Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-10-03


and has passed through many strange
experiences and troublOus times.
Years ago. when q young man. / was
in business in the South. spending 3
good deal Of time in New Or cans.
had no family, so took lodging in
good house, owned by one Of the old
Creole families, who were obliged to
let furnished rooms to add TO their in
come. ="
81 wonder if they were the kind Dr..
Sewer lived amOng?" interrupted
Amy.
,'.rhey must have been the Fpoor ana
proud kind, direct descendants OF tho
early Spanish settlers; but where was
in my story P''
Uncle John, lodging in 3 Creole
family" suggested Amy.
''Oh, yes! He was not the only
ledger, however. His neighbOrs on
the same floor were newcomers from
Santa Domingo, the eastern part Of
the island Of Hayti. He described
them as young married people, with
several little children. The elders OF
( the family wore a great look Of sad
ness and detection. Uncle John could
not talk with them at all, for they
spoke only in the Spanish language;
but he became greatly Interested in
them, especially in the pretty black
eyed children He kept his pockets
filed with sugar-plums for their
especial delectatiOn. By and by be
discovered that every two or three
days something OF the household be-
lOngings disappeared. Then he knew
that the family were ia sore straits,
and he asked the landlady for infOr-
nation. She said that they were
refugees from Santa DOmingO; their
father had owned an extensive coffee
plantation, but had lost his life in one
of the many negro instructions in
that distracted and unhappy island.
These young people escaped to the
United States bringing with them such
portable property as they could gather
up. The landlady said that they'Were
anxious to dispose of some of their
silver, and that if he were Wiltinging
to buy it of them at its real value, it
would be a favor. By those means
Uncle John came into possession Of
these cd Spanish spoons and forks
AfterWard the laudlady told him that
the Young Spaniard said he hoped the
American would keep the silver in his
family. He said that it was of great
antiquity and had been in his own
family for many years. One OF his
ancestors belonged to the Spanish nO5
bility and lived at Seville. in Spain.
The times were hard, with constant
wars and instructions on every hand.
The nobility were much richer in
aristOcracY than ducatS, and many of
them were tempted BY the tales Of the
wonderful gold mine, in the Spanish
possessions in Hayti, which yielded
half million dollars annually to the
Spanish crown, to try their fortunes in
the New World.
''Do you know their names?" asked
Marion.
mo, I do not; and that makes 1t
hard for me to tell the story. will
call the New Orleans Spaniard, Don
Carlos, and that will help me little.
Don Carlos great grandfather, a
Spanish nObleman, was among the
earliest settlers Of Santa Domingo"
''Give the g. g. a name! Call him
Don Juanp' said Marion.
can right! Don Juan it is"
''HoW romantic the story Is get
ting" said Marion with interest.
''Just imagine far away SPAIN and
the Spanish 'Veiled ladies' that we
read about. and the grave majestic
men serenading their lady loves in
the balconies above.
land the bull fightsI Probably old
Don Juan used to hIpi hipl hurrahi in
Spanish when bull gored some poor
Christian to death" said Amy.
SAT any rate, this is true. cOntin-
ned MillY. ''DOn Carlos told Uncle
John, that It was a part Of history in
their family that their table ware was
made Of silver taken from the famous
mine on Guadal Canal, the one that
Pliny, the historian, tells about.
Hannibal opened it, and it yielded
him 800 pounds Of silver ore daily.
What do you think of that for a min
inc enterpriseP It would make our
! California and Colorado milliOnaires
green with envy, wouldn't itP''
eel don't wonder that King think
much of that fork" said Amy.
'sNOW. see here; I'll count on my
fingers. The thumb can be Hauni-
bal silver mine; the first finger, Don
Juan, the nObieman, taking bis wife
aRd spoons and going to Santa DOmin-
go, TO better his fortunes 3
big jump In the story"
ssOh, ne. that's all right" said
Milly. 'sWe don't need the whole
family history. The next link in the
chain is the grandson. the coffee
planter. "
'.Can him ferdinand That's a
Spanish name, isn't it2'' suggested
Marion.
1.-THE second finger. then. Is Ferdi-
nand, who, together with his wife. Isa-
bella, lost his life in q negro insurrec-
ton ia Santa Domingo. The third Is
Don Carlos and family, fleeing TO New
Orleans AMI carrying the precious sIl-
yer; the fourth Is Mrs. Fitzgerald's
Uncle John. buying spoons, packing in.
chest and finally giving EOrk to niece
going TO boardin0-schoOI; the fifth Is
Mary. the niece; calmly eating Nine
beenth Century dinners with an his
tOrir fork; then Mary. now Mrs. Fitz-
gerald, disDoses OF &c as a wedding