The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-08-05
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
A California Story that Proves that Their
is Such a Thing as True Friendship.


A double house was recently moved
from Powell street, San Francisco, con{
cerning which an old settler tells AM
interesting story in the Sacramento Bee5
He says that two young men from New
York state, who had been to school to-
gether, arrived in San Francisco early
in the ''fifties." Black went to the mines,I
and Gray remained in the city, and.i
with small sum, fitted out a little
store. He prospered. married, had chill
dren. Then came a big reverse. Hei
found himself in a tight place, FROM
which nothing but $4,000 would ex1
tricate him. He went among his friends
to raise the money, but they had none
to give him. And then. us he turned al
street corner sharply, he ran into
Blacks arms. He told him his troublel
and gave him all his history during the
ten years they had been separated.
II have the money!" said Black,f
"but $4,000 Just sizes my pile. l ami
tired of mining, and hoped to settle
down here and get into some business
But you can have it, my dear fellow.i
and I'll take whack at pick and rock
er again"
Gray took the money, and Black rel
turned to the mountains. In the course
of that year the merchant made 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 a new
mining district
Five years afterward the miner andt
his family returned to San Francisco.i
Black was dead broke. Everything had
gone wrong with HIM. His mining
speculations had failed, the mines ha
had discovered petered out, the men he
had trusted deceived him, and he had
about $50 remaining of once ample
fortune. He hunted up his friend Gray.i
who was, of course, delighted to SEED
him. "And | don't see ANYTHING for
me to do. old man." said the dcsponden1
miner, ''except to get n job shovelinH
sand, if you can help me to one"
Il have just moved into handsome
house on Powell street." said Black;
''and want you to come and dine with
me tomorrow evening. 1t is a double
house, finished about week ago."
The miner was on time. with his
shabbily dressed wife and little ones.
You did we'll sticking to the town,'h
he remarked to his old schoolfellow.
Here you are way up as merchant,i
living in fine house, all your own,
and having bank account as long as
my arm. l suppose"
Before dinner they visited the adioin-
ing house, which was furnished in pre-,
cisely the same style as the merchants
dwelling. Then they sat down, chatted
over old times until the lateness of the
hour warned the miner and his wife
that it was time to return to their lodg,
ing house.
''All right my boy" said Gray, "but
just step next door; there is something
l wished to show you which 1 neglect
ed on our first visit" When they
entered the hall Black halted "Here,'',
he said, ''that 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"
"Aye, have l, my friend?" shouted
the other. slapping him on the shoulder,
''Where should man keep his things
but in his own house, and in what
part of the house better than his own
bed-room?' Black was bewildered.,
and began to have doubts of his friends
sanity, but when his friend thrust a,
deed of this very house into his hand,
and followed with deed of co-partner,
ship in his business, he broke down and
cried like 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 SpQ. 600 for it" It was Black
himself who told the story, now most
successful merchant.