Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-06-04
S25O,OOO.

as once was. nor so poor. l am, so
to say. standing upon that golden
middle ground. near enough 10 youth
to enjoy it near enough to age to re-
spect it, near enough to wealth to
enjoy it near enough to poverty to
respect it. 1t is pleasanter thus to
think. and / am fairly content. If !
could be richer and younger should
no doubt choose it but / am not of the
opinion that / should choose to be
richer than am and older. or poorer
and younger.
Revolving thoughts of this pllilo-
sophie and comforting kind in my
mind one morning a month or so ago.
as sat in my Office down town. amis-
cradle specimen of man came in
He was about my own age, / should
say. but further than that | am scarce
ly willing to carry the comparison.
Dirty. ragged, palsied in mind and
body, unsteady of limb and eye alb
iect malodorous he stood there
fitting picture to paint in the bottom
of wine glass
Next day he came again. at about
the same hour. and the next and the
next for week. Each time he re-
eeived my money and 1 received his
thanks. and as far as / could discover.
each was satisfied with. the exchange.
l had money to spare and he had
thanks to spare; we spared them to
each other. and feel that mutual
benefit was the result
On Saturday incoming when l came
in, the janitor told me a dead man
had been found in the building. evil
IDENTIFY a suicide and with few nat
ural and reasonable inquiries, / passed
oD. and opening my door found under
it a solled envelope directed to me in
a nervous, ierky chirography, which
was entirely unfamiliar.
II was a comparatively bulky COM
muuication. but with il was shorter
note of explanation, from which 1
learne1 that my needy acquaintance
of the week past was on the point of
suicide. but that he was anxious for
me to know his story and had at con-
siderable pains prepared it. and had
delivered it in person. as a last re-
membrance to one who had befriend-
ed him.
The letter read as follows:
FRIDAY. CRY, p. m.
Mr. Brodkaire Il get your name from
your Office signl:
My DEAR SIR-You have been kind
to me and | want to tell you my story
and will you have it printed in the
newspapers so that from it some, as
weak as l am. may be protected, and
some much stronger may be warned?
am 45 Years old and at % l had a
wife and one child and was quite we'll
fixed in business in the country town
where the parents of both of us lived.
But | was ambitious and thirsted for
wealth as many young men do. All
the none on earth could not have
brought me more happiness than that
which surrounded me as l was, but
did not look at it that way, and ne
glecting what was about me. thought
only of money, money money l was
not avaricious. though and was much
more given TO dreaming and wishing
for money than was to pinching and
boarding and driving hard bargains
for it. / wanted money. not for what
it was in ITSELF but what 1t might be
converted into with reference to my
own pleasure. Things ran along thus
for year or so when one day in an
old scrap Of New York paper l read
notice in the Personals" to this
effect:
If X. Y. D., wherever he may be. will
address his full name to H. A., P. o. boy
1893 or call on him at his office, No. 4.
Mall street, he will hear Of something
greatly to his disadvantage.
The notice struck me as a most ne
culiar one in several respects. II was
scarcely possible that any ran would
seek to hear Of something to his dis
advantage. and it was most unusual
that X. Y. z. could be the initials OF
any mans real name. But they were
mine (Xerxe5 Young Zimmerman and
that far | felt that the notice in some
way applied to me. l cut it out and
showed it to my wife. and after good
deal Of chatting on her part, put it in
my pocket and said no more about il.
But | kept straight on thinking about
it and within week had addressed
letter to H. A.. and in two DAYS ]
received an answer In it he re.
quested me to come to the city with
proof of my identity. and the disad-
vantageous information would be
forthcoming as soon as l had estab.
lished my claim.
Securing the necessary credentials.
but keeping the object OF my visit
from the knowledge of my wife 1 left
home one morning. and at noon l wa.
standing before the Office of my mys.
FERROUS correspondent went in
without ceremony and found an OLE
man in a dingy little room. clean. bu
poorly lighted and with him, as hi,
secretary, apparently a boy OF l6
The old man was no doubt a lawyer
with limited practice. for the dus
showed on his books and the carpe
on the floor was little worn by tn,
tread of clients He was an odd OLE