New Ulm weekly review., 1886-03-24
AN OLD MANS STORY.
An Aged Danish Jeweler Tells sor-
rOwful Tale

An Aged Danish Jeweler Tells sor-
rowful Tale.
81 am so years of age, but my sight
is good and my mind is sound, and
could gain living still if l had but
chance
The speaker was Jens William Young,
an aged jeweler and native of Copen-
hagen, Denmark, whom a reporter
found summing himself near his resi-
dence on North Peters street.
Il was rich at one time, " the old man
went on. ''but lost my money in the
Mexican war. | was running jewel
er's business and keeping hotel in the
City of Mexico, and most of the south
srn officers had rooms at my place.
When the articles of peace were signed
and the American army had to vacate
the city, Col. Robert E. Lee, who was
there in command Of the Texan cavalry.
did not think it safe for me to remain
there. He came to my hotel, and, looking
me sharply in the eyes, said: You must
leave with us, as your life is in danger.
The streets are full of angry, revenge
full soldiers. Do not mind your hotel;
take care Of your life
Il asked him when he left
''He said: Before daylight we must
all be off Gather up your tools and be
ready to start at clock in the morn
ing. Twill send the government wagon
for you
':At the appointed time not only did
he send the wagon, but came himself in
person.
81 could take nothing but my trunks
and box of provisions. AS I stood
with the servants of the hotel around
me, grieving at the sacrifice was about
to make, Col. Lee came to me and said:
You have reason to feel sad, but your
life is worth more to you than your
hotel; let us be Off 1 took with me
three servants and my horse, and, with
tears in my eyes, l left my beautiful
hotel behind ME.
"My establishment was on the first
floor of the famous building which was
owned by the family of Gen. Gegano,
and was situated at No s Callide las
Plateur, near the Palace de Armes.
cat $3.50 o'clock | left the hotel in
company with Col. Lee, and at day
break the place was full of soldiers.
plundering and destroying everything
in the place. They were armed with
knives and sticks and were searching
for me. The servants l left in the hotel
had to flee into the streets to save their
lives. So, therefore, it is to Gen. R. f.
Lee owe my life. The Spanish board
of commissioners Of Mexico were also
indebted for favors to Gen. Lee There
was a large lot of goods sent from Verna
to the City of Mexico, which fell into
the hands Of guerrillas, and he with
some OF his men recaptured the goods
and returned them.
'The night before we arrived at Ja-
lapa there came into our camp man
shouting for the general and crying:
For Gods sake, come and help us; our
village is full of guerrillas, robbing and
plundering.'
"The man had hardly finished speak
ing when Lee, with dozen men, went
with him, over a rocky and dangerous
road, to the place and drove them out
of the village.
"Who in this world would not call
Gen. Lee great and good man?" con-
tinued the old man, with tears stand
ing in his eyes.
81 am sorry that many of the old Of
ficers visiting my hotel at that time are
now no more, but some of the Younger
ones are still alive, and hope they en-
Joy good health, as | do. | remember
a Lieut.. Col E. Brindles who staid
with me, and there must be good
many of the South Carolina and Penn
rylvania regimental officers still living.
Cali these officers came up into my
jewelry n1anufactory once and com
planned to me that they could not find
any buttons to suit their new uniforms.
l Immediately went to work and made
a stamp of the American eagle, and
turned out lot of silver buttons, many
of which I expect are still kept as
souvenirs of those times.
Before the American army left Mex
leo | was honored by the Spanish COM
mission with the task of designing and
executing the work on the gold-mount-
ed dress sword of honor presented to
Gen. Robert E. Lee for his gallantry
during the war;
Here the old man displayed card
on which was the print of cut repre-
senting the sword in question, which
was certainly of very handsome and
elaborate style of decoration.
''The papers of that day." he went
on, 'gave me credit for having execu-
ted my commission with better taste
and more skill than was shown by the
best New York artists in the manufact-
ure OF the sword presented to Gen.
Worth by the government in the same
YEAR. / was so pleased with nv work