River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-06-20
The Source OF Mindfalls.

From the N. Y. Ti,aes
Millions of pounds of sterling are now
lying in the Bank Of England without a
claimant or known owner Such is the
statement of an English attorney, who
has written a useful little book ON un-
claimed money. IL a London cook
should say that he had frequntly seen
tables loaded down with roast beef and
Southdown mutton, while men sat
around clutching their gaunt hands ever
their unfed stomachs and dying of hun
ger, we should say without hesitation
that he was not truthful person. BIT
the love of money = as strong passion
as hunger. For the one and the other
men will lie, cheat, steal, burn, and Inur-
der-any thing for dollar or dinner
yet the owners of these millions have
but to appear and claim their own. Not
one of them, however, knows that he
has a shilling in the Bank of England,
and that is the strange part of it. 1t is
almost incredible that money in vast
suns, amounting sometimes to 81 1000,
900 or more, should be mislaid, as it
were, put away by the father or uncle,
and forgotten by the next and all sue
ceeding generations.
Yet this is the story told over and over
again in the records Of unclaimed funds.
Windfalls are the pivot upon which the
action of countless novels turns, and
thousands of uniucky but sanguine NOR
tails refrain from drowning themselves
or taking their lager with strychnine
seasoning solely through the hope of un-
expected assets. The romantic aud beneti
cent possibilities wrapped up in this
ownerless treasure guarded by the Bank
of England are inconceivable. How
many tales, unco mornfu' and other
wise, would its rightful distribution I'M
fold, how many suffering souls would be
made happy All this might be if peo
pie knew who they were and whence
they came The assiduous cultivation of
the family tree is the surest way to dis
cover and secure unsupported blessings
CT this nature II is not reluctant and
tender plant but right hardy and of GER
tain growth when we'll tended.
England, through the great bank in
Threadneedle street, is the trustee OF
more unclaimed money than any other
country on the globe probably of more
than all put together, simply because she
is one of the oldest of the highly civilized
powers, and had fixed financial habits
and institutions as early as any, and
more especially because she is a mother
whose children have strayed widely. She
is the mother country to us and 10 vast
range of colonies.
English blood and the English speach
are found everywhere on earth where
water runs and grass grows. This long
continued emigration has sundered count
less ties of kindred and disturbed or
broken up the lines of property success
SION in thousands of families. The emigrant
has commonly had but slender means,
going aboard young, with resolute heart
and ready hands to seek fortune In the
new country; while the elder generation,
settled in vocation and in possession OF a
competency, has staid at home. With
travel. change, and adventure the former
grows less frequent. and is dropped--of-
ten because there is nothing but ill-luck
to write about and at Tenth the staid,
conservative old father, uncle, or elder
brother, grown fatter and Kicker with
wears, dies and leaves his wealth to the
wandeTer, who never hears of the bequest
The estate then, perhaps, gets into Chan
Gerry, and is frittered away or bestowed
| in a direction entirely contrary to the IN
tention of the testator; or, If no will be
found, and the heir-at- law not appearing
nor any next of kin, the estate reverts tt
the Crown. 1T may be recovered, how,
ever, on establishing claim.
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