The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-06-19


Smile in grave duty's face--and hand in hand,
With work and love. make for the better |
land.
The peasant Millionaire"
BY the murder Of Josef Weyer at |
Szentes, Hungary, the Emperor Of Aus
tria has lost one Of his wealthiest and !
most noteworthy subjects peasant who |
was a much more curious character
than ninety-nine out of hundred; peers
and princes Of the realm. Weyer was
popularity known a. the "pcasant million
aire." Sixty years ago he began lite as
a small farmer. At the time of his death
he enjoyed I'm income of 100000 guldens,
in spite Of which he lived in a modest
farmhouse, dressed like peasant, ate
food which his wife cooked, and in
obliged in no luxury except horseback
riding.
The latter might be regarded as ne
cessity though. Like most Hungarian
farmers, he was an extensive cattle
breeder, and his herds were scattered
over miles Of vast grazing plains. He
counted his houses and farms, too, by the
score, and up to the day of his death
Kept all Of his vast possessions under his
personal supervision.
Many curious stories arc told of the old
farmer prince and his eccentric ways.
He was a peasant to the core in spite
of his enormous wealth, and looked it.
At one time he bid at an auction sale OF
oxen, which, according to Hungarian
fashion, were put up by y"kes. There
were 300 yokes, and the old man bought
the whole 600 beasts. The auctioneer
was stranger, and when the miserable,
shabby little granger who had bid SO
steadily was pointed out to him; he wax
ed wroth.
"Josef Weyer," he said, "do you not
know that it is forbidden by law to hoax
public auctioneer2"
"Surely, sir, SURELY was the reply.
''The price Of the oxen you have bid
for must be paid down. Cash! do you
understand cash!''
The old man dived into the breast of
his dingy dolman, hauled out ragged,
old blue silk handkerchief, and without
. word counted out pile Of 1000 gulden
notes, that made the auctioneer's mouth
water.
"1t's pity you have no more bull
locks" he said, as he rolled the remaining
notes up and stuffed them back into his
breast; II was in hopes to be able to buy
thousand Or So"
During the state of siege which sue
ceeded the Hungarian revolution an
cdict was enacted forbidding the peas
ants Of the Thesis valley to use saddle
horses without a special permit from
the military governor.
One day some gems nrmes overlook
Josef Weyer riding along some twenty
miles from Szentes, on his favorite horse
and demanded his pass.
1T is at home IN my house in Szentes, -
he said.
'Indecd! And how is it that you
venture to affront the law by travelling
without pass?'
Travelling? Why. l am not travelling.
l am only visiting my estates.'
The ge"s-d'armes grinncd. They fam
cied they had prize in this old beggar
who with sweep Of his hand claimed
proprietorship Of dozen leagues Of land.
Perhaps he was even one of the dreaded
revolutionlsts. At any rate, they arrest
ed him, laughed at his request to send to
his house for his pass, and as the Judge
was busy ordering insurgents off by
patches to the fortress or the grave, he
vas locked up for several days He did
not grumble, and true to his busy in
stincts pottered around the Jail doing
light chores till a small official who knew
him found him cleaning window.
'Good heavens. Herr Weycrr' he ex-
claimed, "a hat are you doing herea'
"Don't you see, my son? Cleaning the
windows. The gens-d'arnls arrested me
because had no pass"
The man secured bis release at once. A
short time afterward, on the day of his
marriage, lawyer handed him the deeds
of comfortable little farm and ten cows
and oxen. Old Josef Weyer had not for
gotten the good turn lie had done him.
Weyer purchased his farm from Count
Steven Karoly, who let him have it on
easy terms, in view Of his poverty. Maj
shall Haynan fined the count Of u half
million gulden for befriending Kossuth,
after the capture Of Ofen by the impe.
rial troops. The Counts resources were
badly crippled at the time, and his stew
ard was in despair at his inability to
make up the amount Of the imposition,
when little old man, smelling rankly
Of sour milk, called on and stated
that he had heard Count Steven wanted
to borrow some money.
swell, what business of yours is that2"
II though I might. help little, sir
The Count was good friend to me once
God bless him land I would like to
help him if l could"
The steward laughed heartily.
"Why, my dear fellow: do you know
how much money the Count needss"
| Excuse me--no, sir"
1.-TWO hundred thousand guldcn. Do
you know how much money that is2''
"Lookl look! muttered the old man,
scratching lbs ear. ''Why. l haven't
brought that much with me, to be
sure"
81 should fancy not NJ ,
"But here is hundred and eighty
thousand. I'll 20 home and bring the
rest IN the morning."
Josef Weyer was assassinated most
brutally by drunxen. vagabond at .
public house in Szcntes. The miscreant,
who ~as mad drunk, was shot dead by
the police in attempting to secure him.
The colossal fortune Of the peasant mil
lionaire will probably go to the State, as
his wife is dead, and he is not known to
have any heirs. ., :. r.. .,
"First class in ethics, stand up! Brough.
ton, what IS truth9' Truth 10 stranger
than fiction. ""O! it il, 10 it9 Well, maybe
in your case, for have no doubt that il
Providence has been just to you, it has
made you pretty intimate with friction
but cant you give me any other ezplans,
ton of truth7" "Truth Is disease that
Gen: Washington died Of, an as you
and I weren't alive then, we never
caught-itl' 49,. ~
! Tho Stomach CannoeOo Freiehted'