The Red Cloud chief., 1883-07-06
THE LETTER THAT WENT WRONG.
T""r Mans Experience In Chicago I'm
the Panic OF 1874.

the Panic OF 1873
Mr- John Olson. n wellfO-do bu-;nc.
man. was nj hls Office engaged in orsr
fhg ami resdIng letters. Mr.. Olson Ia
nhahe the long Journey from his re-
drhce to his pace II business IN n YER
comfortable frame Of mind. The .,ezd.
cold rain had kept many r,eopIe {,
home n he had had a seat in ~. Ga
ali the way down. a something that III,
not occur very often With his whi-
kers still damp from the short wal
from the point where he left the car :,
MS Once, with his feet comfortably nea
,he ire IN the CRATE, with the draft
n~"net-orsiers and bank notes turnins
up frequently in his letters. Mr.. Olsor
was happier, possibly. than if no storm
had bren raging outside. The coutrasr
ed hum 70 feel delightfully."- secure n
ms comfort. and he smoked his mornina
cigarand Ie:surclv read letter after letter
hr. Olson WAS an enthusiastic and
energetic business man, but there wer,
times when he liked To take thinp~. ,sy
and TINS morning was one OF them. Ife
soi r-caIl n nlornips, as he read a
Ftter fDctosiHs n check for ffty dollars
when be had felt more inclined 70 tax
his ease. or enjoy his uicar and fir~ and
easy chair. The next letter. urened
iazily and with eyes half sIstt. ,iiJ not
contain any money. and the opening
z MY dear Husband caused a
general change If ATTITUDE on the rsart
OF the reader.
Mistake. Not for me-. thought Mr.
Olson. n he looked again n the address
on the envelope. Yes. IL i. John
Olson, ESQ, plain ast.hc nose on a man's
face. And Olson j. not n common
name Our family was the onl, On. in
our state. in h East. and since We
cahne here. seven or eight months AGO.
nANe not heard Of n man of the name.
Let : look II the signature"
ms was h enc Of Mr.. Ol~on-s
thoughts. a be took up the letter again.
turned to the last page and real: Your
loving wife Mary j. Olson"
Ny wifeS name. What's m, wife
writing fo me for2" questioned the
man. IN a confused wav. and for the
moment entertaining only the thought
thai the letter was from hi wife. he VA.
rea.ling-
~ DEAR HTSsa~D-i have not the hesrr 10
wriic much. II i all trouble here. am d.
fAFaAAtdtlt&- lns- mon came
las ntght and took away the Srwingmschln.
ano talked horribly - me h~-cau>c insisted
se haa pad twenty dollar. when they said
We hal pult paid rye dollars. and | am su-c
you told M twenty dollars never thought
ncn could talk 10 me a. they did. Then the
mAh W. owns the house abused mc aud
thr'ai"ued ne. and even our old butcher AMI
grocer have hui ted and insuirei me. hav.
no taoneS-nota cent. when I nav p0sttrr on
M lt'.t'-h and there - >carc"ly u thing In the
boo-e To 'It- ! tried To pawn nv tsra-s.l.t.
Az pm this morning. and the man offered ne
mr. collars furfhsm and you know they cost
rffs dnliars Aud h." huiIf,d M. and
thoISnt should 20 distracted. ph. II Il ter
rhi-. John | don't ~.e why all the tad luck
COINS "a u. while others prosper. I wish I
wa ~dead-thats what I do, DO -end me A
itt.e money, If IL ony a dollar. aud ten me
~n.4i 20 d". Your lowing wife.
NARY J. OLSON.
Mr.. John Olson. IF the easy chair.
wa shocked beyond measure. He
pushed the letters with money aside for
his b~"ok-keeper. and thinking the man
To whom the letter va, addressed mus,
be found immediately tMr. Olson had
resolved To go = him. explain how the
letter came into hi> possession. and help
him. If need be- he called:
Mr.. Bradford. take the directory
and see how MANY olsons there are in
will vou2"
Mr.. Bradford. from behind his high
de>k. IN the neN room. said: Yes.
sir. and there was quiet. Mr.. Olson
had been married two wears. Here was
4 woman who wrote almost a. good a
hand n his wife-in fact. the writing
Of the two was very much alike -desti-
'ute and desperate. He could not i'm /,
sgsne what hi wife would do under /:
Ike circumstances. and vet. with bank +,
-upt firms all ABOUT him. he understood /
hat present prosperity Afforded little I
guarantee against poverty. He ab>o-
>hivered A. he thought of the lit :
lie woman who had followed him TO the q
ioor that morning tn kiss him and eau q
Ion him about going down the steps v
Ind o getting or the cars-he shiv- b
red a. he thought Of her. desperate $
md destitute. and subjected To rude
less, and he was shaking his fist. men :
ally, AT the offending rufians. when 4
he crisp voice of Mr.. Bradford ejacu- :
Ated with statistical bluntress: Two !;
hundred and >erentv-five. sir" y
What do o means~ questioned :
be unrealizing Mr.. Olson. =
3.lat there are two hundred and a
evehtv-sve Hsons in town. sir" W
What a,
There was 80 much establishment In Y.
as tremendous what that Mr.. Brad a
'rd came forward { explain. al
How MANY John UlsonSs cues v.
the thunderstruck owner of the 81
luch-u>ed name. 8.
Two. four. eight. twelve. sixteen. nj
senty. twenfy-four-no. t~wenfr-three.
Z. Two artists. one blacksmith. four =,
rpenters. FIVE clerks, two bcok-keep- ~
one glszier. seven laborers, two mer- in
and" -
That viii do. Let me take the d. ~
please" m
Tine glsnce az the directory convinced m,
r. Olson that Mr.. Brsdforf had stated so
e case correctly. He looked NJ the IL
az LIST of Olsons in stupid astonish-
emf. not unmiNed with indignation. pl:
ere was a nauddle. How could he no
ID the right man in such 8 town. He ba
tiled one question. however. He in ad
,sed five dollars in 8 sheet of blank VIC
per. and putting this in an evelope an,
liied Il ~ once to the unfortunate vi
Nv j. Olson saving to himself that lar
would look up Mr.. John Olson at his no,
sure He returned the letter to the in
st-ofhee. with the Endorsement, no,
)pened by mistake by John Olson, sid
Blank street" and forgot the man of
the day. {
BE told the story % his wife that to
ening- and she Was intensely in hun
ested- and. practical little woman wa.
h was. she proceeded to consider des
NJ ior nndlng n man. IT WAS find
My agreed thar the campaign should mis-
oPened ps inserting an advertise pitt
IN the morning papers. Mr.. can
'on knew that thousands of persons swe
re out OF employment and that all of :.
&C who could find opportunity eager the
Bcanped the want columns of the h.n
1T dailies in hope of finding promise :.
Dnmething TO do. And one morning. do
long .fier. thousands of 2 ewes min
q: --Ar. John Olson, formerly of eve,