The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-07-16

4 LONG STANDING DEBT. .--Nearlvif il not
quite half century ago, Mr.. Anthony Long,
father-in-law Of Mr., Joseph Skelly, of this
place came to Cambria county and located
in Iorett0, where for many years he follow o.
ed his tradc-that Of tailor. In pursuance
of this ayOcatiOn he made n coat in February,
1879 for q man who at present resides in FL
der township, this county but who, il seems,
did not have the wherewithal to pay for the
garment at the time the work was done -
He promised, however, TO ''sOck up the
amount, FIVE dollars inside of two weeks
from the time Of delivery, and having no
doubt about his honesty, Mr.. Long permitted
him to depart with the coat in his possession.
Not only the weeks but many others passed
into oblivion, and yet the man with the coat
came not to pay for the making Of it, In
fact, Mr. Long neither saw nor heard of him
for many Iona months, and then the UnSatiS-
factory information reached him that the
man he had trusted had been sent to the
penitentiary for hoTse-stealing- OF his sub
Seduent career Mr.. Long. for aught we
know may have received tidinrS from time
to time. but certain it is that up to present
writing he has not been paid cent of what
is honestly due him from the party in uues-
ton Learning a few DAYS ago that his
debtor was still in the land of the living, and
that he resided in Elder township, the
'rknigit of the goose, - who is now upward
of seventy years of age, started ON foot from
his home in WilmOTe and walked the entire
distance, a matter of twenty-Odd miles, to
the residence of the man whom he had
trusted more than fOrty-One years ago, and
i'm whom he evidently still had faith enough
to believe that he would pay the debit
Reaching his destination wearief and foot
sore. Mr.. Long presented his bill, now
amounting principal and interest, to Sl7 -.
The party of the second part had no hesita-
ton in acknowledging the honesty and regU-
laritv of the claim, but regretted very much
that he didn't Just then have the money to
Hquidate the same, though he promised not
to permit three weeks from that date to 60
over his head without making settlement i'm
full Basinc his calculation on the fact that
the account was to have been paid within
two weeks after the coat was finished and
handed over to his tardy customer, and that
upward of fOrty-one years have elapsed since
that time Mr.. Long was not long in arriving
/ at the conclusion that himself and his debtor
would in all probability be dead, buried and
forgotten foT fully half century before the
three weeks of grace asked for in in TIN,
latter instance have "COne glimmerinc
/ among the things that were" With thi,
( consolirg Thought uppermOst in his mind
Mr. Long turned his face next day in the
direction of home, which he eventually
reached in anything, we presume, but
F happy mood and there we leave him to fig
rre ont for himself how much better it wOulC
have been TO forgive an outlawed debt thar
+ travel a matter of fOrty-oGd miles, only to b,
/ met with the assurance that the claim woUlC
be paid inside of three weeks, which, accord
inc to the debtors mode of counting, Wi
not elapse until near about the middle o
; the next century.