Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-03-04


The following perSsctly true story Il
hardly enlilled 10 = place In this col
nmn. but as ias lack Of humor Is some
what atoned ioF by very obvious NOR
a, and asii would doubtless Gail 90 seacIs
the puiilie 10 any ether way We give Il
herewiths
The other day We met on Kearny
street an old Washoe acquaintance
called Jem Briggs, whose usually seedy
miner's apparel was on this occasiua
replaced by a gorgeous display of vel !
vet .vesi, checked pants. red ties sud
pondercus gold watch chain. while bis
honest. and simple fare shone ahose
these svIdenres D prosperity With TIE
placid conientment Of q fall harvest
neon. s
"HeIlo, Jem," We said; s'glad 20 see
you looking 50 well. Look like you'd
struck Il rich recently"
$50 have" said Jem; and then as
bis honest face saddened a little. be
continued, "but I've just had mighty
tough loss, though. My partner-Ned
BinIber-you remember Ned s--has
gone up the shaft" sI 50
dead, ehs' 3 bs
eyes I'll tell you how il was. You
see Ned and bad quarrel about two
years ago. Don't matter now what 1t
was all about. Mebbe Ned was wrong.
and mebbe / was: but all the same,
neither Of as would back down-eou-
pier dern fools, you'll say; and so We
wcre-and the Upshot was we parted
and agreed never to speak to each other
again" st,.
"And didn't you 20
mo, ssr; we didn't--more shame for
Us, as had been pards fifteen years to-
gether. Well, about q year ago Ned
got good gravel claim upon the Feaih-
er, and struck il thick. Cleaned up
over two hundred thousand in six
months."3 t.a we ed p
"And how were you getting on :"
"Oh clean broke; working up on
the Com. for four dollars day. Well.
! was kinder sneakin' glad 10 hear Of
Ned's luck; but the next thing heard
was that he had been killed BY the
mines caving in on him. He lived just
long enough to make bis will. Well,
the lawyer found that Ned was worth
about S22O. 900, and The will gave
$4,000 10 each one OF his three broth
ers-they had all come cut from the
East whea they heard of Ned's find
and The same amount to me, for all we'd
quaFrelled. But Ned alters was cen
trio sort Of cuss, and fhe will provided
that none Of as should get the money il
We attended the funeral. He didn't
want anybody present but ths nj Ister
and the undertaken. He said he had
died lonely, and he wanted to be bu-
ried lonely Them's just his words.
The distribution OF the rest Of the es-
tate, about 500, 900, be had provided
for in another codicil, TO be opened tie
day after the funeral, but we all under
stood it was donated 10 charitable OBJ
iect."
"oi course, you stayed away from The
funeral s''
"Well. you see, that was just The
point. Somehow ! felt 80 kinder mis-
eFabIe and down-hearted--you see Ned
was the only partner / ever had-t!Iat
| determined TO 60 and see him seat
down on bis last cage anyway-TnOney
or no money-and did"
.'And the three brothers - a1
"No, they none ofthsm went; in fact,
they were so drsgusted al the 'd;vy' that
they cleared out down TO Frisco right
away to see about breaking the will.
So was the only person at the funeral.
My friends all thought me lunatic 20
throw away $4,000 in that style, but
somehow ] couldn't helpit. As il turned
out, however, il was the luckiest thing
ever did,"
"How was that ?"
"Why, the next day when the main
viii was opened, we found it really
gave The entire balance Of the property
TO whichever one Of us four disobeyed
the conditions Of the $1,000 beqOests.
So you see, | came in for the whole
$500, 900 just like a knife. And, do
you know, shall alters think, " said the
legatee, as he hastily steeFed Us into
The nearest barroom to conceal the gath.
ering moisture in hIs eye, 81 shall all
lers believe that Ned kinder put up the
whole job purpose, cause he knOU'd
I'd be thar F'