The morning call., 1890-06-30
HIS FIRST $1,000.

Il Romantic Incident in the Youth of
Wealthy Coloradoan.
"Do [ remember the first $1,000 l ever
earned ?" echoed Henry Westfall, wealthy
resident of Colorado, in answer to the ques-
ton of fellow-lodger at the Grand Pacific
Hotel. "Well, rather. l was a young lad
at the time and the only child of the poor
est family in coal-mining town of Penn
sylvania. One day, while engaged picking
slate, heard big commotion at the mouth
of the mine. The men were very much eX-
cited and tie owner who was the richest
and most devout churcbman in tile town,
was wriugng his hands and imploring the
men to do something. Running up, Learned
that the men had fired a fuse attached to an
extra-arge cartridge and had just come
from the mine when they discovered that
they had left the pretty little daughter of
the owner behind. She had gone down
with her father, and while the latter Came
up Tor errand had wandered away. The
cartridge had not vet exploded, as the fuse
had purposely been made long to enable
the men to get up. The father, as you may
imagine, was agoniZed. lie offered $1,000
10 any one who would go down after the
little one. But no one would stir. All Of
them had families of their own-except, of
course, myself-and would not run the risk
of death. The sum was fortune to me,
especially as MY father was, from sickness,
unable to work. Jumping on the car
| called TO be let down, and amid the cheers
OF the men descended. Each moment had
death in it for me unless the fuse was
longer than was thought. But L tried not
to think of it. and when | reached the bot
tom the child was playing at the mouth Of
the shaft. l grabbed her, put her III the
car and gave the signal to be hoisted up.
But the car did not move | repeated the
signal, but still without avail. In agony of
fear jerked it again and the car still re-
naming at the bottom, | babe the little girl
stay where she was and then | ran into the
new drift where the explosion was TO take
place. A little spark revealed the wherea-
bouts OF the fuse. he fuse was still an
inch long and l took hold of it and pulled
it out. ] tried 10 cheer, but had tainted in
stead When | came to i was on the top of
the ground, taken there by the men who,
when in answer to my last signal-lhey had
not received the other two-had raised the
little girl and had then come down for me.
Well, the next day the father thanked
me, but said nothing about the $1,000 The
men advised me to ask for it. | refused.
Then some of them asked for Inc and the
owner told them that they were mistaken;
he had offered nothing SO mad were they
that they offered 10 throw him down the
mine, but they desisted at my request, 4
few weeks later l was discharged, prob
ably because | was an eyesore to the
owner. Ny father having in the mean
time recovered, went away and obtained
work in New York, and, after awhile,
secured fair position. One day, about
fifteen years after this event, a charm
ing young lady drove up in her car
rage, and, coming in, called for me.
She did not at first give her name,
but asked me if l would do her
favor. OF course | said yes. She then told
ME that it was she whom l had saved, that
her father had died short time before and
that in looking over his papers she had
found letter from some of the men to him
rltAlAr inn far nt
$1,000. This was the first she had heard of
the obligation and she had Immediately set
out to find me. As she said this she handed
me a check for $500, the extra $500 being,
she explained, the interest. l was about
TO refuse to accept the cheek, but she re-
minded me that l had promised to do her a
favor and that | must keep my word. So l
took it, with her card, and size left. What
OF herr Well, six months later she became
my wife. '-Chcago Evening Post.