Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-01-18
A Fortune In Dirt Heaps.

.'Can You tell me where John Sprli-
DIAL hves?s asked a Times reporter last
evening of two boys on Rising Sun
lane.
NO, SIR" was the reply. ale don't
live around here"
HE is a colored man, and has some
thing to do with aSh-dumps and"
%, Bill, he means Niger Dick, /"
said the other boy. land he lives in
there" pointing to small house from
which came forth n faint light. but
You better not go in, unless You want
to be ct up. He keeps bloodhounds
and bulldogs to guard him and his
money after night He's awful rich.
Why, he owns more'n fifty houses and
has piles an piles of money besides"
continued the boy in voice filed with
awe.
How did he make his fortunea"
was asked
%, he found mos of it in pickin'
over aSh-dumps that is. hen his men
did. He has about regiment of men
workin for him. an they find dia
mondS an gold an icwelry an green
backs, an Niger Dick keeps it all in
his house. and that's why he has the
dogs, and tell YOU they arc ferocious.
Notwithstanding the foreshadowed
dangers of running the canine gauut.
let, the reporter penetrated TO the abode
of the owner of this fabulous wealth
After passing through u large lot,
which appeared 10 be potato patch,
he reached the dwelling without advcn.
ture. other than the barking of several
vicious little ours ut his heels during
the trip. The outside of the dwelling
gave no promise of the imputed riches
within. being simply an unpretentiou,
whitewaShed Shanty, through the
chinkS in the door of which Streamed
the light 4 knock at the door was
answered by an invitation to Come
III. The rich man was seated at the
supper table, which was laden Will
corn bread and bacon.
''Does Mig that is, does Coloret
Richard live herc?" was asked.
Yes, sab; yes. sab. I'm Niger
Dick leastwise.that's what dev CALI
me. tho my name is Spriddal, sab
John Spriddal. Take a cheer sab
Git up dar, chile. and glib dc gentle
man dat cheer. 'Scuse me fer 70
rizin', but I'm troubled wild dc rheu.
matiz-rheumatiz in hof my feet. An
ter what. sab, am | ter tribute dis
social wisit?'
1t is said that You have realized
nice little fortune out of the ash-dumpS
of which you have had charge, and
would like 10 learn something of the
business"
Yes, sab; | see, sab. Thinking oh
dat line yo'Self, Sah?"
On being assured that he saw in his
visitor no prospective rival in the
profits of his business. Dick continued:
We'll, sab, I've folly'd de profession
about fourteen year aud hev done toll
able well. In dat time hey scraped
togedder eight or nine little properties,
and hey some little savin's in de bank
all out of dust and dirt. The way dc
business is done is dis: Yen hearn oi
someone that owns ground dat he wants
filled in. You goes to him and asks,
Can | hab charge of dc dump?' II
don't cost him nothin', and YOU must
see to keepin' de dump level and only
the right sort oh dirt is put in. Den
goes to de men who is haulin' ashes
and other like things that is always
bein' moved away and tell dem dat dey
kin dump at my dump Den gets my
men, and what is hauled there is care
fully picked over, and what we get out
is my pay for superintendent de job.
pay my men 81 II day mostly, but some.
times work EN- on shares. Almost
everything is found in desc carloads
of dirt. I've found money an iewelry
-sich rs breast-pins. lockits. charms.
and sleeve buttons-an silver money
an greenbacks. a short spell ago ]
found so bill in some ashes. But
the principal things, of course, is rags.
homes, brass, bottles, tin cans, and old
boots and shoes, and the like, and dey
all pays well. l sells dem TO dealers.
For wagon-load of tin cans | gifts
$3.50. Old boots and shoes is worth
ten cents u barrel"
''What is done with the boots and
shoes?o
II don't know dat, sab. ! sells dem
down by Gray's ferry road, but could
nabber larn what was done wild dem
dar De tin cans is sold to place
where de solder is melted of, and then
they go to the chemical works. The
rags brings me from one to ten cents
pound. So, you see, out of five dumps
l have charge of the business can be
made to pay livin' for plain, unas-
SUNNI family like me and the chill
dren."
How many men do you employ a,
each dump?'
'From three to ten; it's accordin' &c
tho pickins' :"
And are they mostly eolorcd mem"
mo, sahr - was the indignant re.
Spouse; ''dey is mos'ly Italians and
sich trash. Good night sab; look out
for de dogs. Here, you. Sam 90 wild
de gentleman and keep dc dogs oil. ="
l1LiLn.lnLl1Ltn Iiulne