Daily Republican., 1885-02-24
TNlRD EDITION,



Those who have been reading the
City Auditors advertised sales of
property to meet bills for curbing and
paving, have seen In the advertised list
the property of Mary e. butcher,
Franklin street, between Eighth and
Ninth. The case of Mrs. butcher is
q hard one. 1t will be- well remem.
bered how she came by the properly.
Her husband, who was reformed
in ebriate according to his own confess
sion and published autobiography
turned ont to be an eloquent temperance
lecturer. In this capacity he visited
Wilm ingtou, just ut a time when there
was q rising excitement on the tenn
perance question, and the moral reform
movement was going ahead rapidly.
Scores of men who were in the down
ward path were reclaimed and some of
them are to-day influential and re
spected citizens. Mr.. butcher came
and went up with the rising tide. His
warm, impassioned eloquence drew
tremendous audiences. and with Mr..
George Wells to direct, a tent move
ment was inaugurated, in which meet
ings were kept up every night
nearly all summer and autumn. The
people were really captivated with Mr..
butcher and his true native eloqueuce,
and Mr.. butcher professed to love
Wilmington, better than any place he
had ever visited better even than HI:
New England home.
Thousands of people were gratefu
to Mr.. butcher for the work he bad
done, and felt like rewarding Linn in :
substantial manner IL was PROPOSED
to build him house that should be biz
future home.
The proposition took ike wild fir,
amongst the people, and subscriptions
began TO pour Into the hands al
Mr.. Wells, who was the principal move
in the enterprise. A lot was pur
chased on Franklin street from
G. W. Rowland. Soon workmen were
excayating the cellar, hundreds of mel
offering a days or two days work
gratis.
Mechanics worked two or three day
for nothing, lumber men, brickrnakers
hardware meu-tin men-apd every
body who supplied material put
down below cost price The home wa
finished, and Mr.. butcher and his fam
lily moved into ii. The property
worth $500, and there was 5000 of
mortgage against il, which Mr.. Dutche
said he would have no difficulty in pay
ing off.
The deed was made out in the nam
of Mary f. butcher, to make it NOR
secure for IA home for her AMI her chill
dren if her husband should untortun
ately ever go back to his old habits.
This was for innate circumstance
Soon after being indicted into his ne'
home Mr.. butcher fell iuto his OIL
habits and also proven unfaithiul Il
30 fa. hrr r. b.,r
travelling over the country with be
still pretending TO be reformer. o
course he,neglrcted 10 provide for III
family and had not friend come to tbel
relief they would have suffered and a
il is the lank wolf of hunger has otter
knocked al their DOGS
Mrs. butcher has not heard from hei
husband for fifteen months. He Wa
ont in Colorado and nurse among:
the miners.
She nav believes that he j, dead !
reality a. he Das been dead 10 her f
many years.
But improvements were made /
Franklin street and H. was Curbed an,
paved OF course evory property hoi,
Q; had to pay the price of curbiug al
paving in front of their premises. Mr.
butcher was called upon to pay abol
S54 for her snare of the cost of the in
provemeut.
OF course she could not pay it. 81
had enough to do To keep herself an
children from starving. But the eli
of Wilmington is memorable and mu
have the money.
This is one OF the cases that Audit
Ball, in the kindness of his heart, won
not push until compelled to do so
City Council. Their property is advt
tised to BIZ sold next Saturday, if Z
small claim of S54 is not paid off.
there not enough philanthrol
in Wilmington to keep this pc
woman and her children from bel
sold out OF their home at sacrifice
spectators who have their graspi
eyes upon the property
1t is worth, as has been stated, {
500, the mortgage against it is on
$500, and Auditor Balls claim is on
S54 Where are the men who ha
money to loan ?
II ere is place to invest it, and
doing so they will have the satisfacti
OF preventing a poor woman and b
children from being sold out of HOT
and home next Saturday.