Omaha daily bee., 1883-06-23
FOR HIS BROTHERS SAKE.

for forgery, and had ten years yet to
serve. Our readers are familiar with the
history of this case, and the humane nc
ton of his Excellency will be generally
commended. -Frankfort(Ky Yoeman.
| read this little paragraph and my
mind went back six years. knew John
Brisben, and also knew his twin brother
Joseph. | was familiar with the details
of the action that placed John Brisben in
u felon's cell, and now when the sad af-
fair is brought back to mind SO wildly |
must write il out, for never before have |
met, in prose or poetry, in real life or in
romance, a greater hero than plain, mat
ter-of-fac John Brisben.
The Brisbens came of good stock. |
think the great grandfather of my hero
emigrated to Kentucky when Kenton's
Station, between the present city of
Maysville and the historic old town of
Washington, was the principal settlement
on the clark and bloody ground" He
came from Upper Pennsylvania and To-
Gated about five miles from the Ohio
river, on Limestone creek. He was an
industrious, strong-limbed, ~iron-hearted
old fellow, and in n few years his sur
roundings were of the most comfortable
description. One of his sons, Edwin
Brisben, once represented Kentucky in
the federal congress. | think he was the
grandfather of John and Joseph Brisben.
Their fathers name was Samuel, and he
died when they were little children, leav-
ing his widow an excellent blue grass
farm and a snug little fortune in stocks,
bands and mortgages. The widow re-
manned a widow until her death.
Mrs. Samuel Brisben was u good woman,
and she idolized her twin boys. Like
most twins, the brothers resembled each
other in a striking manner and even in
innate acquaintance could not tell them
apart. But although the physical re-
semblance was so strong there was great
dissimilarity in the dispositions of the
twins. Joseph Brisben was very ..surly
and morose, sometimes cunning and
revengeful. He was withal u dreamer
and enthusiast; n man well learned in
books, n brilliant, frothy talker when he
chose to be sociable (Which was seldom),
a splendid horseman, and a most excel
lent shot. John Brisben, on the con
trary, was cheerful and bright,
honorable and forgiving, He was
a man of high moral principle,
intensely practical and m~ethodical, cared
little for books, and, although he said
but little, was II splendid companion.
He was a poor horseman, and | don't
think he ever shot a gun in his life. He
saw nothing of the poetry of life, and as
for sport, he enjoyed himself only when
hard at work. He loved his brother, and
when they were boys together suffered
punishment many times, and uncomplain.
ingly, that "Jodie' might go scot free.
His lif. was therefore one constant sacri.
flee, but the object of this loving adora.
ton made but shabby returns for this un.
selfish devotion.
They were 20 years old when Their
mother died very suddenly. JOSEPH
made n great p%retense of grief and was
SO hysterical at the grave that he had t.
be led away.
John, on the contrary, never demon
strative, took the great afliction with his
and shed no tears.
The property left to the boys was con
siderable. The day they were twenty
one years old the trustees met and mad,
, settlement. There wa the blue-gras,
farm valued at $50, 600, and $780, 600 il
y well invested securities, which could b.
: turned into money. Joseph demanded
disision.
II "You can take the farm, Jack" II
+ said. 81 was never cut out fora farmer
n Give me $4,000 in money for my share.
So this sort of u division was made
o John continued on at the homestead
z working in his plain, methodical way, an,
e slowly adding to his share of the none,
what he could raise out of the profits q
e the farm. Joseph, with his newly &C
II quired wealth, set up mn establishment a
the nearest tow and began a life of pleas
ure of the grosser sort. His brother CAV
y him no advice, for he knew it was use
y less. Joseph spent his money with grea
prodigality, and before he knew it he wa
" a beggar. In the meantime Johns 1875,
600 had doubled itself. One day JOSEPH
came to him with a full confession of hi
peculiarly troubles.
beggar, but ] am heavily in debt. Hell
" me out like a good fellow, and vii
Re settle down and begin life in sober earn
10 est. With my capacity for business
can o make money enough to repa
you. | have sown my wild oats, an
with a little help | can o recover al
that l have s~quandered so foolishly."
For an answer John Brisben place
s his name to an order for the 1915, 600 h
had earned so laboriously.
"Will that be enough, Jodiel' Ii
asked, because ! have as much more
which you can have if it it is neces
sary."
"This will be sufficient, old fellow,
IL was the reply. ''In two years | will pa
it back"
He went back to town, drew his MOI
ey, paid his debts, sold some Of HI
horses and discharged several Of hi
y servants. Twenty thousand dollars wa
left out of the loan. He invested this j
business, and for Il while seemed to hav
really reformed. John was encourage
to say:
''Jodie will come out all right. He
smarter than |, and in five years will |
worth more money than could make i
a life time"
In less than three years Joseph Bril-
v ben's affairs were in the hands of his cree
itors, and a sheritfs officer closed out h
u. business. Again he turned to his brotl
A. err for help and sympathy.
ed 81 W that ! managed a trife car,
:" lessly, he said by way of explanation
: Experience is a dear teacher, and Il
u lesson | have learned ! shall never forge
If you come to my assistance now | ca
soon recover myself. "
.n Once more John Brisben placed h
name TO a check payable to the order