The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-03-02
A Sad Life.History.

BY the death Of an old man named
Jacob Augustine several days ago, near
the village of North Lima. Mahoning
County, this State. the particulars of q
sad life-history were brought to light.
Augustine had lived q remarkable life.
Born within the boundaries of the town.
ship in which he died, he attained the
age OF seventy-nine years without spend
ing single night dozen miles from
his home, and only once had he visited
Youngstown, the county seat of Mahon-
ing County, He wa, looked upon by his
neighbors as an eccentric man, and the
fact that he never married was usually
alluded to in a joking manner.
A few days before his death Augustine
sent for the village Squire. who drew
up the celebrated will and was appointed
executor of the instrument. The docu.
ment was signed and sealed. but after
the testator's death it could nowhere be
found. The house in which Augustine
had lived and died was searched from
cellar to garnet. Every nook and corner
was carefully inspected. and . queer
collection of relics was the result. Old
Spanish, Mexican and American coins.
bearing dates earlier than 1900, were
found hidden away in all sorts of odd
places, together with some of the earliest
issues Of greenbacks and notes on State
banks. The searchers were about to give
up in despair of finding the lost will,
when they concluded to again overhaul
the contents of o chest which had been
looked through several times. 1t was
packed to the top with q curious collec-
ton Of clothing in various stages of use
fulness.
At the very bottom of the chest was .
package wrapped in sheet. This. on
being opened disclosed to view a suit of
clothes carefully folded. twas shaken
out and examined. Such suit! 1t was
made of brown homemade cloth such as
was worn in the days of the forefathers.
The coat was of the swallow-tail cut, and
the pantaloons had the peculiar flap so
stylish in early times. Each garment
was supplied with brass buttons fastened
with homemade linen thread, each but
ton being stamped Warranted orange"
In one Of the sleeves of the coat were
found sc. 25 in money and the will. The
strange suit Of clothing was taken to the
village store and displayed in a window,
where it attracted considerable attention,
many unfeeling people gazing at it and
indulging in coarse jests and laughter.
One old man, however, gazed long and
attentively at the relic Of bygone days,
and turned away with q tear in his eye.
1t aroused within his heart sad memo
ries, to which he gave vent as follows:
THAT suit has history. 1t was in
tended for poor old Jacobs wedding
outfit. When he was twenty-one years
of age he engaged himself in marriage
to GOtliebe Wealandt, the daughter of q
neighboring farmer Mrs. Augustine,
Jacobs mother, favored her SON $ choice,
and with true womanly pride wove the
cloth and made wedding suit for her
boy. Gotlibe's father. however, was OPP
posed to the union. He said his daugh-
ter should not marry Jacob Augustine.
He broke up the match, and the same
time broke the young peoples heart.
Jacob did not murmur. He laid his we'd
ding suit away in the chest, where it has
remained from that day to this. Jacob
never married. His father, mother,
brothers and sisters died and he was left
alone, but he has gone to join them
now"
'.In the little cottage on the outskirts
of the village" continued the old man,
''may be seen picture of Indebtedness
which plainly tells the remainder of this
sad story. In that cottage lived Got
liebe Wealandt, now an old woman.
For fifty-eight years she has groupediu
mental darkness, herreason having been
dethroned by the cruel interference of
her father in her girlhood's love-affair.
She is not long for this earth, and when
the last sod of earth resounds on her
coffin-lid the two souls so long kept
asunder will probably join each otherin
Paradise. "-C2eveiand, TO- Cor. Chica-
90 Tribune.