Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1881-02-03

| the layer, dye seeP-he told me couldn't
get the money without, so fax had TO do u
till my hand was tired"
"Still, you wouldn't mind that II you got
well paid for it," said Captain Williams.
"Well, I'll Just tell you how 1t was. He
see, an uncle OF mine went out to America q
long time since. He was o ahigh-spirited lad,
and he just quarreled with the family,
and went out there, and they didn't know
but he was dead. But he bought O
bit OF land and farmed It,; and after O
while, dye see, they found Oil-Wells on his
land, and thin the government bought him
out for thirty-fYe thousand pounds. Wen.
he was getting old, and he didn't care for
working any more, and his wife died; ana
when the war broke out he had two sons,
and they were both killed at the battle OF
Yicksburg, and the old man never looked up
afterward; he just pined away and died.
But, ye see, he'd never sent any word home
where he was, nor told nobody out there
anything about his relations; and when he
died, the government didn't know what to
do with his property. So they put adYer-
tisements in the Irish papers, and me and
my brother answered them. And then L
had to come to London, and Father MalOney,
our praste, with me; and Mr.. Metcalfe tould
us, ali We. were 10 dc about getting GER
titicates Of baptism and marriage and sOrra
had to sign me name till was sick OF it,"
"Then you got the money at lastp said i.
"Ah, to be sure | did," he answered,
with wink and chuckle. "LOok here W
and he pulled out leathern pOcket-book,
and opening it, displayed good fat bundle
of Bank of England notes. ''Ye see, j drew
few hundred just to pay my expenses for
while, till 1 enjoy meself bit, and then l
shall go back and buy just as much land as l
,1o rto al Won
money, but they can't stale your land"
"But guess" broke in the American,
''you might invest your money so as to bring
you better return"
"Arrah, thin, but don't you see," replied
the shrewd Mr.. Murphy, "we've been
brought up on the land, and we know the
business, and if we tried anything else we
might do worse2" ...-.u.
"That's fact," laConically remarked the
Captain.
''Thin there's another thing" went on
our unsOphisticated Irishman, "that both
ers me good deal. There's what they call
a codiciI to my uncle's will, and it states that
whoever gifts the money is to go over to
America and buy little lot Of land in the
parish where he lived, and put up monu-
ment to the old gintleman. I've been trying
hard to get out o. that; but sure, Mr.. Met
calfe tells me I'll have to 60. Ay, but he was
quare fellow, that uncle o. mine-pace to
his sOwlW
eyes" said /; ''that is rather a curious
requirement"
"Ah, sure, but that's not all, nor the
quarest. You see, he says in the will that
one thousand pounds is to be given away in
charity, and the strange thing is that this one
thousand pounds is not to be given all in one
place, but to be divided into four parts, and
distributed in four different quarters. AM
sure, you know, his Reverence the praste
wanted to take it all back to ireland with
him; but Metcalfe said no, he must only take
a quarter; and so handed over two hum
dred and fifty pounds to him, and said:
Now, what'll you have for your throuble
in givin' away this money! He said he
didn't want nothing; however, gave him
twenty-five pounds for his throuble, and thin
| bought him gold snuff box with his name
engraved on the lid, and sent the old gintle-
man back to Dublin. BeCa'se, don yOn
see? the business was done, and he didn't
want me to 60 to any places OF amusement"
"Well," said Captain Williams, 'yOu man
aged well about the first two hundred and
fifty pounds. What did you do with the
rest"
''pll tell ye if yepl wait a minute. l was
staying at the Castle and Falcon in London,
for YOU know Mr.. MetCalfe cautioned me
l.
care you always stay at the best hotels, and
take care what company you get into, or
you'll easily be robbed; especially as you
have been about so little.' Well, L was stay
ing at the Castle and Falcon; and very nice
gintleman, Mr., Oscar, was staying there at
the same time. Perhaps you may know him
I think he owned some cOllieries and had a
nice place somewhere near place they call
Wigan. We got into conversation, and
told him all about this thousand pounds; and
sure asked him il he couldn't relieve me OF
another fourth Of it, beca'se, ye see, don't
feel myself to be a free man until get this
money out Of my hands. II l had only done
that, thin could enjoy myself and do as
pleased with the rest, knowing that mad
done my duty. Well, the end of it was that
this Mr.. Oscar said he would take two hun
dred and fifty pounds and give it away to
the families Of the colliers when there was
an explosion or anything Of that kind. SO l
said that was just the very thing; only MT.
MetcalHe told me- the will required that was
not to give this money to anybody who
couldn't show that he had plenty Of money
OF his own, and might therefore be trusted.
'Oh, Mr.. Murphy ses Mr.. Oscar, 4 will
soon satisfy YOU about that; you can go to
nv bankers, or stay And he took out |
his check book and Just wrote a check for |
two hundred and fifty pounds. But / said !
to him: 'Well, sir, dare say that's all very |
GOOD; but, We see, that's only |
q piece Of paper-it isn't money
So, without another word he rings the bell,
and when the waiter comes he says to him:
'Waiter, Just go to the bank and get this |
check eashed.' In about twenty minutes |
the walter comes back with the money; so
saws i: 'Mr. Oscar, that's perfectly salts
factoryJ and gave him the two hundred |
aud fifty pounds, and twenty-five pounds |
for his throuble, and he wrote me out re-
safe; and within twelve months he's to send |
me list showing how the money has been
distributed, and then l shall give him "a
quittance,' think they call it,"
/ was thinking it about time for quit
tance Of another character, and so rose with
nv boy to 90 down to his ship Captain
Williams rose also, and saying that he was
quite interested in the lad, proposed to walk
a little way with us. Mr.. Murphy, being
thoroughly his own master, and hardly
knowing what to do with himself while
staying in Liverpool, also asked II he might
iOin us. When we got outside, the Captain
fell behind, suggesting that my son and he
should walk together. l was by no means
unwilling to assent, assuring myself from
what I had heard Of this gentleman's talk
before that his conversation now would be
to the bows advantage. As Mr.. Murphy
wished to see something OF the principal
streets, we did not take the nearest way to
the docks, but sauntered down Castle Street,
Lord Street and Church Street, and, coming
to the Central Railway Station, the Irishman
expressed awsh to 90 inside and see it. AS
we walked about the platform, speaking Of
many subjects, he adrOitly turned the con-