The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-17


sis hundred. His master being one of the
clerks of the Coomptcr, Audley had many
opportunities of practicing his dsreputable
cunning, and Of obtaining vast sums by de-
luding insolvent debtors and in deceiving
their creditors. lie would buy bad debts
for mere trAe and afterward compound
with the poor insolvent One instance OF
his avarce aud villainy is so curious that
we can not refrain from giving the anecdote
to our readers. A tradesman named Miller
unfortunately got into arrears with his mer-
chant, whose name was White. Many fruit.
less applications were made for the debt, and
at last Miller was sued by the merchant for
the sum of two hundred pohhds. He was
unable TO meet the demand and was declar-
insolvent. Audley goes to White and offers
him forty pounds for the debt, which the
merchant gladly accepts, He then goes to
tance of tho debt for fifty pounds, upon con-
dition that he entered into a bond to pay
for the accommodation. The drowning man
catches at straw, and the insolvent, with
many protestatluns of thanks, eagerly signs
a contract which, without consideration, he
regarded as one so light and so easy in terms
as to satisfy him that the promptings of be-
nevolence and friendship could only actuate
his voluntary benefactor The contract was
that he should pay Audley some time with
in twenty years from that timej one penny
progressively doubled, on the first day of
twenty consecutive months; and in case he
failed to fulfill these easy terms, he was to
pay tihe of five hundred pounds. Thus
acquitted of his debt of two hundred pounds,
Miller arranged with the rest Of his credit
ors and again commenced business. For
tune turned, and he participated literally
to his trade and at last he became firmly es-
tabished. Two or three years after signing
the almost forgotten contract Miller was ac-
costed one fire morning in October by old
Audey,. who politely demanded the first in
stalment of the agreement. With a smile,
and many renewed expressions of thankful
ness, the hopeful tradesman paid his penny.
On the first 6f the succeeding month Aud
ley again called and demanded twopence,
and was as politely satisfied as berors. On
the first of December he received groat !;
the first of February one shilling and four
rehte. Still Miller did not see through the
artifce, but paid him with gracious smile /;
perhaps, however, there was something Gym
ical in the look Of Audley as he left the shop
this time; for the poor tradesman's suspi-
cions were aroused, and lie put his pen to
paper, as he ought to have done years be-
fore, to ascertain the amount of his subse
quent payments. Reader, what think you
would have been the amount of the pay
ment due on the first of the twentieth month?
What SUN, think yej the little penny had
become? No less than two thousand one
hundred and eighty pounds And what
was the aggregate sum Of all these twenty
monthly payments? Why, the enormous
sum of four thousand tttee hundred and
sixty-six pounds, eleven shillings and three
pence 1t sounds incredible. But if you
think it a fable, do as Miller did, and reckon
for yourselves. OF course, Miller refused
the payment of his bond and forfeited five
hundred pounds by The benevoleuce and
charity of the miser.
vandille is one of the most remarkable
characters, as a miser, that is to be found
among the eccentric biographies Of France.
His riches we're immense, and his ayarice
and parslmony extreme. He hired a mis-
cradle garret in one of the most obscure
parts of Paris, and paid poor woman a sou
day to wait on him. Exceptiag once n
week his diet was never varied; bread and
milk for breakfast, tie same for dinner and
the same for supper, all the week round.
On Sunday he ventured To indulge in a
glass of sour wine, and he strove to satisfy
the compunctions OF conscience by bestow-
ing, in charity, farthing every Sabbath.
/ This munfcence, which incurred an expen-
diture of one shilling and penny per an
fore his death he found, with some degree
of regret, that during his life he had dis
bursed no less than forty-three shillings and
lourpence. Forty-three shillings and four
pence prodigous generosity for the richest
man in Francel VandilIe had been mag
! istrate at Boulogne, and while in that Office
he partly maintained himself, free of cost,
by constituting himself milk-taster general
at the market. lie would munich his scrap
Of bread and wash it down with these gra-
tutous draughts. By such parsimonious
artifces and a most penurious course Of life,
he succeeded in amassing an enormous for
tune, and was in a position to lend vast
sums of money to the French government.
When he had occasion to journey from Boa
! logne TO Paris, he avoided the expense OF
coach fare by proceeding on foot and, lest
/ he should be robbed, he never carried more
than threepence in his pocket, although he
! had a distance of a hundred and thirty
miles before him. If he found this sum in
sufficient, he would profess poverty, ana beg
frorh the passengers on the road trife to
help him on. In the year 1875, Vandille,
the miser, was worth nearly eight hundred
tEou5ahd pounas. He used to boast that
this vast accumulation sprang from a single
shilling. The winter OF the year 1874 had
been very cold and bitter, and the miser
felt inclined to purchase a little extra fuel
in tGe summer time, to provide, to some ex-
tent, against the like severity in the ensu-
ing winter. He heard a man pass the street
with wood to self; he haggIed for an uncon-
scous time about the price, and at last com
pleted his bargain, at the lowest possible
rate. Avarice had made the miser dishon-
est, and he stole from the poor woodman
several logs. In his eagerness to carry them
away, and hide his i'l-gotten store, he over
heated his blood, and produced fever. Fo:
the first time in his life he sent for a sur
geon. "a wish TO be bled," said he; "what
is your charger" "Half a livre," was the
reply. The demand was deert6a extcrtion-