The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-06-20
The source OF Wlndralls.

From the n. 7. Times.
Millions of pounds of sterling are now
lying in the Bank Of England without
claimant or known owner. Such is the
statement Of an English attorney, who
has written useful little book on un.
claimed money. If 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 hum
ger, we should say without hesitation
that he was not truthful person. BIT
the love of money is as strong a passion
as hunger. For the one and the other
men will lie, cheat, steal, burn, and raur-
der-anything for q dollar or q 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
sums, amounting sometimes to 81 600,
600 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 unlucky 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 and benefi-
cent possibilities wrapped up in this
ownerless treasure guarded by the Bank
of England are uncomfortable. How
many tales, "unco mornfu'" and other
wise, would its rightful distribution un-
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. It 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 mother
whose children have strayed widely She
is the mother-coun to US and to 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 Ct
broken up the lines of property success
sion in thousands offamilies. The emiqran'
has commonly had but slender means
going aboard young, with a resolute hear
and ready hands to seek fortune in thu
new country; while the elder generation
settled in vocation and in possession of {
competency, has staid at home. Will
travel, change, and adventure the forme,
grows less frequent, and is dropped--of
ten because there is nothing but ill-lucl
to write about land at lenth the staid
conservative old father, uncle, or eide
brother, grown fatter and richer will
years, dies and leaves his wealth to tn,
wanderer, who never hears of the bequest
The estate then, perhaps, gets into Chan
:: Gerry, and is frittered away or bestowed
in direction entirely contrary to the in
tention Of the testator; or, if no will b
found, and the heir law not appearing
nor any next of kin, the estate reverts t
! the Crown. 1t may be recovered, how
ever, on establishing claim.