Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24

AH ft4S~>:
| the average vendsr of
| NHE ~ sweet Marguerite, u
~ X THE Picture That Wac
Turned to the Wall''
and ''Ta-ra-ra-boom'
has not been treated in
that generous manner. But if washington's
colony OF hand organ artists or anybody else
wants to see the professor who has that distinc-
tor they need only invest few surplus nickels in
ferry tickets and ride to Alexandria some day
The ferry company never boosted an orches-
trail attraction like the big steamer lines up
north. but the particular float known a. the
tity of Washington has had a public musician
on board every trip for the Inst three months.
he Claims the medal among organists for hav-
ing Travelled an aggregate of 10, 500 miles since
the LIST Of last SeptembeX in turning the crank
OF his music box to THE reinforcement Of
what was once a very generous fortune. His
instrument Is only an aoiian, aud "Boulanger's
March" and Aud Lang Syne' are the princi-
pal parts of the repertoire. but the patriarchal
appearance OF the old man and the William
Cullen BRYANT locks lave called ont MANY O
nickel or dime, to say nothing of quarters and
half dollars. from the plethoric purses of passen-
gers, who may not have been particularly
struck with the symphony, but had their SYM
pathles aroused nevertheless. 1t isn't very
classical, this combination of q tenor voice.
whose sweetness has long been turned by
age, and the grist of everyday music box.
Nor Is the old professor foreign nobleman in
disguise, in spite If more than halfway shabby
gentility. That face hooks more like one to
conceal a story, although 1T might take you
back some years, when the man who now rem
dsrs his musical program for voluntary con-
trlbutons could have his drawn check hon
ored for thousands and connt by the hundred
the acres which constituted his southern
plantation.
THE SAME OLD STORY.
He has a story-has this patriarohal organist
and it is the same old story Of mans inhu-
mainly to his fellow and the proverbial guilt
biiity of the latter. Prof. NJ. A. stevenson is.
of course, only his nom de plume, or rather
appeiiation salon de ferry boat but his real
name Is not apropos and he never intrudes his
recital before it ia asked But ask him how an
apparently refined and cultured man, especially
one at ms age, came to be an itinersnt usic IAN
and his preface, ut was a matter of necessity
on account Of u swindiing western boom COM
panv and a false friend, will tell the tale in Z
nutshell.
Twenty years ago the old professor would not
have dreamed of some day turning q music box
when be left his native Predercktown, Md to
take upa large inheritance of two plantations
and appurtenances in middle Mississippi. The
effects Of the war had not been particularly felt
In that part of the river state, and it wasn't
many years sfterward before the heavily
mortgagsd property had an incumbrance Of
scarcely more than So 900 against il in place Of
the luxurious and overburdening plasters of the
previous decade in slave times. But quiet as
the locality the voice of the western i'm
provement boomer reached it and lurid circu-
lars explained the fortunes waiting to be picked
up for the searching ct Findlsy, Ohio. The
subscription agent wasn't bunco man, but he
did own a glib tongue and before the plan ter
hat hp had Il pfoa
tain loans negotiated on promisssry notes had
gone to swell the Golfers OF the i'm provement
corporation in exchange for block of its stock
and the company held big second mortgage
on the plantations besides. The promised
extra large dividends did not materialize, and
gradually one Mississippi planter came to be-
heye that he had been swindisd.
HIS STOCK WAS WORTHLESS.
Investigation proved his stock next to worth
less, in a COMPANY. where the big speoulators
held the preferred article of commercial value
aud the smaller owners certificates were worth
about as much as the paper they were written
upon The first mortgage a ncighboring
planter. and his legal acumsn and knowledge
of tricks Of the disciples of Blackstone were
matters OF note throughout ihe county. His
advice was worth asking anyway in the dilemma
at hand, and, like Napoleon of Wall street, the
now professor of hand-organ music was per-
suaded to pay the lmpros ement company back
In its own coin. In plain words, the So 900
mortgage informed his neighbor client that
the most practical scheme To the latter's
property would be foreclosure of the first
mortgage and the customary sherif's sale be-
fore the second mortgage holders. in shape
OF the western corporation, became aware of
the process. The necessary papers were served
and the holders OF the lower security being alb
sent the neighboring planter received a sheriff 8
deed in return for his bid, amounting to the
face value of his personal claim. with interest
The new owner attempted no BUSTING proceed
ings. because ne had previously agreed that he
should merely act as trustee of the property
the former owner meanwhile enjoying the plan
tation : income and being promised deed in
return as soon as the claim of 5000 should be
hquidaIed in cash.
For several years more no suspicion Of fraud
entered the gullible old mans mind. but one
day he discovered Il balance of IS, 500 to his
credit in bank the accumulation OF savings
since his property passed into the trustees
keeping. Naturally the first impulse was to
make settlement with the neighboring PLANTER
and secure the return of his inheritance, but
the trustee coolly informed the beneficiary tha.
the trust WAS merely yer bal and therefore net
binding In law. He held the deeds to two plan
tations worth $50 coo. although he paid but
$500, and proposed to keep them in the bar
gain. Besides he would attach the cash in bank
to reimburse him for several years rental of
the disputed property, and the upshot Of 1t all
was that nothing finally stood between once
prosperous planter and beggary. Temporary
quarters for the defrauded mans family were
found and the few dollars that could be scraped
together took the quondam land owner to the
north. Hard manual labor was an impossi-
biiity for man of sixty and unaccustomed to
the strain, and a natural musical bent was the
only thing to suggest a means of recovering
lost forsunes-noi very promising one, either.
OUT IN The WORLD.
IL was no task To assume n new mama with