River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-08-30
Weighed in the Balance.
A True story.

line Of his calling. He was a good me
chanic, a very fair architect, competent
b. superintendent the erection of any
ordinary building, and able to do much
of the better class of work with his own
hands He was also q shrewd man.
When he had thoroughly inspected the
town and lis surroundings, he saw that
its possibilities were great, and all the
money be could raise and all the credit
he cared 70 ask were invested in land.
And he did not mistake. He lived to
see land that he had bought at the rate
Of fifty dollars per acre, sold for one dol
lar per square foot He built for him
self large and comfortable dwelling, in
the new town, feeling well assured that
he was settled down for the remainder
Of his life.
Solomon Speed had three children
three son--Nathan, Thomas, and Peter,
aged respectively, eighteen, ten and
four This four years old son was the
child Of second wife. married alter Mr..
Speed bad built mis- new house in Bel
mont; ana we may say here that the
two elder sons were never quite recon-
1iled to their fathers second marriage.
They had inherited all his shrewdness,
and, having seen that wealth was likely
to flow in upon their father, they did
not take kindly to the idea of an in
crease IN the number Of his heirs. The
step-mother they never ill-treated-
that they dared not debut til ey never
il-nA h.4 fEatr hf., iIr.
kind to her After little Peter had be-
come large enough and strong enough
10 creep around upon his hands and
knees, and anon to stand upon his feet,
Tie two brothers, large and strong
sometimes spoke pleasantly to him, and
would pick him up when he fell; but
they never kissed him. they never gave
him brotherly love.
But the child was not without play
mate Of his own sex. In the family,
adopted by solomon Speed, was d boy
named Robert Asi worth, a son and only
child Of his-Speed's only sister. His
father had died v men Robert was an in
FAINT, and his mother had survived her
husband but d few wears. On her
deathbpd she had called her
brother to her side, and begged
of hin. that he would take care of her
boy, and he had promised that he
would do So. Robert was at that time
five wears old, Just the age Of Thomas,
and from that time he bad been one of
the family. enjoying all the advantages
OF life aud education that his two cous-
ms enjoyed But with daaniug OF bet
Ter timeS-as the prospect of wealth
opened upon the family the aspect of
Roberts situation changed somewhat.
As solomon Speed began to gain more
money than he could spend, he became
more and more inclined TO save; and he
came. in time, to look upon his sisters
child ~ a burden which he ought not to
bear. And the same feelings found lie
ia the bosoms of Nathan and Thomas
As their prospects grew brighter and
brighter, they began to cherish the fear
that they might be called upon, IN some
way, 10 share witt Robert, their pau
per cousin" as they had called him
more than once.
Robert Ashworth loved the bright
eyed, faxen-haired child, and never
tired Of CARRYING him in his arms, and
playiug with him In all sorts of ways.
In fact, the time Came-it had come al
the time at which we open the story
when little Peter and his mother were
the poor Cousins only friends-the only
ones who loved him. and contributed
to bis happiness.
At the age Of sixteen Robert concluded
that he had been a burden upon his
uncle long enough and he suggested
that 1t might be well FIR him to 20 out
into tile world aniSeek his own fortune
II C'e solomon thought the same; and
Nathan and Thomas both conceded;
and tie uncle. STIMULATING that the boy
shnHld never trouble him more-shou,d
teFcr appeal to him for money-0tfered
tn give hua one hundrs dollars in
money. The iad had tho ,ht his uncit;
would give him something, but this con
dttl} IN aroused his Indignation and he
would uof take IA penny. He had ten
dol ars, saved in two years, and he
wound make that answer Mrs. Speed,
who was becoming jltin. and pale, ana
Weaa, wcpt with bitter grief as she held
his hand for the last time and from lit
tie Peter he was forced to tear himself
away.
Time pissed on. Mrs. Speed received
two letters from Robert-One written at
st. Louis, and tile other away out toward
tile Rocky mountains She answered
thetu both In the last she confessed
hat She WA very weak, with little hope
oi lite remaining. Al the end o. a year
uud Il fu,l he wro. e his third letter, from
the Pacific coast, bidding her that SIZE
NfIsliItA ttflEfI tltfl answer 10 rdiA am
go. file was going away To the noun
ilius beyond Sonora. but a friend in
san Francisco would forward it to him.
AUatAvr wear pissed, at the end ol
hjrd time lis last letter to Mrs. Speed
Was returned to him. She was deHd.
u1ei the wauderer wrote no more letters
H. his old nome
Ten wears more had passed, when
E1herE Ash~urth-uow Il strong, rugged
buNa- faced iuiI-bearied man. OF eight
af.d I'VE uty-uel a man who had come
traW Belmont WITHIN year. From this
tUnH lie learned at Solomon Speed was
.jeat and that the two older sons were
carving on the business They Were
10th married and had families, aud were
looked upon as being very wealthy. At
HiI events, they were proud and aristo-
cratic.
Five years more, and Robert again
beard from the Old home-this time
meeting with q man whom he had
EueNn in tAe days of his b0yho0d. Ma
taau and Thomas Speed were still Hour
t-hus, their business being simply the
Docking after their real estate and per
..us property and III spreading the
rl;tsr Of their wealth before the world
liner half brother, Peter, had grown &c
bsa man Of oue-and-tweHN, and was
TART lit work IN one OF the mills belong
I8g IT, them By some sort OF boCus- 20
tbs 4 mad been left poor at his father:
-ae4tA-deueudent entirely upon ms ED
er brothers. Roberts informant coult
5ut lully explain; but he believed tha
did solomon. by his will, had left every
3bjne to Nathan and Thomas, making
them Joiut-guardians TO Peter, the boy
~ that time having been only nine year
of age.
And still years sped on. Hobert Ash
worth. in the way ofmouey- making, was
tHytpnate. 4 strong, healthfui. honor
ssrta tlau, dealing justly with all, ant
fe5u-cjIng the rights of all with whom
He came in contact he made friends
81 reyer he went. and made no enc
iits Early in his mountain experience
ia struck prolific mine, and bought it
WHeu lie erected his shanty on his land
.5etr was not another human habita
t.as within fifteen miiesTof him. At the
IuE { twenty years. still living upon the
same spot where he had first erected hi
STA pje cabin Of logs. and clay and birch
43tK matching. he was father of a t0wr
-ur thousand inhabitants-lts mayo
ma It's chief man in every way.
Eiye-and thirty years had now elapsed
since Robert Ashworth left the eastern
E,Yup TO seek his fortune, and th, tickle
dame had never, in all that time, playel
b.m false. Only. he had found no soci
etv IN which he cared TO spend the cain
evening of his DAYS. His heart turned