Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-07-30
FIRE AND FORTUNE.
Strange vtcIssTtudes of a Denver
Family.
Denver News.

DtnNef NEWS.
We had new boarder coming and
our best room had been busted and
swept and the furniture dubbed until
1t shone again. The house had been
ransacked for nick hacks and little
ornaments TO brighten up the pleasant
room assigned for the use of the new
conner, which looked out upon our
pretty little garden through two low
windows with their snow white cur
tains, and the climbing roses outside
peepng In at either corner. Mother
seemed to have lost the haggard, care
worn look which she had worn ever
since the death Of father year be
fore, which had added to her heavy
burden Of grief, the additional one of
providing the means of livelihood for
our little family, taxing her strength
at times almost beyond its limit. [
was but ten years Of age, and Bert,
the little angel, was IN his sixth year.
OF course I did what I could to held
make both ends meets, but am afraid
that was very little.
WE HAD COME TO DENVER THREE WEARS
BEFORE
fathers health being poor, and his
business in the Eastern city where I
was born having fallen off in the hard
times, everything was sold off, and as
he and mother said we would make
new start IN new country. We set
tied IN q comfortable little house on
Champa street, but for several moaths
no employment offered and our little
store was gradually being wasted
away. One day there was an adver
tlsement for man to take charge of
the accounts of a mining company at
mountain camp some distance away.
Father, being a good book-keeper. an
sWered it and secured the situation.
With the exception of the drawback of
his long absence from home, things
were more pleasant with us, fathers
salary keeping us IN comparative
comfort. By strict attention to the
interests of his employers, he gradu
ally won their entire confidence, and
during the absences Of the superin>
tendent In New York, where he was
frequently called to meet the directors.
father was IN charge of the mine 1t
was upon one of these occasions,
while considerable stopping was being
done in new level which was being
run to strike
RECENTLY DISCOVERED VEIN,
it became necessary for him to go ln~
to the mine to direct some of the oper
atoms. While at the farther end of
the drift, the roof of the tunnel sud
denly gave way, crushing him and
80 H., -
They were extrIcated as soon as possi~
BILE, but the father only lived an hour.
OH the agony OF that time. Borne
down by the weight of the terrible
blow, neither lay for weeks lowering
between life and death, with only
poor little me to wait upon her and
take care of Bert, not that this was
so hard, for the little fellow seemed
to know something Of the great troub
lie, and was as good as he could be.
Finally mother arose from her bed
and assumed the burdens of life now
largely increased by the awful loss
we had sustained. For months we
struggled along, mother trying to exc
out the small sum she had saved
while father was employed, by needle
work and sewing, which she nanag-
ed to obtain. Finally things got so
bad that it seemed to be necessary
that we should
NOVEL INTO STILL SMALLER HOUSE.
One day, while looking over the
advertisements IN the Rocky Noun
tain News, of houses to rent, her eye
caught in another column the follow
ing:
WANTED by A SINGLE GENTLEMAN
A furnished room with board in a
quiet neighborhood; private family
preferred. Address, KY" News |
Office.
Now as our little parlor had never |
been used since fathers death. and |