The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-03-31
A Sad L'fe-HIs:ory.

BY the tleath of an old man named
Jacob Augustine. several days ago, near
the village of North Lima, Mahoning
County, this State, the particulars Of
sad life-history were brought to light.
Augustine had lived 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 doz4n miles from
his home, and only once had he visited
Youngstown, the county-seat of Mahom-
ing County. He was looked upon by his
neighbors as an eccentric man, and the
fact that he never married was usually
alluded to in joking manner.
A few days before his death Augustine
seut 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 garret. 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 over
haul the contents of chest which had
been looked through several times. It
was packed to the top with curious
collection of clothing in various stages
of usefulness.
At the very bottom of the chest was
package wrapped in sheet. This, on
being opened, disclosed to view suit of
clothes carefully folded. It was shaken
out and examined. Such suit! Itwas
| 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, fas-
tened on with homemade linen thread,
each button being stamped, Warranted
/ orange" In one of the sleeves of the
coat were found SO 25 in money, and the
will. The strange suit of clothing was
taken to the village store and displayed
| in window, where it attracted consider
able attention, many unfeeling people
| gazing at it and indulging in coarse jests
| and laughter. One old man gazed long
and attentively at the relic of bygone
days and turned away with tear il his
eye. It aroused within his heart sad
memories, to which he gave vent as fol-
lows:
/ "That suit has history It was in
tended for poor old Jacobs wedding out
fit. When he was twenty -one years oi
age he engaged himself in marriage te
| Gotliebe Wealandt, the daughter of 6
neighboring farmer. Mrs. Augustine
Jacobs mother, favored her sons choice
and with true womanly pride wove the
cloth and made a wedding suit for he1
boy. Gotliebe's father, however, was
opposed to the union. He said his
daughter should not marry jacob Au
gustine. He broke up the match, and
at the same time broke the young peo
pies hearts. Jacob did not murnur
He laid his wedding suit away in the
chest, where it has remained from thai
day to this. Jacob never married. His
father, mother, brothers and sisters died
and he was left alone, but he has gone te
join them now"
I'm the little cottage on the outskirts
of the village continued the old man
"may be seen picture of wretchedness
which plainly tells the remainder of this
sad story. In that cottage lived Got
liebe Wealandt. now an old woman. Fol
fifty eight years she has grouped in men
tai darkness, her reason having been de
throned by the cruel interference of hel
father in her girlhood's love-affair. Shs
is not long for this earth, and when the
last sod of earth resounds on her coffin
lid, the two souls so long kept asundel
will probably join each other in Para
disc. Cleveland, Ohio, Cor. Chicago
| Trih11na