Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-26

interest IN his affairs Blodgett was shrewd
and let her. She engaged hlnl to collect her
| rents for her, paying him well, and also loaned
! him money She inyltea rim to call and see
her at her house on Beacon street. and accord
ingly he made an evening cal twice week.
In a short tina he seemed to gain wonderful
Influence over her, and She gave him the en-
tire control Of her itn1nsnse estates aud affairs,
paving him 10 per cent for so dong AS his
i Huence over her grew stronger, she began to
make HIM presents, so he claims. She started
of by giving him Sl4,O worth of govern
ment bonds 1t was done in this way. She
ordered him to buy the bonds. which he did.
| charging 10 per cent for so doing Then, soon
after, she ordered him to sell them. For this
| he also charged 10 per cent Then to cap all
! sue made him present OF the money realized
| by their sale Before many months had passed
! she made him another present. 50 he claims,
| OF 100 shares Of Northern railroad stock worth
$40, 600, aud q little later she gave him 100
shares OF the Boston & Albany railroad stock
F! Va ued at j 5, 600. 1t seemed as il the poor
! de. uaed and infatuated old soul could not do
| enough for him, for she followed up these mag
| nlilcent and princely gifts by again making
| him present OF eighty-1wo shares in the Bos-
ton Il lroviaeuce railroad. and $l4, 600 worth
| Of stock IN the Boston Il Maine road. Blodgett
| got 10 per cent commission when these shares
! were purchased. short time after Mrs. Al M
! strong made the acquaintance of Blodgett, a
| great cLause was noticed in her by her friends.
| she became !nlserly TO herself, her sisters aud
| al her relatives. bus was most generous to
| BloISett, giving HIM presents OF money and the
stock before mentioned. She would half starve
| herself 20 save money TO give to him, AM! il
! seemed as If it was her only happiness in life
! u give her money away to him alone Blodgett
was all the 1ime getting y per cent Commits
| SION upon her lucuInt', anG manaSed to secure
| by this means alone about $50, 900 year.
| lie got so wealthy at las that he moved into
the next house to Mrs. Armstrong, which was
! worth POT, 600 About 1877 size prepared
| her will i'll " ich sue gave PJ, 900 each TO her
| nephews and neicoA, llttle more than that to
her three sisters, AMI from 5000, 900 to $780,
| 900 10 Blodget This will however, was
never executed. BY this will one of her noices,
| who had married her fathers coachman, WAS
| entirely cut off
| NIsANLY WITH MILLIONS.
AS to her parslmOnOus habits. IL was stated
! Ill evidence, that although ehe had al income
OF about 500 day, she dsnied herself the
| bare necessiyi les of life. She discharged her
! coachman and ali her servants, and sold her
| horses aud carriages. She diu her own cook
! ing, butt fires, sifted ashes and would wash off
the front door stops herself to The Intense hor-
| rOr Of her arlstocratlc neighbocs. Her break
| fast and supper consisted OF old slices OF
bread, with butter and d cup Of tea; while for
| dlnner she would add small piece OF steak.
| Between meals she would take SIP Of braudy
furnished her by Blods7tt to the extent Of a
! gallon a lnontn. The Knives aud forks she
| used were old bat'ered-up s;oel ones unfit for
| use. Most OF the crochery ware was clipped
aud cracked, the cups bong without handles,
| willie tl'c cream jug was nnAus its nose. The
carving kufo simply blade, the handle
beng broken off. Gravy was served from an
cd cup She put away the elegant dresses
and costly jow-lry she used 10 wear when
her husband was alive, and for years
| she wore old, shabby dress that originally
| cost IS. Her ouly extravagance IN the way Of
dress was l5-cent apron, which she Was in
the habit Of showing to her relatives with great
| pride Although wearing shabby clothes her
| SELF, she did not like to soc her relatives wear
p or clothing, and upon one occasion gave
! relative $40 10 buy some clothes with. She
! would buy heavy congress boots for SIS, be-
| cause they were cheap. Fires she would not
have, as they were too expensive. On very
cold days she would leave her room and go
into the bath room, where there was a radi-
| ator, 10 get warm. She was continually MAX
ing gifts Of money and bonds to Blodgett, and
at last she made over the whole of Der estate
to rim Oh condition that he paid all the taxes
on the property, and kept it in repair, beside
paying the household expenses Her house,
| ho:d EXPENSES, however, We're only III q day;
! 20 it VIII DO seen ha: Blodgetv was getting a
good thing. She placed $4,000 worth of
bonds and stocks in Blodgetrs hands, il trust
upon her death, he should have tho houses on
Bracon street, and all the rest Of her property
In 1882 Mrs. Armstrong died, leaving prop
ery worth 5000, 900. Search was then made
among her effects
| A CURIOUS MEDLEY.
| In an old hair trunk without lock- kept in
! front room, was found an lmmens, collec-
| ton Of visiting carIs, inv.ta ions and circulars
Among these were also found bonds and So
curitles worth thou"auds of dol ars, the greater
part @. them being negotiable. During the
last years Of her life Mrs. Armstrong insisted
i'll Keeping these valuatlcs in the Ola trunk.
! whero any body could steal them. She had
been asked to out them il safe, but she au-
swerod that they had always been safe
| where they were, and would not listen
| 10 their removal More papers and valua bles
were found in I'll old secretary in the dining
rooms and in somo bureall-arawers ia her bed
| room. Everything Wa. in a chaotic state in
the latter. great many small bundles of rags
were found tied up in two or three knota, with
| Wrappers and string around them In QUE
other pair of diam nd Tar rings worth $3.50,
and in others were found Il quarter Of pound
of bird shot, porcelain bu ,tous silver cyin,
s1umps Of old matches, small scrip an empty
cotton spool, old advertising haDdbllls, new
| gloves that had rOtted away, several gold
watches, and many othar strange articles, some
of value and some wortness. In an old trunk
| was fouAd $500 worth of fam ~ siiverware
! Among the silver was salver presented to
Gov. Armstrong by the directors Of tile Ire
| mont bank In a lot Of dirt in the back yard
was found valuable mosaic jewelry SET O.
family heirloom The furniture of the house
WAS old and moth eaten, aud seemed ready to
fall 10 pieces, while some Of The rooms had
| the appearance of not having been opened for
many years, An incredible number Of empty
boxes were found all over the house, and old
| slippers were found slowed away in dark cor
ncrs. There were only three linen sheets, and
pieces Of old clothes answered the purpose of
towels. Ancient clothing, dresses, shawls,
ETC., once elegant and valuable, were found in
on-of- the. way places almost eaten up by
moths. In fact, the inside of the house and it's
contents was simply wreck and ruin. 1t mas
been proved that Blodgett received $360,OOO
from Mrs. Armstrong, which, with interest
amounts up to the present time to about
100000. He is now lighting for the 5000,
900 left by her. The heirs are trying to prove
! that Mrs. Armstrong was not in her right mind
! when she gaye her estate to Blodgett
| NELsE.
Cocoanuts as a Diet.
The Fiji Times, in recent article, calls at
! tenton to the immense utility of the cocoanut
as On article Of food, and tue valuable quail