The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-06
HOarding An Imaginary Fortune.

Within about two miles of this town
lies tract of marshy, low land, which,
on account of its situation, is called the
swamp" The few people who can
stand the constant risk of malaria, aud
dwell within the confines, are termed
swampers." These people are of the
poorest classes, and subsist mostly off
the benefactions of their neighbors in
the town. Several of the inhabitants
have established areputation for eccen-
tricities of character, but Zone equals a
man Familiarity known as Luny Jake. {"
That he is crazy, and has been for
years, is not q particularly noticeable
matter, but the manifestations of his
lunacy assume such an odd and I'M
usual form that he has always at
tracted marked attention. Before he
lost his reason he was a miner, and it
is generally believed that the theft of
part of his acquired treasures by some
of his swamp neighbors was the imme-
diate cause of his mental ruin. The
natural effect of all this was that his
greatness embodied the old desire for
gold. He is eold-blind. To him every
thing wears a golden hue, and, like the
Arabian of the fable, all things were
converted into gold at his touch. He
has a meek, quiet look that does not
betoken much insanity; but the shape
of his face is exceedingly repulsive. 1t
is long, coming almost to point at the
chin, and the cheek bones project to
an unusual extent. He wears Co.'S
tune which he made himself out of
canvas and old meal bags. A shirt of
canvas somewhat like those worn by
the college boys in foot ball games COW
ers the upper portion of his body,
while pair of trowsers formed out of
meal-bags keep the winds off his limbs.
The bags proved too short for the pur-
pose, evidently, for they only reach
short distance below the knees. A hat,
full of holes, and ragged around the
rim, covers his head. A coat, given
him probably by some sympathizing
stranger, and much too large for his
shrunken form, completes his dress.
This is the figure with which every
resident here has become familiar. The
boys still follow him through the
streets, and laugh at him as he gathers
pebbles and bits of wood, believing
they are coin of great value, but the
older people are so accustomed to the
sight that they scarcely give him Sec
ond glance. He walks along the streets
and stops to place in basket, or some
times small sack, every stone of
medium size. He calls these gold
eagles, and chatters to himself about
his enormous wealth stored up in his
little hut in the swamp. He calls at
the stores and asks for advertising
cards. These he imagines are bank
bills OF various denominations. There
is one of the leading drug stores of the
town which Jake frequents more than
any other, because the bright. colored
cards of patent medicines there offered
for distribution seem to enchant and
captivate him. He is permitted to take
reasonable quantity of these, and he
goes away, always muttering about the
increase of his registered Government
bonds. He is perfectly harmless, never
attempting to assail anyone and even
declining to resent the insults given
him by the urchins along the streets.
1t is this fact of his peaceable DISPOSE
ton which has kept him out of the
asylum. His home is a small broken
down shanty in the swamps, in which
are secreted with the utmost care thou
sands of stones, cards and sticks. He
cries and wrings his hands when any
one tries to enter the house. 1t is said
that he spends half of the night in
counting and recounting his aginary
fortune. None of his relatives, if he
has any, ever offers him any assistance,
and his condition is really pitiable. 1t
is not probable that he will live long,
as he is reduced almost to skeleton.
-Ftenetlgtof1 IN. j. Cor. N. Y. Times.
The mysteries of a baby's toilet were
altogether new to little four-years' old,
a r II