The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-07-06
THE PRODICAL'S RETURN.

was a blacksmith by trade; q steady.
sober, industrious man, " th a heart
as the old saying Is, ''as bIs as an OK.
L think L never met man with keen
er, quicker sympathies. or with I
stronger disposition to help his fel
| lows Moreover, his sympathies were
substantial, and his disposition to heIr
active He worked hard, I earned
little, but he made what he earned
support him, and, with the nelp of one
of the best wives that ever blessed q
husband, he contrived to put 10y some
thing for ''rainy day" not pay for a
gentleman banl-er's oyster supper;
but it was great thing for hiEl It
was something; and that, too, on the
right side OF his account.
On the very day th.t left N [
dropped In at the Savings Bank. It
was a primitive affair; with an old
fashioned, cumbersome safe, accom-
panied by an enormous key, kept il
the same store with the post-office I
dropped in on business with the post
master, who was also cashier Of the
bank, and, by the merest accident. my
eye fell upon John brakes account,
which had been running between four
and five years; and he had an even
four hundred dollars to his credit.
Wei. left the old town, having
made arrangements for moving to
distant State. On my way to the rail
way station Dolly Bidwell came up
and offered to carry my heavy carpet
bag. My other baggage had gone on
several days before. Alas, poor Dolly,
I knew lie wanted the wherowith 10
procure a glass OF spirits. His was Il
sad case. His parents had once been
comparatively wealthy, and he had
received d liberal education. Not I;
college education, but as good as q
first class academy could give. His
mother had. died first, when he was
away at school His father died when
he was seventeen, leaving him with
out trade or calling Of any kind, and
penniless. Yes. penniless, and when
Nathan that was his fathers name)
Bidwell's affairs came to be overhaul
ed, after his death, all the property he
had left would not suffice to pay a
moiety Of his debts.
Dolly OLIVER his name was. but he
was known everywhere and by every
body by the nickname that had been
given him in his childhood, and which
had stuck to him ever since) was an
only child For few months after
his fathers death he was suffered to
remain in the old home, and live on
what he could pick up on the premises
but at length he was cast out upon
the world, and told that he must wol!, !
for his living, as others did. At first |
he seemed hardly able to realize the
necessities of the situation He
thought to visit and subsist with old
friends Of the family. But a series Of
very broad hints-a few Of them
amounting almost to kicks-ere long
satisfied him that they would not an
SWer.
His first real effort was an attempt
to learn the carpenters trade; but the
work was too hard and he left it. But
never mind his various shifts, his eff
forts. and his failures He had learn |
ed to drink and love wine at the table
Of his parents. In his orphanage he
came to love stronger dr inks: and now. |
at the age Of four and twenty, Le was
we'll nigh wreck His last effort al
work had been at the forge OF John
Drake; and John had strivcn with all
his might TO save him; but it was Of
no use The work was too hard and
too dirty,-it soled and hardened his
hands. and left dirt in his curly hair.
Poor Dolly. [ gave him my bur
den.-I could not refuse: and be car
ried it cheerfully. and even manfully;
but he did not offer to walk by my
side At the station | took By bag,
and offered him quarter OF a dollar.
[ knew he would spend most OF it for
rum. but | had not the heart to re
pulse him And his was the last face
/ saw as l took my place in the car
We had been schooi-mates in other
years though [ was q few years tie
oldest. and he waited on the plat
form to see me off.
Poor Dollyn' ! said to myself. as /
saw the last Of his really handsome
face, May you sec better days"
And in my hoart ! felt that hc de,erv.
ed them: for he was not al 10 blame.
For the appetite that had been born
in him. and fostcred in his childhood
and early youth, surely lie vas NOT
responsible.
l did not see the old town again for
little more than twenty years. not IN
I'll after the war \ house with which
| held business relations had occasion
| to purchase a steam engine. They
/ had seen magnificent affair-so it
| appeared 10 them-manufactured by
| Drake x Bidwell. Of NJ. and was
instructed to proceed forthwith to
that place, and ascertain what could
be obtained, and on what terms.
M was my old town. But who
were Drake & Bidwell? Iremember
ed that John (Jack, we used to call
| him) Drake had been a first. elias,
biacksmIth; and, | supposed. might
be good machinist: but it could not
be he; for this firm was one of the.
heaviest and wealthiest in their State
However. | went as directed. arriy
ing at the station IN M at noon
| found the old place greatly altered
There were many old landmarks, ia
miliar, IN the centre OF the vii
lage; but the village had spread =
grown ~ wonderfully Where the
comfortable old tavern used tt
stand | found large new hotel
and there | engaged quarters. On ap
proachlnS the station, at a point wher,
the railroad came near the riyer-f
small stream, the waters OF which wer,
salt at food tide-I had Observed. oc
cupying a broad territory that ba(
been marsh and pasture land in m,
youthful days close upon the stream
an extensive manufacturing es;ablish
ment-a foundry. q forge. and seycra
large buildings wherein was muc,
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