Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-08-02
A STORY OF OLD TIMES.

about to write, have long since
been gathered to their fathers, there
dwelt i'm New York, OH the banks
of the East River, retired mer-
chant, of the name of Hartmann
Brinkerhoff. He had been very
prosperous in business, and the
fruits of his industry and enterprise
were his "bowerie" or country seat,
with its farm of twenty acres now
worth Millions some eighty thou
sand dollars, part Of it in good gold,
safely locked in an iron stronghold
let into the wall of what would now
be termed his study, and the re-
mainder in bonds and notes, convert
ible at maturity into solid cash;
for in the benighted days of which
| write, there were no "fancies," no
railroad stocks paying ten cent one
day and minus nothing the next,
none of those brilliant investments
that make every tenth man in our
times millionaire-on paper.
"Slow and sure" was the humiliating
motto of those high days of fogy-
dom. A man of great considera-
ton then, was Hartmann Brinker-
hoff. Two or three times a week
he entered sort of Noah's ark up
on wheels, drawn by two heavy
Flanders horses, that did the
ploughing on the place, and driven
by an old white-headed negro slave
temporarily elevated from the corn
field to the coach-box, made sort
of royal progress into town, where
even the school boys would recog-
nize his majestic three-cornered
hat, his awful wig, his purple velvet
coat, gold-headed cane ana ruffles
and the tidings ran from mouth tC
mouth that "Harmann Brinkerhof
had come to town." After a visit
to some of the principal haunts OF
Plutus, and a gossip with some ole
cronies of his own age and standing
he would return to his mansion, +;
vainer and prouder man than ever
At home he was a perfect auto
crat. His will was law and his
frown was fate" His sway ovel
his household was absolute as thai
of Alexander III. over his countless
vassals His wife never thought Of
contradicting him; and his servant:
stood in most wholesome awe OF
is august displeasure.
He had but one child, son
named after the patron saint of the
Manhattanese- Nicholas. Young
Brinkerhoff was as unlike his father
as possible. Mild and gentle
almost to efeminacy, he resemble(
his stern sire in nothing but his
commercial ability; and even III his
business transactions. he exhibited
none of the harshness of the man
While serving out his mercantil,
apprenticeship, he resided at home
and rode to and from the city OF
horseback; but when he attained
his majority, he gave so many ex
cellent reasons for establishing
himself in Boston, that old Brink
erhoff, with great reluctance, con
scented that he should remove thith
er, though he entertained an he
reditary and mortal hatred of thu
Yankees, and only gave in to the
arrangement from the secret hop,
that his son would crafty his pre-
JUDGES, by overreaching them il
all his dealings.
Accordingly he lent him, no
gave him, money to establish him
self in trade in Boston; but he ex
acted notes for his advances, and re
quired a monthly statement of hi
transactions and his prospects
Nicholas was very sorry to par
with his mother, but his satisfac
tion at escaping from the iron rul,
of the homestead could hardly b,
concealed.
For time he was very regula
in his correspondence; but at las
his letters became very brief, ant
finally for long time he was silent
Old Brinkerhoff stormed and wrot
furious letters, but he got n,
reply. At last one morning Mrs
Brinkerhoff entered her husband
private room, after going through
the ceremony of knocking at tn
! door and receiving permission t.
come in, with an open letter in he
hand: her eyes showed traces o
tears.
''What is the matter with you
Mrs. BrinkerhoffP" asked her Tor,
and master, sternly.
The poor woman essayed t.
speak, but the forbidding expires
sion of the iron face she gazed up
IN FROM tho words upon her lips