Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-03-05
A STRANGE STORY.

n
pected Rise from Poverty to Wealth.
(From the Leadv1lle Democrat.
In January, 1882, there left inverness,
Scotland, for America, young fellow
named William Anderson. His father
was one of the many prosperous WOOL
growers of that vicinity, widower,
with one son and one daughter He
was straight-laced Scotch Presbyterian,
and his boy William, becoming tired of
the work among his fathers hocks, re-
solved to start out and see the world for
himself He made his way to Liverpool
on board a sailing vessel, arriving there
with $50 IN his pocket, a good portion
of which had been given him by his
kind hearted sister, to whom he had
confided his intention of seeking a for
tune in America. He came to this
country by the first outgoing steamer
and knocked about New York for while,
vainly endeavoring to secure work. For
tine he had employment with truck
man, but his fondness for Scotch whisky
soon lost him his place, and he drifted
into q furniture house where he was en-
ployed as porter. While there he wrote to
his sister, giving his address, but so n
after that he came west, travelling In box
cars and other vehicles of the modern
tramp.
Last fall he arrived in Leadville and
sought employment in the mines, but as
he was a novice In the art of excavating
for mineral he was unable to procure
work. In this city, however, he met
some Scotchmen who had known bis
father In the ''lang syne," and they
exerted themselves in his behalf. They
succeeded in having him installed as
WeIgh-master at one of the lower smelt-
ers, and he held the situation until he
received his first salary, when Scotch
whisky again knocked him out of en-
ployment and the good graces of his
fellow countrymen. He became COM
mon FOUNDER" ate at free lunch count
ers and slept in gambling-house chairs,
He was arrested for vagrancy, and given
twenty four hours III which to produce
employment or leave town, the penalty
of noncompliance with the command
being term on the chain-gang. As
soon as he was liberated he started out
to find a job, but his dissipated and
general ''cussed" appearance prevented
him from obtaining one. That night he
got drunk, ard the next morning he was
a member of that select body of auto
Gratis known as the chain-gang. A few
days after his initiation to the select So
ciety he was at work in an alley, when
one of his former benefactors saw him.
The honest Scotchman almost wept
when he saw his young countryman
dragging around the heavy ball and
chain with which the ankles of the gang
were decorated, and he resolved to re-
%ho - 81
Inverness lad, If possible. He applied
to the city officials to pardon young An
derson, but they were powerless or re-
luctant to comply with the request.
IF he is DESTROYS of leaving the gang,
why does he not make break for iber-
ty?" said one of the municipal nabobs,
with look so expressive that the canny
Scotchn1an decided there and then to
induce Anderson to snake a break. :"
Next day the guard of the chain-gang
missed one of his flock, and that one was
Anderson. How the escape was effected
matters not-suffiee to say that the fugi-
I've was never again seen in Leadville.
lie next turned up as sheep herder on
ne ranch Of a wealthy Scotch-American
ock raiser IN Huerfano County, but he
Don became tired of this work,
.ade his way back to Chicago, where
went from bad to worse, working at
Id times, drinking hard and spending
any nights In the station houses.
here he was taken with typhoid fever,
Id while In the hospital the Scotch be-
evolent society interested itself In his
9half, and so on his recovery secured
ansportation for him to New York. |
nderson having expressed a wish to re- |
Urn home. Before he arrived at New
ork he met a fellow countrvman
40 had friends IN Philadelphia, and |
ing Of a social turn of mind he stopped |
!. He mlslald his ticket, spent what
tile money he had, lost track of his
lahce acquaintance and was soon in
plorable state of poverty again. In
ok1ng over newspaper two or three
eeks old, which was wrapped around |
)me cold vlctuals he begged at back
ate, he ran across the name of VIM. |
nderSon among the advertised letters, |
I'D while doubling that 1t was for him |
ct ne went to the postoffice and ap-
lied for 1t. 1t was several weeks old |
nd had been sent to his old address in |
Jew York. Though the number was
Orract, the street was given as "North"
Eighteenth Street instead of ''East'' |
eighteenth, and the envelope, for this
eason, was Endorsed: "Try Philadel- |
ohia." The letter, which was from a
irm of attorneys at Inverness, told An |
ierson of the death of his sister over |
gear ago, and the decease of his father |
n December, leaving him the sole heir |
o the property amounting to $4,000. |
Two weeks ago to day Anderson was
among the Storage passengers on the |
American Line steamer Black Prince, |
which sailed from Philadelphia to Liver
pool. He secured the means to return |
home from a charitable Scotch gentle |
man of this city, whose deeds of phil |
anthropy are as numerous as they are |
unostentatious, and who declines to have
his name mentioned.
The story of Anderson's experience
:eads like romance, and the manner in
which he stumbled over the news of his
ather's death and his own good fortune |
Il rather curi0us