Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-08-15
Toledo Blsde.l
An Enemy Of His Race.


MSW Ne Crushed Mr.. Hay osa h
sssseA - Gesss.g HE Money Beck.
Some thirty years ago . young man
named Thompson. Matthew. lett his al
cestral home In Vermont and settled In the
wilderness on the Wabash river, where
now stands the pleasant village Of Pooles-
vile. foun2 Thompson was Of good New
England stock, and would have made his
way anywhere. Had he stayed In Yer
mont he would have covered the bare
rocks OF that State with soil. and would
have grown, not bananas, for there are
limits TO even vermonter. but corn and
| rye and potatoes, and Whatever may be
grown In the Vermont climate. But he
preferred . home In the West, and he
came with his fortune carefully done up In
a bandanna handkerchief.
Young Thompson commenced as
school teacher. studying law the while
with great assduity and relish. Then he
bought some land, clearing = part Of II.
and la due time opened an office. took to
himself wife aud settled down. Now be
it known Mr.. Thompson WAS an exceed
ingly close attender to business. He did
not risk his IN oney yainly upon the speed
OF wicked horse, nor did he toss cards 10
the back end OF the sinful grocery. as WAS
the custom Of many Pooiesvillsns who
passed for respectable. He WAS ignorant
OF the mysteries OF poker-brag, we un-
derstand they played then-and whisky
had never denled bis throat. The haunts
of the ungodly were not his. but his days
we're spent In labor and his nights in rest;
aud SO he lived and waxcd rich. - any
man will. who does just a. be did.
In 1859 Poolesvilie wanted bank. Mr..
Thompson, being one OF the wealthiest
men In the place. took stock 10 IL, As he
had In the Poolesville and Jericho railroad.
aud the Poolesville and JoppA PIKE, the
woolen-mill. tie foundry. and all other
enterprises that had made Poolesville what
| 1t was. For Mr.. Thompson was rather
enterprising than otherwise, and = very
liberal man. His only faults Ia the eyes
! OF his neighbors we're he wouldn't drink.
he wouldn't bet on quarter races. and his
face was set like flint against card-play-
ing for money. He was . Puritan. But
despite these blemishes on an otherwise
excellent character he was considered the
best man for President Of . bank. aud as
the position suited him he boush, up all
the stock for himself and his son Charles.
whom he made cashier. and run Il all
| himself
I, was . very useful institution. that
| bank. Mr.. Thompson put Int It all his
money and lent IL to his nei2hbors. aud
bought and sold, gold end broscn-bank
money. and sold exchange 90 New York
and did everything belonging TO . leglti-
mate banking business, aud but for
confederation Of circumstances would
have gone down TO his grave honor.d and
respected
In 1868 Poolesville was struck IS we'll ~
| all other towns with the famous rise Ia all
kinds Of property. Men In Poolesville got
rich suddenly. Gold ran up TO 300. Farm
er Jones, some years before. had borrowed
$1,000 OF Mr.. Thompson to pay of . mort.
gage on his farm. When jones borrowed
this money IL took . mighty good horse to
bring go, but now the Government wanted
all the horscs, and WAS printing money by
the ton 10 pay 70. them, and the 80 horse
OF four years ago WAS now worth $500.
Farmer Jones simply sold three horses
and third, and came In and rendered o..
90 to Mr.. Thompson and he took I. lie
wasn't entirely certain that he ought not
to have had gold. for tina, WAS shs; he
lent. but he couldn't help himself and he
took greenbacks. The trouble with Thomp-
son was that the OIL 600 he received was
only worth one-third Of the el 900 he lent.
II Was the creditor class that WAS walking
the floor then.
or conrse. under the stimulating IN
fuence OF this food of money real estate
was mounting up, as WAS horses. In 1870,
IL was In February, . Ar. AbsAlom Hay,
who represented a half dozen Insurance
companies In Poolesville. 20. bitten with
the prevailing mania. He had ali the
tastes OF the other Poolesvillans, aud de-
sired to get rich. He had never accumu-
lated any money himself. but his wife had
inherited from her mother, the Widow |
Cleary, q house worth In the old time
something like 9i.0pO, but now cheap at |
u 600. Mr.. Hay felt 1t necessary TO bay = |
field adjoining the village, OF Seth Hindle- |
man. who wanted to 20 to California, |
which be could get for Gao one-fourth |
down and the balance In two annual pay |
nents. As property was at the time II WAS |
\ decided bargain. There were twelve |
acres In the field. and they would Gu; up |
seven lots TO the acre. These lots would |
20 like ho, cakes ~ 81 COO each. Twelve |
sevens, eighty .four-ts4.0O 900 for el3O00. |
or course be would do IL. We are par |
,iculAr TO give the formula, for !, viii be |
quite new 10 our Toledo reAders). Aud |
he walked into Mr. Thompsou's bank and |
wanted 1900. the security being bis |
wifes house.
Mr. Thompson sent out and examined |
the title. found /, all right, the papers were |
made out aud he paid over 1900 In good |
money, put the mortgage In his safe. and |
went home To his frugal dinner. He didn't |
ask Mr.. Hay what he wanted To do with |
his mopey-lt WAS none OF hi. business.
Mr.. Hay surveyed the property, cut IL |
up into lots and they did sell As he Antici. |
pated. Finding himself growing very |
rich, he bought a carriage. for he felt that |
Mrs. II. should enjoy as he did. and com |
melced 4 rather free sort OF life. He |
used up. In his Improved style OF living, |
Gil the money he had received Is down |
payments on his lots, instead Of paying on |
the mortgage on his wife's house, which 3 |
hard, grasping and calculating man would |
have done.
There came 3 crash 10 1873, as will be |
remembered. The parties TO whom Mr.. |
Hay hsd sold bis lots suddenly stopped |
paying interest, and when be asked them |
for principal they laughed him 10 scorn. |
As they hadn't bollt any houses on them |
(they were all bought on speculation) they |
permitted them TO 60 back on his hands. |
Aud rs by this time the land that he had |
paid ol 600 az acre for was dear ~ ol00, |
he was In ptifui plight
And right here IL where Mr.. Thompson |
the grinding, exsciing Thompson-sp. |
peared In the appalling role OF MeIciless |
Fiend. When Mr. Hay ceased TO pay In |
teres; on his loan, Mr.. Thompson fore
closed and sold the house on which IL was |
secured! Mr.. Hay was outraged. Here |
y
out Of house earned by the sweat OF his |
wifes mother. Here was Shylock in |
sisting upon the payment Of money Dor. |
rowed when the money WAS worth only
fifty cents on the dollar. True. the house, |
which was mOrtgaged for $4,000 only sold |
for q 500. and Thompson lost the differ |
ence, bot be was q grasper for all that II |
was taking advantage Of him, Mr.. Hay |
said. He had been led into speculation |
What did know Of your speculationsY'
dems nded Thompson. u lent you money |
-you-but what IL the use Of taking"
Mr.. Hay considers Mr.. Thompson an en- |
envy to humanity, . human spider, an op- |
topus, vampire, and everything else that |
is grasping and sucking, and 90 do all the |
Hayses Of Poolesville. They have all
joined the National party, and they resolve |
that property Is robbery, that banks are |
extortiOn mills, and the grinders therein |
deserve ropes and short shrift And he
demands an unlimited issue OF Rreenbacks. |