Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-01-08
CHAPTER II.

br1Sk trOt, anu the SAD I1LIlG par ny
moved on at a slower pace.
CHAPTER Il
Mario DeIaro, the man whose dead
body had been found, was, as his name
indicates, an Italian who had emigrated
to America Immediately after the close
of the civil war, while he was still 6
youth.
His parents had been well-to-do, but
his father met with reverses in conse
quence of patriotic endeavor to estab
lish some large factories near to Naples
which had turned out failure.
Young Mario, full of pluck and spirit
determined not to become in any way
dependent on his father in his strait.
ened circumstances, so with praise
worthy energy he resolved to try his
luck in California. Like many others
before and since, he was doomed tt
meet with some bitter disappointments,
but as he had made up his mind to bat
tie in earnest with the world, there was
little fear that he would starve-
He first tried the mining districts;
| but there met with Indifferent success,
Still, BY hard work he managed to get {
little money ahead and drifted to Sa1
| Francisco, where he opened a frui'
store. There he was more successful
| and soon saved several thousand dol
| lars.
Growing tired of the busy, yet hum
| drum life of the city, he resolved OF
| trying his hand in the wine-growins
| districts. and bought few acres of lane
| in the fertile Sonoma valley.
L l., ia -.
| the business he at first lost great dea.
| Of money in the venture, and by the
| time that he had mastered all the nee
essary points and was turning out sat
| isfactory wines, he found that the poo,
wines which many Of his competitor
were putting on the market had caused
| the people to speak disparagingly O,
| domestic wines, so that the trade in
| them was considerably fallen off.
However, he continued to persevere in
| the face of i'll fortune, and was at last
rewarded with success.
Elated with his good fortune, he con
| ceived the idea of becoming part owner
| and manager of one Of the largest wine
| growing concerns in Sonoma County.
| and in an evil hour took into partner
| ship a Portuguese named Leon Velas
| quez, so that he might have the meani
| to purchase some neighboring vine
yards
Velasquez brought quite large sum
of money into the business, though how
he came by it was often afterwards &
theme for speculation in the mind o.
Mario.
For nearly year all went well ant
| quite brilliant But before the end o
twelve months partnership Velasque
began to show signs of lessening per
sonal interest in the business.
He took oft-repeated trips to SaI
Francisco and made frequent demand,
| for money, which at first Mario in
| variably met without questioning; Blu
when one day Velasquez proposed tt
| considerably overdraw his account, {;
| quarrel ensued, caused by Mario's re
| fusal.
Thereupon Velasquez displayed char
acteristics which told that he was no.
quite the polished gentleman he pre-
tended to be.
But Mario's refusal served good pur
pose: for. after this, Velasquez was MOI
so importunate in his demands on the
financial resources of the firm. Mat
| tiers went on with comparative smooth
ness for a time, but Mario was not well
satisfied with his partner and often
wished that he had kept along alone IL
| his old quiet way. As year followed
year the Posada property continued te
| increase in value and Sonoma wines
| found a ready sale at all times Both
| Mario and his partner were making
large sums of money every year.
| Mario was careful man and invested
| his money very cautiously as fast as he
made it. but Velasquez was given &c
| rash speculation, and frequently LOST
! large sums of money dabbling in min
| ing stocks in San Francisco.
| This and his frequent absence from
| the Posada cellars gave Deiaro good
cause for complaint, and he suggested
! to Velasquez the purchase of his share
| in the business
To this Velasquez would not listen
| He was always sure Of good thing, as
| he knew full well, so long as heretained
| his interest in the vineyard and the
yine-cellars and he knew enough to
| stick TO his partner.
lTo BE CONTINUED.
/ THR Duke of Deronshire has spent nc
/ less than s32o, 900 on railways in tbs