Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-03-18

Spltndltt, lnueeu,
Crops growing finely"
Yes--couldnt be better.
Twas sitting in car on Wisconsin
railroad, one dry, years ago, when q
good-looking, pleasant spoken man came
along, stopped at my seat, and the above
conversation took place, the latter part
Of it after had given him part of my
seat
Now, | an regarded as social man.
I like q Joke; more so then than now.
On entering railroad car, | always
looked about for laxative man, and
then | got as close to him as possible,
and drained him dry, u the journey was
bong enough
Ard / want TO state one thing more:
Left nm orphan before | could realize the
sad event which made me one, 1 got
kicked here and cuifed there and grew up
between folks, as they say. ought to
have had at the time of which | write, a
pretty thorough knowledge of human ma
turc, and have been enabled to read evil
i'll mans face if he intended me evil
did not pride myself mt being over-keen
or sharp, but the knocking around
among strangers ought to have given any
one good experience.
Well, the stranger and | fell into an
easy strain OF conversation ms we rode
together, and in ten minutes | began to
enjoy his company. He was Il we'll made
fellow, finely dressed and wore fine
watch and II simon pure diamond ring.
never saw man who could talk 80 easy
aud 80 pleasantly. 1t seemed that he
hnd but to open his mouth and the words
fell right out.
| bad travelled i'll the south, 80 had he.
had heard the roar of the Pacific, he
knew NIL about it. | had been up IN a
balloon, down in q nine, been blown up;
smashed up and repaired again and
again; my new friend had experienced
all these things and was wishing for
something of more startling nature.
We agreed on politics, neither had any
religion, and had never met such rail-
road companion.
Did you ever meet man, who, though
stranger 80 YOU ten minutes before.
could wrest from you your secrets which
you had sworn 10 yourself not to reveal ?
Well, he WAS such n man. 1t was not
long before he commenced asking me
Juestions. He did not seem trying 20
quiz or dlnw me out, but ne asked me
questions in such sly, roundabout way,
that before knew it was giving him
my history.
| was at TINT time Just ON the point OF
beng admitted 30 the bar of Wisconsin
az student of Law g. Law, of Brictville
The firm were old lawyers with lucra-
tive practice, and ii had been talked over
that in ahout a month | should he the
"Co. Of the firm A year before, n
farmer named Preston. down about four
miles from Grafton died, and his matters,
had been put into the hands of Law Il
Law for settlement Preston had died
rich. He had money in the bank. rail-
road stock. mortgages, etc, and every
thing NHs settled up to the satisfaction
OF Tho rphct and faiherlesS
about wear before his death, beng
p,u,l3d for money. and not wishing TO
ell anything nj u sacrifice, Preston had
giycn mortgage on his own farm tor
5000 While The papers read "tor one
year from date" there WAS Il verbal
agre ment that II should be lifted any
day that Preston desired. month
after. when, having the funds to clear
the paper, the "old money bags hold
inc it refused to discharge, wishing to
secure his interest for year.
was Oh my way 10 learn the date OF
expiration \ fire among our office
pupcrs had destroyed the memoranda,
and | must 90 down and get the date
from old Scip, who lived south of Graf
ton, about five miles, The stranger
pumped ali this out Of me in about ten