New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-08
Tile SHARK AND TIE PArRIARCn.
NOT 4 DREAM.
Fran The London Spectator.


SIR. I send Won this letter, as fit reading Tor
Christmastidc. 1t ais with the marvellous, u
tells of great human kindness ana IL Is 7uclI IN
Snne time ago | spent Il Christmas on lhe South-
east shore of Lake superior, where maze tic
acouaiutaucc of one whom will call JOB Sprin@'
W. becalnp friends and ! lived IN his mouse tor
nearly year. ] had thus ample opportunity ioT
knowing him He was of very humble origin,
mn i've of the north of Ireland, but he spent the
whole OF his youth in Scot land where no cnlC ' nc
trade of miner From Scotland ne emTrateu 10
New-Yotk State, following his trade there anu
earning Hs a week. Ten years later he went
10 Lake Superior and became the captain OF tae
Franklin Gopher Mine, on Portage Lake AZ
this time he fell sick of a fever ana Would
have died but for the mercliul nteIpQsluoh %
a lady whose husband was ITectoT OF tIe RANK
lin Mining Company. and whom ] VIII call MIS-
Adams. She found Captain Spring mlseIaoN ouRed'
and she had him carried to hrr own h3uso, mncIo
she Iureed him, and otherwise looked alter MN uh-
iii he recovered his health. He was man OF pro-
dlo0us strength more th@ SIX feet hlgh WIN clear,
hlue eyes a rnOnstrous large head, ana win most
shapcIy hands. He quite llliteIate, Dut Oh ull-
daunted courage aud great ingenuity. n0ie thah
seven years elapsed between tins time OF ms SICK
ness and The event which / am now 70 tel or III
occurred during the ChristmaS-time' Wheh nved III
CAPTAIN Springs house. One evening ne came mo
my room in an excited state, looking lke an actor
playing the part of madlnan WanJ you he
said Ito write a letter for me- and to take notice
and remember everything do and say TINS night"
The letter which | wrote at his dlctatloh was as
ioiio"S' December %.
DEAR Mrs. ADAMS: send you by to-night,s mail
az 900 which hone will arrive safe, and be Of TO
YOU Please lei me hear from yOn on receipt.
' tSinedJ JOB SPRING"
Having written the letter, and packed np the
dollars we both went 10 the village 10 mail the
money which, with the letter was dispatched that
night To Mrs. Adams, who was then LIVING nOle thah
a Thousand miles away. On our way back home,
my rlcuds mood entirely changed. lie became not
with rage. ana SwOrr that II those two thousand
dollars did not reach their destination In safety ne
would pursue the thieves who stole II 10 pcfdl-
tionD All through that night he had no sleep ana
no REST and the next day he spent alone Keeping
aloof from everyl ody, and smoking great deal OF
tobacco. The next morning that l., the 24th ne
brought me a letter, which he requested lie TO open
and read. 1t was rs to4lOws-
"DrtR CAPTAIN SPRING,-I write TO tell you that we
are in great distress. We have sold everything we coud
bread. and now We nave no bread, ana nothing 10
sell ur Adams very ill., two sons Willie and joe
were killed In the battle Of Getty sbrE, Hnd We are al
alone now; you help do, and God will reward
able to do 50 Oursely es-IOur friend, LUCY ADAMS"
On reading this aloud, my eccentric friend hurst
into a loud laugh; then nearly knocked me down
by a blow on the right shoulder; he lcapcd over the
chairs and al last he SelZCd me by the arm and car
! rcd me INTO the ueghbOrnR fields of bright snow
! 10 tell me that she had got the money! lie was
! inst as mad to look at as he was on the evening
| letter to Mrs Adams. lie then told me that he had
! seen this lady on that evening, sitting alone III
| house with nothing in it-nO ire aud no food she
WAS looking very calm and quiet, just exactly win
| the same face she Ia when she nnrhcd me III the
| fever" 1heTeupOn ne sent Oh g., OOO-tnat IS Ger
tain: il is also certain that the Captains letter and
Mrs. Adanss crossed each other ne money ar wed
safely in due course, and leave the readers ol TINS
! story 10 draw their own conclusions from these
| strange but not, ! am thankful to say, absolutely
uncommon facts. an, sir. etc,
Harile Ciab, Christmas, 1851 a. j. DUFFIELD.