Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-04-15
REMEMBERED THE WILL.
PETER GAINES QUEER PLACE FOR
HIS LAST TESTAMENT.
rt Came Near DeprivInR His Adopted
Daughter of share In the Estate-An
Interesting Episode of the Coal oIl Dis
eoveries In Pennsylvania.

The physical contrast between Mary
Gaines and her father and mother was
startling enough. Old Gaines was very
hardworking man. and 80 ignorant thst
he could neither read nor write He worked
in the coal mines for many years, and put
the savings of his life into 900 acres of wild
land in Clarion county. But the farm was
rugged and sterile. and, leaving his brother
To work IT, the old man came to this city
and got n position on the Reading railroad
as watchmau. and with Mary's help and
Mrs. Gaines's thrift they made decent
| living
| At this time the coal oil discoveries were
made. aud rude mountaineers, who had
seldom a shoe on their feet, found them
selves millonaires In this good fortune
/ Peter Gaines was destined To participate
1 Although illiterste he was shrewd, and
refused to sell his Clarion county farm
until he had examined the ground, and the
result was thar in six mouths he returned
| 70 his wife and daughter with $4,000 and
an income from leases that amounted to
several hundreds per day
i Peggy Gaines had but one idea OF the
value Of money, and that was to use il for
the benefit Of her Mary. a fine hous. was
| purchased in the northern part Of the city,
and Mary's social surroundings began TO
be very pleasant. Old Gaines looked care
\ fully after his business, and his wealth WAS
\ increasing rapidly. In the days OF her pow
\ erty nnd dependence Mary had given her
heart to Bernard Rudolph, a young Ger,
man, who was chemist in a large dyeing
establishment in the city. Mrs Gaines
more than once hinted 10 her daughter
that, with her wealth aud beauty. she could
look higher, but Mary. with a quiet dscis.
ion that her mother understood, declared
that she loved Bernard, and all the wealth
in Christendom should not separate them.
A SURPRISE FOR MARY
So date for the wedding was fixed. but
terrible occurrence damaged nll the
lovers plans Mrs. Gaines wanted to see
her old home in the woods and accom-
panied her husband on one Of his visits TO
the oil country A collision Of two trains
happened on the way. and Peter Gaines
and his wife were taken out Of the wreck
dead
1t was terrible shock to the daughter,
and for a month she did little else than
grieye over the loss of her parents One
OF her fathers friends saw her and advised
steps being taken To settle the estate.
Mary consented liStlessly, but was aroused
from her Indifference week later, when
her friend came to the house with letter
in his hand
Miss Mary, | have a surprise for YOU.
Your fathers brother Michael has applied
TO the court 81 Clarion county to admins
ter your fathers estate on the ground that
he is the next heir and might AZ well tell
you now that be made an affidavit that you
are not the child of Peter and Margaret
Gaines | have note from the Rev Father
kohlman, Of Pittsbnrgh, whom you know
lie states that he will call on you Thurs
day In the meautime, have engaged Mr.
William Wallace, one Of the best lawyers
in middle Pennsylvania. to look after your
interests"
Mary sat for some moments In state OF
utter bewil,erment. Michael Gaines never
liked her, and this must be- piere Of spite
full mischief. 1t could not be true. Ber
nard's consolation was manly and practi.
cal III you lose the estate we will have
enough To live on. So let it go"
Father kohlmRn paid his visit aud laid
To rest all hope Of expectation that her I'M
cle's story was fulse--in short, he con.
firmed IT, He said "On the 10th Of Octo-
ber, ls50, party Of two men aud two wom-
en- were crossing the mountains near Peter
Gaines cabin Ii was nightfall and be-
ginning to snow, so they stopped in the
barn and left next morning al daybreak
Peter went To the barn TO look after the
cow and heard something crying, and look
ing about found "a child about four months
old. The mother had, no doubt, left il
when starting II few hours before. Peggy
was wild with joy, and after some demur
Peter consented to let her adopt the little
girl. was called in and baptized yon, my
dear. ! urged the old people 10 tell yon
the truth years ago but they feared that
you might come To love them less, but
| am confident that your adopted father
never left this world without providing for
you. for lie assured me as much not more
than year ago
THE WILL FOUND
Mary was very white. and, claspng her
hands, said, IF | had only known the
truth would haye been prepared for this,
but feel as II | had no place in he worldn
The good priest urged her not TO despair
OF the issue. Her reward might be DE-
layed. but il would surely come.
Mr.. Waliace's advice was brief and To
the point. The plaintiff can. | am as-
sured, prove that Mary Gaines was only an
adopted child. and, therefore. not entitled
10 inherit But have every reason TO be-
lieve that there is will So make all due
inquiry in that direction.
Among many old friends was BiIly Bur
office lie was present when Wallace's
letter was read, aud suddenly paralyzed
the company by shouting; "Gead God,
what fool am Where's my hatsn aud
then he rushed out Of the room at racing
speed
Billy walked rapidly along talking to
himself What a hammer headed chump
am to have forgotten that, It's about
two years ago when old Gaines WAS watch
man, aud he let me into the office one
night. English Brown was there, too. IL
all comes back to me. They asked me 10
witness paper. and old Peter made his
mark like a railroad crossing And now To
find Brown
That gentleman was found. lie had
been a lawyers clerk and but for drink
could have got along in the world. Burton
poured flood OF questions ON him. Yes,
he had written Peters will; did not know
that Peter was dead; OF course he had the
paper; IL was in Is at SO he took of his
tall tile, and after removing numerous ar
tieles threw on the table folded sheet Of
foolscap Burton opened il. AYES, there's
my fist, sure enough. Leaves all his prop
erty that he has at death 90 his wife for
life, and at her death 10 his adopted daugh.
ter, Mary, and then Billy shouted, "Ifere's
one dollar Brown. you'll be taken care
Off
The paper was taken by Wallace TO Cla-
rion county, its execution proved, aud the
crowd that hud thrown themselves like
vultures on the dead mans wealth were
discomhted. Mary aud Bernard were mar.
red In due season. The estate amounted