her
early days. and during her long life at
the hotel nobody supposed she had any
property, and at her death it was not
generally known that she had a surplus
dollar anywhere. But she had trunk
at the American House, which was
opened and found to contain q variety OF
dry goods, notes for $4,000 against the
proprietor of the American House, a
bank book of the Blackstone Bank, show
ing deposits of S1,700, small sum OF
money, and also piece Of paper having
a trunk key wrapped up in it, and on
the paper was writing stating that the
key belonged to another trunk, which
could be found at the house of relative
in Milton. This led to visit to Milton,
and there some curious developments
were made The trunk referred to as
being at Milton was found, opened with
the key found in the former trunk, and
this second trunk was packed full OF all
sorts of fine wearing apparel, and con-
tanned also key in a piece Of paper, upon
which was the statement that this key
belonged to another trunk at a certain
other house. And so this thing was fol-
lowed up until twenty very large sized
trunks and three huge packing
chests were found, all crammed
full of the most expensive articles
of ladies' wearing apparel and
house furnishings that the Boston mar
ket afforded. When these trunks and
boxes were all collected they loaded
down a four-ox-team, and were drawn
to large hall in Milton, unpacked and
inventoried, preparatory to an auction
sale for the benefit Of the heirs. Among
all these valuables were SO dresses, new
and perfect, made of silk velvet, satin,
and all kinds of plaid silks, black and
colored thibets, poplins, alpacas, brillian-
tines, cashmeres, ETC.; silk velvet
cloaks, 10 shawls, from common to the
richest Paisley and wrought Grape; 106
skirts of all colors; la pairs of hose; I'M
der-garments too numerous to mention,
table linen, towels, handkerchiefs, coun-
ter panes, blankets, coverlets, sheets, live
geese feathers; sets of elegant China
ware; large lot of table and teaspoons
of best coin silver, silver knives and
forks; a fine gold watch chain, and a
large lot of fine jewelry, and so forth
and so on. 1t is said that the best dress
cost not less than 5000. All of these
goods are perfectly new and in the best
order, never having been used at all.
There is enough of the whole to stock
large store, and all in all the strangest
legacy ever left by a poor housekeeper
who worked for small wages all her life.
Yet there is said to be no doubt that she
came honestly by all, as it has since been
ascertained where and of whom she pun
chased them at various times as she went
along. The original cost of all these
goods was not less than 5000, and the
owner while she lived went clad all her
days in theVery cheapest sort of apparel,
the strangest specimen of humanity ever
1-n Re-