The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-21

f'H|N fN"AA W' AIF NNANNN OF source OF
such apparent ineXhaustible wealth.
DOZEN PIANOS.
Hawkins bad money in every bank and
was az an times ready 20 buy anything
that struck his fancy and pay any price
for 10. His wife did not know one note
iu music from another, nor would She
have been able tO distinguish piano
from calliopo or a thrashing machine.
Nevertheless Hawkins bought her dozen
of the finest pianos that his agent could
procure SEQ New York city.
THE Old woman heard a gal playin'
on one al the Pico House he said. "and
she concluded that she would iarn 10 play
one herself So I ies' went and ordered
a dozen Of the things"
There was some OF the finest furniture
and the preitiest carpets in that house
that 1 have ever seen IN any part or the
world.
Upon one occasion Hawkins bought
$1,000 carriage and hitchei four white
stations 10 10. The people OF Los Angeles
were astoundel 20 see the man himself
seated ON the box and lashing the horses
into fury as they flew through the streets.
Mrs Hawkins was seated inside smil-
ing. apparently unconscious Of danger
ana perfectly happy While they We're
enjoying this freak a circus and mena-
serie came 10 town. Hawkins letcrmin-
"a 90 join the parade and with his white
stations Ccmparisoned and plumed be
gallorel around in front OF the band
wagon. The procession WAS entirely too
slow for him. Two or three times they
crclcd around the procession 10 the in-
tense dissatisfaction Of the circus people
and the infinite delight OF the crowd ON
the pavement. People laughed them
selves hoarse. After awhile Hawkins
ran over cage Of Wild cats The fran
tie animals sprang into the street. and
Mrs Hawkins turned a dozen somer-
saulis. which made the circus people
jealous of her aCrclatic abilities Haw-
kins' wild horses tore furiously about
through the procession. The circus horses
soon caught the spirit OF davilfrv. and
fifteen or twenty teams hitched 10 cages
ran away. All Of Los Angeles was Ar
tho windows or on the hOIsetops enjoy
ing the most outrageous panorama Of
devltry that mortals ever Witnessed.
KEPT BRASS BAND
Hawkins or his wife never uttered a
harmful word OF any human being. All
they wanted was 10 be let severely alone.
lie was always armed. and ! am pretty
certain that he was a dangerous man.
I pom one occasion ne returned nome from
san Francisco escorted by a silver cor
net band OF fifteen or twenty pieces. lie
kept the boys out at his big castle for
three or four weeks Never was there
in California an affair that could have
held q candle 20 this Fiproaring jollihca-
ton and carousal The boys were GER
talnly winCd and dined as long as they
could blow horn or get a horn TO their
lips. Some people thought that Haw-
kins and his wife were both crazy. but
that was an error They could be as
shrewd in driving a bargain as anybody
when o. casion required. Whenever con-
versation Jagged in Los Angeles people
used 10 talk OF the Hawkins pair and
thtir limitless wealth.
Hawkins and his wife both died several
years ago. and a stereOtyped article con-
tanning many OF the facts herein related
hoated in newspaper waters all over the
civilized world for several months The
writer read il In a foreign language and
I'm "A foreign country and wondered II the
mystery would ever be solved.
few evenings ago group OF old Tex
ans, all eattlemen, were seated in the