New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-07-07
Too Good to be True.

Too Good to be True.
A double house was recently moved
from Powell street, San Fran cisco,
concerning which an old settler tells
an interesting story in the Sacramento
Bee. He says that two young men
from New York state, who had been
to school together, arrived in San
Francisco early in the ''ffties" Black
went to the mines, and Gray remained
in the city, and, with a small sum,
fitted out little store Heprospered,
married, had children. Then came a
big reverse. He found himself in a
tight place, from which nothing but
$4,000 would extricate him. He
went among his friends to raise the
money, but they had none to give
him. And then, as he turned a street
corner sharply, he ran into Blacks
arms. He told him his trouble, and
gave him ali his history during the ten
years they had been separated.
Il have the money!" said Black;
"but SIS, 1000 just sizes my pile. I am
tired OF mining, and hoped to settle
down here and get into some business,
but you can have it my dear fellow,
and I'll take a whack at pick and
rocker again
Gray took the money, and Black
returned to the mountain. In the
course OF that year the merchant
made a lucky turn and sent the miner
his money with ample interest. Then
they ceased to correspond, and the
last the merchant heard Of his friend
was that he WAS about to marry and
move into new mining district.
Five years afterward the miner and
his family returned to San Francisco
Black was dead broke Every thing
speculatlons had failed, the mines he
had discovered Detered out, the men
he had trusted deceived him and he
had about $50 remaining of once
ample fortune. He hunted up his
friend Gray, who was. OF course, de-
lighted to see him. "And l don't see
anything for me to do old man, said
the respondent miner, except to get
job shoveling sand, if you can help
me to one"
81 have just moved into a handsome
house an Powell street, said Black,
and want you to come and dine with
me tomorrow evening 1t is a double
house, finished about a week ago."
The miner was on time. with his
shabbily dressed wife and little ones.
"Iou did we'll sticking to the town."
he remarked to his old schoolfellow.
Here you are way up as q merchant,
living in fine house, all your own,
and having /. bank account as long as
my arm, suppose
Before dinner they visited the ad.
joining house, which was furnished in
precisely the same style as the mer-
chants dwelling. Then they sat down
chattet over old times until the late.
ness Of the hour warned the miner and
his wife that it was time to return to
their lodging house.
"All right, my boy" said Gray,
"but just step next door, there is
something / wish to showyou which
neglected on our first visit "When
they entered the hall Black halted.
''Here," he said, chat looks like my
trunk"
Nonsense" said Gray, ''come up
stairs to this bedroom"
"Why," said the miner, looking
about him, "confound you, you have
moved all my traps up here from that
lodging house"
cave, have I, my friend:' shouted
the other, Shaping him on the shout
der. "Whera should man keep his
things but in his own house, and in
what part OF the house better than
his own bedroom?" Black was be-
wildered, and began to have doubts
Of his friends sanity, but when his
friend thrust IL deed of this very house
into his hands, and followed with a
deed OF copartners in his business,
he broke down and cried like a child.
"And now we are moving away this
old house, sir, to another quarter:
| said the narrator Of this remarkable
tale Of gratitude and friendship, "but
would not take a hundred thousand
dollars for it," 1t was Black himself
who told the story, now a most sue
cessfui merchant.