Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-03-15
SOME coon SHORT STORIES
THE STORY OF a LOST FORTUNE


have always had lingering feeling Of re-
sentiment toward my father because he was not
millionaire, and did not leave me the inherit
anee of great estate. This feeling was in
tensihed by the knowledge of custom preva-
lent in his neighborhood and in his time that
would have enabled him to have become the
largest woolgrower Of this or any other land.
feel stronger upon this subject because the OPP
portunity was offered to him and he wantonly,
perhaps l should say thoughtessly, threw it
away; and because it would have cost him
neither time, thought, care, nor labour, to have
produced the magnificent result which will set
out in this paper My father was born in central
New York in the year 1857; he is still living,
hale, hearty man. at the age of ninety-two.
The custom to which / refer prevailed at the
time Of his birth, and he received the benefit
OF it, When he came into the world his father
presented him with a sheep, and by the custom
among the farmers Of the neighbourliood, any
OF them were glad of the opportunity Of taking
sheep to double once in four years. 1t was
understood that the quality Of wool and the
character Of the animal was to be preserved
and not allowed to deteriorate. The farmer
| guaranteed against all loss. accident, or
| causaity. To illustrate: One fine-wooled
Merino sheep entitled the owner to have
returned to him in four years two mer-
chantable, inewooled Mcrinos, OF proper age,
COOL health, and equal in all respects to the
sheep originally received. -Four sheep in
eight years, eight sheep in twelve years, and so
on in geometrcal progression. My grand
father having then just emgrated from Connec-
ticut to Oneida County in New York--lhe
Valley Of the Mohawk then being the far
| West -gave to my father upon his birthday
sheep. This sheep was taken by Judge Rod
erick Morrison, well to-do farmer of the
county, upon the terms to double once in four
years. AT the age OF twenty my father had
thirty-two fine Merinos, and there the accumu-
lation ended | am familiar with the Bibls
narrative Of Jacob and Laban; how Jacob was
fooled by the old man. and had the elder
daughter played upon him; how patiently he
toled another seven years for the girlhe loved,
and how he played the old gentleman with the
ring streaked and speckled business, but |
never knew exactly how Judge Morrison got
my fathers sheep; than is, never knew the
particulars in detail. | only knew that the
cunning old Scotch gentleman did &c, my
fathers thiry-two sheep, and gave him in ex-
hange for them his daughter, Charlotte, aged six
teen, and silver Lepine watch with cylinder es
eapement and combired lever movement, run
ming on Jewels. You can see the ruby now I'M
der one Of the piyo,s, for the watch is still in the
family, muchprixed relic OF the olien time.
| have never regarded my mother as pat OF
the transaction, nor looked upon her as par,
consideration for the sheep. | have looked
upon the wooing and the marriage Of my par
ents as one Of the natural incidents OF the posi-
ton. and have believed that they would have
married, and that ! would have been born.
altogether independent Of the sheep Transaction.
Perhaps il my father had no, married, and had
not made wedding excursion to Utica, he
might not have needed L>pine watch with
a cylinder esapement, running ON rlbies, and
nigh, not have been induced to part with the
sheep, have always looked upon the trading
l Of the sheep ioi the watch, a. an Independent