Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-10
A Moryr4ISEEr.s FORTUNE.
How Quickly 1t Disappeared and Was
Replaced by a Traveller,

Replaced by Traveller
IL had glimpse Of life in the Ken.
lucky mountains the other Gay ihai
Will not soon forget said 3 capitalist
to Louisville g0Urisr.JoErEd. reporter.
II made trip into that section as the
representative Of 3 syndicate TO iook at
some coal lands. | went Is "a! IS
could by rail, and tAea ;Jok Aorss and
rode into the wilderness Toward night
brought up at little cabin. Of which
lad been previously informed, and
made arrangements to spend the nigh:
there.
This cabin wss abJu. 20 feet long by
ABOUT IL feet wide. On !Ac ground door
1t was all one room. Above was a loft.
70 which access was gained by means u
ladder and hole in the floor. There
was little corn growing around tic
place, and there were two hogs. In the
rear Of the cabin was low shed, open
al one end and with slanting roof. Il
was just big enough 20 hold a COW az
night. The COW, which was lean,
wobegone animal, the two hogs aud
the corn constituted apparently the en-
tire assets Of the place.
I'm this establishment were living d
man and his wife and eight children,
the oldest being II years. They lived
on corn meal and milk, with OCCASION
ally some pork, Both elder chlidreu
had clothes enough 10 cover their
naksGhess, and the younger were not go
fortunate. The maa seemed 20 be q
slow, dull sort of fellow, who had lived
in destitution SO long that he had ae-
come used &c 1t. The woman was diff.
teren;. Her face wore an expression Of
abject despair. II painter had wanted
model for picture entitled Hope.
lessness, he need have gone no further
After supper the man went out TO feed
the hogs and the COW and do other
chores
u talked to the woman for about an
hour and succeeded with great difficulty
In getting her story. Her pride stood
in the way Of her telling me anything
for long time. During ali the time in
which she talked the expression of dull.
listlessness, 10 which her face had be-.
come habituated, never lett !: bu: once.
Then look of something like happi.
ness came over her features. This was
when she said that they had not always
been poor. we weren't always this way,
she said. we were well off once. We
saved enough, him and me, SO that we
were rich. We had SCI laid away once.
That was her idea Of wealth. Twenty
seven dollars. She went Oil to say that
the children had come fast, that COW
had TO be bought, and that she cost SIS.
The children had fallen sick, and a
doctor had 10 be brought in from civil.
cation, and he cost 50, and so 1t went
till their fortune had gone, and they had
nothing left of that magnificent $27.
THE next morning l paid them my
lodging. had slept in the loft and the
family had slept in the room below.
None of them took of their clothes.
l had brought with me huge lot Of
roast beef sandwiches, ard ate these for
my supper and breakfast, for had been
warned that l probably could not get
anything to eat there. Before leaving |
took $27, and wrapping it up in news
paper, left 1t on the table in the middle
of the room. Then l rode away, feel.
ing vastly pleased with myself, aud
knowing that there was one noun
taineer's family in Kentucky that had
recovered its lost fortune"