The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-17
HIS FIRST THOUSAND.

10 remember the nrSt Sl,OOO
ever earnedT' echoed Henry Westfall,
wealthy resident of Colorado, in
answer TO a rather leading question
q young lad at the time and the only
child Of the poorest family in coal
mining town in Pennsylvania.
"One day, while engaged in picking
slate, heard big connection at the
top OF the mine. The men were very
much excited, and the owner who was
the richest and most devout church
man In the town. was wringing his
hands and imploring the men to do
something. Running up / learned
that the men had fired fuse attached
to an extra large cartridge and had
Just come from the mine when they
discovered thut they had left the
pretty little daughter of the owner be-
hind. She had gone down with her
father, and while the latter came up
for an GRAND had wandered away.
The cartridge had not yet exploded, as
long to enable the men TO get up. The
father, as you may imagine, was
agoniZed.
He offered $1,000 to any one who
would go down after the little one.
But no one would stir. All had fami-
lies 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 sick
ness unable to work. Jumping on the
car l called to be let down, and amid
the cheers of the men 1 descended.
Each moment had death In IL for me
unless the fuse was longer than was
thought. But tried not to think of
II, and when reached the bottom the
child was playing at the mouth OF the
shaft. ! grabbed her put her on the
ear and gave the signal to be heistetl
up. But the cur did not move. ]
repeated the signal hut still without
avail. In agony OF fear, ierked it
again and the car still remaining at
the bottom. bude the little girl stay
where she was, and then ran into the
| new drift where the explosion was To
take place.
"a spark revealed the whereabouts
OF the fuse The fuse was still an Inch
long, and took hold OF ii and pulled
il out. tried to cheer, but had faint.
ed instead. When come to / WAS on
top OF the ground, taken there by the
men who, when In answer to my lust
signal they had not received the other
two-had raised tile little girl and then
Npilit iohli ullti
'Well, the next day the father thank
ed mo, but said nothing about the
$1,000. The men advised me to ask for
it,, / refused. Then some OF them
asked for me, and the owner told them
that they We're mistaken; he had offer
ed nothing. So mad were they that
they threatened to throw him down
the mine, but they desisted at my re-
quest. A few weeks later i was dis
charged, probably because | was an
eyesore to the owner. My father hav-
ing i'll the meantime recovered, went
and secured Il fair position.
''Ono day about fifteen years after
this event a charming young lady
drove up i'll her carriage, and, coming
III called FOR me, She did not ut first
give her name, but asked me II would
| do her a favor OF course | said yes.
She then told me il was she whom |
saved; that her father had died short
time before, and that in looking over
his papers she had found letter of
some Of the men to him, upbraiding
him for not paying me the 81 ,000. This
was the first she had heard of the ohli-
CATION, and she hud immediately set
out to find me. As she said this she
handed me check for 81, 500 being,
she explained, the interest was
about to refuse to accept the check,
but she reminded Lac that had prom
Used to do her u favor and so kept my
word. So took it with her card. and
she left. What became OF her? Well,
Six months later she became my wife. "