Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-02-03


the ls'yer, d., Is see:-he told me couldn't
get the money without, so fax had to do It
till my hand was tired
Still, you wouldn't mind that if you got
wei w PAID f95 i = said Captain Williams. W
see, an uncle Of mine went out to America a
long time since. He was high-spirited lad,
and he just quarreled with the family,
and went out there, and they didn't know
hut he was dead. But he bought q
while, dye see, they found oil-wells on his
land, Snd thin the government bought him
out for thirty five thousand pounds. Well.
he was getting old, and he didn't care for
working any more. and his wife died; and
when the war broke out he had two sons,
and they were both killed at the battle OF
Vicksburg, and the old man never looked up
afterwards; he just pinned away and died.
But, ye see, he'd never sent any word home
where he was, nor told nobody out there
died, the government didn't know what to
do with his property. So they put adver-
tlsements in the Irish papers, and me and
my brother answered them. And then 1
had to come to London, and Father Maloney,
our praste, with me; and Mr.. Metcalfe tOuld
us all we were to do about getting GER
tificates of baptism and marriage and sorra
one knows what besides; and, as tell we.
had to sign me name till I was sick OF 1t. !"
Then you got the money at last"' said /.
with wink and chuckle. "Look here!"
and he pulled out leathern pocket-book,
and opening it, displayed good fat bundle
OF Bank of England notes. aye see, I drew
while, till enjoy meself a bit, and then |
shall go back and buy just as much land as
can, beca'se, dye see. people may stale your
money, but they can't stale your land"
"But guess" broke in the American,
''you might invest your money so as to bring
q
"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 worse?"
SThat's fact" laconically remarked the
"Thin there's another thing" went on
our unsophisticated Irishman, that both
ers me good deal. There's what they call
codicil to my unce's will, and it states that
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 go. Ay, but he was
a.quare fellow, that uncle o. mine-pace to
his sowl :"
eyes" said I; ''that is rather curious
requirement"
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
q quarter; and SO L handed over two hum
dred and fifty pounds to him, and said:
in givin' away this money! He said he
didn't want nothing; however, l gave him
twenty five pounds for his throuble, and thin
bought him a gold snuff box with his name
engraved on the lid, and sent the old gintle-
man back to Dublin. Because. don't yon
want me to go to any places OF amusement"
'sWell," said Captain Williams, "you man
aged we'll about the first two hundred and
fifty y, pounds. What did you do with the
"I'll tell ye if yell wait minute. I was
staying at the Castle and Falcon in London,
for you know Mr.. Metcalfe cautioned me
when drew the money; says he: Take
care you always stay at the best hotels, and
take care what company you get into, or
have been about SO little.' Well, / was stay
ing at the Castle and Falcon; and a very nice
gintleman, Mr.. Oscar, was staying there at
the same time. Perhaps you may know him;
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, We see, don't
feel myself to be free man until get this
money out of my hands. II had only done
that, thin could enjoy myself and do as
pleased with the rest, knowing that had
done my duty. Well, the end Of it was that
this Mr.. Oscar said he would take two hum
the families Of the GOLFERS when there was
an explosion or anything OF that kind. So
said that was just the very thing; only Mr..
Metcalfe told me the will required that was
not to give this money to anybody who
couldn't show that he had plenty OF money
ooh, Mr.. Murphy SEES Mr.. Oscar, 4 will
soon satisfy you about that; you can go to
my bankers, or stay And he took out
his check book and just wrote check for
to him: .Well, sir, dare say that's all very
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
the waiter comes back with the money; SO
says L: MIR. Oscar, that's perfectly salts
and gave him the two hundred
and 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 q list showing how the money has been
distributed, and then shall give him IA
quittance,' think they call it."
I was thinking it about time for quit
lance Of another character, and so rose with
my boy to go 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
his own master, and hardly
knowing what to do with himself while
staying in Liverpool. also asked il he might
join us. When we got outside, the Captain
fell behind, suggesting that my son and he
should walk together. I was by no means
to assent, assuring myself from
what had heard of this gentleman's talk
before that his conversation now would be
to the boys 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
a wish to go inside and see it. As
we walked about the platform, speaking of
many subjects, he adroitly turned the con-
versation again to his uncle's singular be-
quest. "Now, sir" said he, "could not
you help me to distribute some of this mon
ey? Are there any poor people in your