The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-06-08

hands lend aid to the afflicted.
BROADBRIM'S N. Y. LETTER.
Ono hot afternoon in July, more years
ago than can now recolect, or care to, /
had just reached the summit of the Sierras
that looks down on the beautiful valley of
the Sacramento and stopped for a short
time TO rest. My ride had been long and
heavy one, so 1 slipped the saddle and
bride from my horse, and fastening my ri
alta about his neck, lay down in the grass
to rest and contemplate the scene before
me. Below me lay the valley of the Sacra
ment, glowing like an oven under the tor
rid heat of July sun, while above me tow
cred the rugged peaks of the Serras, where
the snow never melts, and through the
grass where lay swept the cool breeze of
sweet May day in softer and more genial
clmes. As looked dreamily around, high
up on the bald surface of rock, that had
challenged the storms Of centuries, l saw
the cabalstic fignres, rs. T., 1860 X" and
on another rock a gigantichand pointed to
the words, ''Drakes Plantation Bitters." l
don't know why, but by some magical pro-
cess of mental photography, the words
seemed burned into my brain, and could
not forget them. About year after this,
in company with Queen Emma of the Sand
wich Islands, visited the big trees of the
Calavaras. We were taking a quiet even
ing stroll among those forest wonders,
when nailed up to one of the mightiest of
the forest giants I again saw the sign, rs.
T., 1850 X" Taken with its wonderful
surroundings, 1t was a shock; and filled
with indignation at the desecration l tore
the sign down and broke it all to pieces,
casting the fragments into burning pile
that saw close by. In short time these
mystic characters were on every available
spot to be found in California, Oregon,
Washington Territory and Nevada Years
after l returned to the East. Walking down
Broadway with friend, met gentleman
to whom l was introduced, Mr.. Demas
Barnes. His greeting was very cordial, and
in the course of our brief conversation, he
said, "And now. ms dear sir, if you. are
disengaged this evening it would afford me
sincere pleasure to see you at my house.
have just received from Europe a statue,
the "West Wind' which is to be unveiled
this evening, and / should esteem it an hon.
or to have your judgment on it," AS we
parted my friend asked me if l knew who
ance. Why, said he, that is Demas Barnes
of S. T., 1850, the owner of brakes Plan.
tation Bitters. That evening visited hi:
magnificent house on First Place, Brook
lyn, where met most brilliant company
and was received by Mr.. Barnes and wife
winsome lady and good as she was beau
tiful. Years rolled on and Mr.. Barnes wax
ed richer, and few years ago his wife dhe(
and it then transpired that the millionair,
had got her through an advertisement il
the newspapers, wherein he had advertised
for wife, and that, successful business
man as he was, it was her taste and he
tact that gave him whatever social stand
ing he possessed, and that saved him from
being recognised as an uneducated ignora
mus though he sported LII. d. at the ent
bogus Pennsylvania College, After
period of mourning, Mr.. Barnes stood be
fore the altar, for the second time, with
bride crowned with orange blossoms. Their
was skeleton in the domestic closet whel
the first Mrs. Barnes died. Some said sh
II - Ia l.,
till the second Mrs. Barnes discovered he
husbands Irregularities. and thencefortl
there was trouble in the splendid mansion
which continued till one day Mr.. Barne
was knocked do wn in the street by passing
carriage. He was picked up and carried t.
his splendid home, and in forty-eight hour
he was dead. Then the whole pack o
black-mailers whom his money had KEEP
silent, and the abandoned women who ha
grown rich on his folly, formulated infam
Gus stories and offered them TO that portion
of the press which delights in such scand
alons matter, but bad as some of them wer
they failed to find a purchaser. But now
Miss Knapp comes forward and claims hir
for husband, and fortifes her claim b
his public acknowledgment of her as hi
equivalent of a certificate. And she
furthur backed by living witness, the i'm
age of dead millionaire. 1t does not seer
that the claim of two hundred and fft
thousand dollars for a ruined character an
blighted life is excessive when the estat
of the dead man amounts to several mi
lions of dollars, and the income of one O
his patents last year (CdStorid) ameunte
TO nearly two hundred thousand dollars
Uneducated, starting life in abject povert
before he was forty he had become a mill
ionaire, and pTohting by the productions Q
other peoples brains he had passed anon
them who did not know him intamatel
for learned and educated man. His bet
noire was women. Though trapped an
blackmaied repeatedly, his vanity and 10y
of admiration never deserted him till
died, and now two years after he is laid /
the tomb, these follies and sins rise in juds
ment against him, considering which W
feel like exclaiming with Shakespeare
''What fools these mortals bep'
The week has been marked by the r,
moYal of some fine ladies who have cause
ne end of trouble in mercantile circles
For a couple of months past number {
business houses have been victimised b
two very handsome ladies. who hay
mulcted them in various sums, from on
hundred to three thousand dollars. The
we're elegantly dressed, covered wit
diamonds, and they travelled in beautifl
carriage, attended by coachman and foo
man. When they drove up to any of OF
fashionable stores all the clerks, male an