Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-03
GOLD AMONG RAGS
rhirtg Years And Sqlalor and
Hoarded Wealth


- L
exterior. tsrtla..saess 3f stairway, 1t.n.f-
sass. iassa.ss 4at lirs SC is unsurpassed
- anq otlsr tsa -l1sIlz ia tas gicinazs.
ON rae t1onas s9lr VI tae as4sei Pa an
asf.r .s.s.t "a. 4tsls ga.ier t8 Fso.. lives
All aas iiss.l fsr las pass ta'rtf-a.ir ears
-aa Ola a8man na.aed Margaret Ne
Carthy Da hff.e j. ka3~a ~ ta-s ipi~if
oli d. snaas ~ sac aetie skeepsinl that she
s about eighty years 9z ase, all t-at she
u.aiataiusi -x sssn.s ~ gathering rags, 4
colleetln< scraps 9f rood aat otis a-.a el-is 1
taa.ls.i aa1 so her thrlleh kl-cA sl lpors oF 4
sFnpath-tie servant zirls, ani prospect /
ia ia the mgs1sri.lus d-ptas of the o'ierit- /
eroas out treasure yelling asa barrel IA /
person she Is tali, spare aai 'toofiis, WIN
liEhr-bl4s eyes, sanzen moa.nt s4in as
brown aad as wrinkied as the cali or an
+ old t0D-bo3t. ant Two massive blscS warts
on the brilss ot her nose.
i sac has always been considered poor
vretchedly poor. Upon saeh rare oeca-
s.sns IS the other d~silsrs ia the house,
striking streak u luck, hai httls food
u spare. they carried Is g this lonely Old
woman. whom they r. sariet as even more
faeadiess, poorer and more wretcaed tnan
themselves. sac always accepted such
donations gratefully, and with an outPour-
ine of blessings On the heads 0f the charisa-
bs ones. For - old woman she has
alwav, had wonderful appetite, aud she
would eat the food given her with a pest
that was suggestive of long abstinence
True. vasue ram0rs. or rather surmises,
fs,ateI at times tarOu "a the house to the
effect thai Che old woman was a miser, and
that Ia some dark recess Of her miserable
3 ab5i. was hidden away what would BE-
re- 1arded ia the ueighborhoot as fabulous
tr.a.ure Upon one occasion an adventure
/ .5tne small boy, who in q midnight excur-
sion throuzh No. s. had pevpst though
- ths attic ksyhsle, returned with u startling
b story Of an OIL woman bendins over the
bad.Ide. bv the light Of a single candle,
q and digging her long and bony fingers into
= a great shining heap Of gold, while her
ewes flashed with an uncanny glitter
d, These .old pieces, he declared, were as
: LARGE as the face OF a watch, AMI there
were many hundreds OF them But the
= hov's story. persisten.iy as hs hal stuck
= 10 n. vas regarded as ridiculous hallucina-
1, tion. His mother opined that her chill
vas going % bs taken with some illness
.. when such queer ideas like " came into
I, his head. and his father sternly infor.lef
!. him tnat there was good deal of money
IN rresrbac'ss and other paper in the sub
d. treasury in Wall street, but that when i
:. came down 70 solid coin there wasn't a
r.sch of il in the world he talked o
having seen in that squalid little attic
The lad was told never to repeat his storl
- lest hs awaken the avarice of bad charac
= ,ers in the neighborhood and perchanc
lead 10 the shedding Of the old woman
blood.
w To these occasional vague ruinors as I
fe Mrs. NcCarthy's hoard the neighbors pai
" but little attention. They continued {
help her whenever they conld. and in th
AZ long. dreary winter. when they thems live
IA were hard pressed By want and unable I
10 extend any assistance, they often pre-
or dictsd that the old woman would some da
succumb 70 cold. feebleucss and want Sh
~ herself frequently bsmOaned her poverty
10 She paid her rent-two dollars month
k in small silver coins and pennies, aud wit
be many despairing groans. The spirits
the Iandlady. Mrs Callahan. were dc
a pressed for days after receiving these pay
ht ments.
-as Some davs ago an officer OF the sanitar
nb ~orps Inspected No -. When he came
most uretcheduess- The floor was covere
Yin with vile RAGS. AMI misery and dirt wei
on every side. Water was oOzing dow
far into one corner The officer decided tn
al certain repairs were necessary. and
nj communicated with the landlord on q
subject.
aw \ workman was yesterday sent to G
spt att.r % rsrform the necess AIRY repairs.
.a~s- from
the slight attack OF Illness aud crouching on
eW bundle II rags OF the floor The landia'
was in the room. debating with her soa
ELL - the advisability Of sending the old woI
rse an % the hospital The workman beg
,es his task First. he cleared away the ra
ved from the room. Present. he had occ
ale sion o. move the rickety bedstead.
did 80 with that destructive violence :
was culiar 70 the average workman This AZ
the and infrm piece Of furniture could I
ave withstand such rough usage. II y
An thrown out II joint near the foot At u
lety instant something fell from the disjoini
ces- hal to the foor. The object fell with
peculiar jingle that sounded strang'
of mus cal in the vorkmsn's ear. In a >
'hip onF he was under the bed. He came fol
the dra~-iug With him two objects One =
t't Al ci I wli1e stocking, t1e otheF ~
ON larzs black pocket. seemingly torn fr
aud a woman. dress Both were filed y
some we -hty substance.
'aN Tao warsmsn. clumsily holding
4 stoexinr b. tho heel. accidentally turr
il upside down. There vas a ringi
80 HnzInr sound snd shower of bris
- shining gold pieces poured out on the al
h.r~imsed floor Some flashed 'down
zIttsrinz heap on the aoor and oth
t6e ran wildly over the room and rang
arcn strange tanes "a they settled - rest IN
daF s-lsA corners. With trembling fingers
workman pulled open the mouth u
black pocket. Hs foun8 is loaied 10
with srua0 silver pieces and pennies.
vision af sbe small boy hai assumed r.
izafian.
,'e'e The ianf's.iv vas very pale She tur
ta the oil vaman. who seemed half IA
- .-f 7s.far1s-..fsrf4 a. tn what zrfu.