Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-09-10
A MILLION ADRIFT.

. NhS oOle INC very Significant name OF
Vide Poche (empty pocket), there re-
sides one Of the early French settlers,
Joe Marshall by name, says the St.
Louis Republic. "Old Joc," as he is
called by everyone, is one of those I'M
fortunate Frenchmcn who settled in
Carondelct while it was yet a burg of
some six or seven houses. He acquired
great deal of property, as did all the
old crcoles, and when a moro active
civilization cncroached upon the dis
trict and the property began to be
worth something, he lost it all through
carelessness and bad management. It
may not be generally known that Joe
was u millionaire for two whole hours
Mt one time, and tho circumstances OF
his rise and fall are best told in his own
words:
at was in the summer of, 1S49-I WINS
on the river then. The river was boom
ing and it WAS unsafe to go out in n
small boat That was in the carly
steamboat times when everyone trav-
elcd by river, and the wharf il st.
louis was lined with boats which stucl.
their bows SO close together in order
TO get to the wharf 1T all, that they
formed wall along the river front.
and when fire broke out on one bocf
the others were so tightly wcdgcd il
that cscaps was impossible. 1t hut
been storming all day, and in the even.
ing the river was IL raging torrent
ready to tear away its banks or to dasl
the huge trees that had been uDro0te,
by it in its mad course through The hu!
OF the steamer that vcnturcd from til,
bank out into njtl-strcam.
About nine O'Clock that evening A.:
frc broke out on the lcvcc among TIN
poGts. There was n panic. Some G.
the passengers who were spending; til,
night on the boats III order To rnaI;>
sure of their StltaroCmJ lost their live
IN the panic which followed, and other
left their v;tlrables. The less wa3 in
mcnsc, both of life and Of pr0DSrty.
The red glare of the fire WIZ ti!aLilrcti.
visible in Vide fochc, and and ~.
partner SGT up and kept watch on III,
river, expecting to sec some Of t!c DE-
scngcrs OF the burning; boats DRIFT b.
and to rcs2Tc them il possible. \.
waited long, but 10 victims Of tho III
eancc- At last AZ VIC were about to aiy,
mp the watch. VIC SEW out IL tic cvi,
rent dark object that appeared to l.,
ra1t. 1t shot swiftly into vi1w, ar:i
rs 1t passed C3 we could sec the whit
face Of man holding on to q ri,
which he had constructed of four liz,
prcscrvcrs, and on which he floated
large chest, which, from the care he
had taken to place it in safety 1T the
risk OF his own life, VIC jndTcd to b,
very valuable. We resolved to save
nun II possible. and, jumping into our
Skill Wo p.ilHd trv",'l lin. At that
time the raft was caught IN one OF the
whirlpools below the Elwood street
dixie and was broken to pieces. The
man lost his hold and was swallowed il.
the vortex, while the chest. too, went
down. We rowcd about the spot to
pick up the life prcsnrvcrs, which haA
boon separated, and in picking up the
second one found q rope attached to it.
My partner wanted to cut it, but !
stopped him cnd told him to save the
rope, rs it might be useful. lie com.
mcnccd pulling it in, but before he had
gotten much of it i'll the boat he called
me to his assistance, and we worked
away pulling in the dead weight ut the
other end OF the rope.
"Thc next day I had plenty to dc
picking up wrcclsagc and Watching FOR
shc bodies of those who had persisted OF
sho boats. About i've cloc3; in the
evening gentleman drove down to the
shanty. lie seemed greatly excited.
lie was accompanied by constable.
They asked Inc if | had seen Il chess
floating down the river. Well, to make
o long story short, the man was tl,,
owner Of the chest, which contained Iii:
whole fortune--morc than q million
The man who was drowned was hi
brother, who had locked him in Iii,
statcroom to perish and tried to make
off with the treasure in the way dc
ecribcl
~ told himof his brothers. death, nnt
he remarked: Poor fellow, / forpiv,
bin and shall not tell father of his Mt
tempted crime lie was u member o
ono OF the best families of tho city a
tie time, and after taking me to tho