The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-07-06
The Way to a Fortune.

universally popular rs II which should
give directions for the requirement OF
wealth.
"Why, sir, [ knew him when he hadn't
cent to his name" At n remark like
that l always prick up my ears; and ]
think the story which is invariably be-
hind a remark like that must be interest
ing to everyone. This, at least, is what
L said to my millionaire friend when he
told me that the history of his first start
on fortunes road was not worth telling.
cat all events" he said, ''you would
not be willing to make such IL start as I
didr,
am the reverse of rich myself, and I
told him any start would do if the result
were as desirable as in his case.
"Wcll," he whispered, IT began with
a killing"
"Murdcr" 1 cried in horror, stepping
back from him with n feeling OF intense
rcpugnance, as there flashed rapidly
through my mind the bloody tales l had
heard of the lawlcss times in the early
days of Frisco, when knives and pistols
were in moro use than table forks.
II will tell you how it happened" said
my friend.
ut was during the gold fever that I
sailed from New York for San Francisco.
and l left with just money enough for
the trip, thinking, if 1 could only reach
California, I might soon make u fortune.
We had a fair voyage on the Atlantic.
but from Panama the vessels were n moro
tub and much ovcrcrowded. There
were many women and children. / had
a berth in the ladies' cabin, and sold it
for a hundred dollars, and slept on the
upper deck.
swell, I had not been in San Francis
co a month when I found myself without
a cent, and was in n pretty bad fix.
Food was dear in those days. It cost
something to live. Flour was selling at
thirty dollars a barrel, and 1 have Seen
apples bring n dollar each. It was q
poor time to be short of money.
Il was standing on the street one day
feeling pretty we'll down in the mouth.
when an old Italian organ-grinder came
along, and, propping his instrument on d
stick, began to grind out a tune. It was
not the miserable business in those DAYS
that it is now. The organ-grinders made
money in California at that time, hand
over fist. They used to go up to the
mines and bring back a fortune.
Gas soon as this fellow commenced to
play, 1 perceived that something was
wrong with his organ. The old Italian
would turn the handle, and for a short
time the air would sound all right. Then
of a sudden the most frightful dis
cords would be heard. e
1.-THE old mans face was comfcal to
see. He would stop, examine the instru-
ment, turn it around, shake it, then with
n scared expression on his face rs if he
thought it was haunted, begin again with
the same frightful discords.
~ stepped up to him, prompted BY
curiosity.
Whats the matterg I asked, music
very badp
mo buano,' said the old man, with
a look of great distress.
"No buano, I repeated, examining it.
The thought flashed across me that here
might be q chance to make some money.
fix organs I said. you know I
make lots Of organs Ipointed from the
instrument to myself. Though his Eng
lish was very poor, he seemed to under
stand nearly all I said"
"Were you not afraid to undertake
the jobW Iasked.
swell, no. I am pretty handy, and I
Thought if I could have time I should be
to figure it out. Of course it was
a reckless undertaking, but a hungry
man is apt to be reckless.
81 explained that it would cost much
money, but he said enough for me to
make out that he wished to go takhc
mines directly, and would pay whatever
asked. The old man was quite a char
acter in his way. He told me that he
often made from twenty to fifty dollars a
lay, and that if his instrument could not
repaired, it would be a great loss, as
It could not possibly be replaced.
she appeared to have a real love for
The organ which he had brought from
he old country, and was very much as
;onished and distressed at the behavior
If his favorite, which he said had always
made good music until two DAVIS mast