Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-03-24
cotton, and took to the march. Bus
1t was aamiriny. aud not offensive.

young people TOOK no tour, but re-
manned at Foliambe Place-and |, OF
the few Brantford folk invited. was
there. So was David Peabody. OF
course. He was got up in a suit OF
fine broadcloth, and his shoes
shone like a iapanned waiter.
Every one knew this ralment came
from the bridegroom. o, of course!
There were a number OF costly
and elegant presents displayed. But
these came, with the exception OF an
odd-lookins Japanese cabinet, given
by the Widow Peabody, from the
Follambe friends and connections.
Uncle David examined them.
Betty" he said, loud enough to at
tract attention, 1.-THE Peabodys don't
seem to shine in the way of making
gifts to the bride. Your Uncle David
III have to put in his mite" Then he
drew a bulky package from his capa-
cious breast pocket, which it fitted so
tightly that he withdrew it with diff
fculty.
80, thank you, Uncle David" said
the bride. Anything from you"
"Open it, child"
The newly-made Mrs. Foliambe un-
did the cord ana removed the wrap
ping. 1t was u Russia leather COW
cred casket, with the letters r. p. +.
on it. When she opened it, shegave a
cry of delight.
"Thev are old mine stones" said
Uncle David, quietly. 'Don't drop
ttat scrap OF paper. l don't want
you to be running to your husband
Tor pocket money. and you'd had bet
ter invest the amount of that cheque
tor yourself as he advises you"
This was a surprise. Few had seen
such a set-a necklace, bracelets, ear
rings and pin, made up of the finest
brililants, some o. TEEN quite large.
They must have cost enormously.
Wheredid Uncle Dav.i get the money?
found out before any enc else. l
was down in New York to purchase
tea, and Carlton, OF the jobbing firm
with which / did business, said to me:
david Peabody is r~usticatins at
Brantford, amt he?"
"Old Uncle Dayid?" Isaid. Eyes.
he ic a sort of hanger-on to his sister
in-law. She feeds him. | fancy.
Feeds HIM! What do you mean?
David Peabody could feed a dozen
sister-in-laws, and not feel it."
We'll" | said, 81 recently began to
suspect he was rather well-off."
Rather well-off!" exclaimed Carl
ton. That's the best joke out. Da-
vid Peabody well.off! Is it possible
you don't know how rich he is? But
he hardly knows himself. He has
been for over eighteen years the prin-
cipal stockholder in the great
Mexican mine. 1t is an Eng
llsh company, AMI he is the only
American in it. But he owns two
thirds OF it. Why it is one of the
most successful mines in the country.
Well off! Why, he is away up in the
millions, and it keeps pouring in"
OF course this was too good to keep.
Brantford had the benefit OF it, and,
except an occasional dash at the rosin
and cotton, David's great wealth was
the subject for discussion and COM
ment.
The civil war come and was going
on, and Foljambe and his follies faded
before it. At last in 1862, Fol- ambe's
cotton began to be moved. 1t
had risen in price exceedingly, and
Brantford found that there had been
method in the madness. But the
rosin, though it had risen too, re-
manned undisturbed. At length, |
think it was in August, 1868, three
hundred barrels of the rosin were
shipped to Boston. Tho next day
one hundred and fifty went to Phil.
adelphia, and a hundred to Balti.
more The next day three hundred
were sen to New York. And so it con-
tinued to move, sometimes in smaller.
sometimes in larger quantities, until
by the latter part of November, every
barrel was gone. Itook up the price
current and ran over the file for the
quotations on naval stores. 10 my
surprise the price had varied from
August to November. from twenty,
five to forty.four dollars per barrel.
And then it vent down below the first
figure. EollamUe had stocked the
market.
There was little talk about Fol-
jambe's follies after that in Brant.
ford. On the contrary, the Brantford
people admired the shrewdness OF
"Fool Jim," and that name dropped.
Well they might admire him. He and
Uncle David between them have built
up the place, which las doubled in
population and is thriving in every
way. As for Foljambe himself, he is
very quiet for q man so immensely
rich. Beyond years visit to Europe,
and two or three months travel every
year to some part of the country,
he stays principally on the Foliambe
place, where he has enlarged
the old mansion and devotes
himself to his family. Rebecca
Foljambe is as handsome l think rs
ever, though more plump than she
used to be. They appear to be as
fond OF each other as ever. and / dare
say they are.
One day, when he dropped into the
shop, l happened to say something
complimentary to his foresight. He
laughed.
"Coffey," he said, "most OF my sue
cesses were unexpected. / had, it Is
true, a~suspicion amounting almost to
n certainty that there was a bed OF
Iron ore on the Peabody farm, but l
bought it to give the widow a lift, for
Nathan Peabody had petted me
when a boy, and was always ready,
poor fellow, to leave his farm work
to Join me in hunting, or fishing, or
nutting, or anything else. The iact
that / was almost certain, however,
made me divide the profits with the
widow as a matter OF equity. /
never suspected Uncle David's
wealth; but the cotton and
rosin purchase was IA matter OF
calculation, particularly the rosin.
1t was then a drug in the market. 1t
had accumulated in large hills wher-
ever they made turpentine. 1t could
be had almost for the taking away. |
knew that war would come, but /
never dreamed that ,rosin would 20
beyond five or six dollars. l built
the sheds at Brantford, because that
was cheaper than storing ! New
York, and that's all the foresight !
had"
s'You must have made a good thing
out OF it, anyhow" | rejoined. at is
not my business how much and |
don't ask, but you must nave Melted
a good round sum-"
40, / don't mind telling you" he
said, II have figured it up. On the
cotton and rosin together, | Melted
Just three millions, seven thousand
and ten dollars. But | am not so
rich as David Peabody, by some mill
ions"
Genuine.
Modesty is a precious grace, SO
precious and withal so rare that
some who have it cannot bear to