The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-28
FoRTUNEs WITHIN GRAsP.
tunates who Had Never Pos
sessed II.
From the Chicago Times.


From the Chicago Times.
It is quite conceivable that nearly every
person, at some period or other of his life
time, allows TO slip by him more or less
valuable chances which. if he had seized
them, would no doubt have made meal
culable difference in his worldly affairs.
In most cases ignorance of the fact consti-
tutes bliss, but not always so. and some
times the prize happens to be so rich a
nature that the loser is forced to taste the
bitterest dregs of chagrin. Occasionally.
indeed, persons have to realize the stupen-
dous fact that that they have been ac-
tually within a hairs breadth of a solid
fortune-and have missed it.
Quite a number of authentic instances
of this kind have been placed on record,
and very curious some of them are; while,
doubtless, there have been many others
which have never publicly transpired.
a Melbourne bank clerk had fairly fav-
orable prospects. but the gold fever over
took him, and official routine grew dis
tasteful. Making for the fields, he boldly
invested all his savings in the purchase
of newly opened claim" the price of
which was run UP at auction on the
strength of the fact that gold was being
found in abundance in its immediate vi
cinity. He took a partner, and for weeks
they worked feverishly, in the hope of be-
coming rich at a stroke until patience and
resources were alike exhausted. and as
it seemed, the whole thing proved fiasco.
One day prospecting party came along,
made an offer which was eagerly closed
with. and took instant possession. Within
twenty-four hours of the bargain some
thing occurred which set the ex-bank clerk
dancing-but it was the dance of delirium.
Word went after him that his despised
mine had yielded up nugget worth hun
dreds of pounds. He hurried back incredu-
lousy, to find his successors chuckling
over a yield the richness of which was
simply beyond estimation. There had
been, it could literally be said. but a few
inches of rock and earth between himself
and vast fortune. and it so CHANGED that
he left them unturned. The human brain
is not always proof aginst blow of this
description, and the ex-bank clerk lost his
reason on the spot
The writer can vouch for the truth Of the
following instances, in which, to twist an
old metaphor, person strained at gnat
when she might have made sure of a camel
This person kept apartments for letting
purposes at a seaside town, and these
apartments were one day hired by gen.
tleman who, after short stay, departed
and left behind him three mysterious look
ing trunks. for which he would call at his
convenience.
This he never did, for the simple reason
that he met his death by drowning the
same day, and the body was not recov-
cred. Several years went by, nothing was
heard, and the trunks remained unclaim-
ed, till at length the holder considered
herself justified in selling them as they
stood for the sum of f10, the buyer-a visi-
tor whose curiosity was awakened by the
story-taking all risks.
1t was a good speculation. Upon the
locks being forced the trunks were found
to contain plate, jewelry, clothes, and old
china worth at the roughtest calculation
something like 5000. The supposition
was that this treasure represented the
proceeds Of a robbery, but this was never
ascertained. The visitor took his trunks,
and the fact remained that the woman
had let slip from her grasp what meant
for one in her position independence for
life