Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-10-17
blemen" who were travelling through

is ready to lay aside all sham and give
the bottom facts concerning his in
come, it is when he is asked for sub
scription. Unhappily, however, they
refused to believe us; and by their
countenances we could discover, as we
Steamed away, that they were not only
persuaded that we were millionaires,
but that we were blindly regardless of
how to use our money in the best way.
AT last we entered Stockholm, and
as, dust covered and weary, we alight-
ed from our Especial train" and passed
out of the depot into the street,
swarm of two thousand spectators so
blocked the passage that the police
had to be called upon to conduct us to
our carriages.
Our experiences, however, were not
yet concluded; indeed they were
reached the limit of the phenomenal
growth of our private fortunes.
We had started from Copenhagen,
including in our number some COM
monplace capitalists who were the
possessors of mere million. For each
of us, however, this was soon to be-
come an insignificant figure; just
enough, perhaps, with which to endow
college or help some poor relation
over tight place, but mere baga-
telle compared with our now rapidly
accommodating wealth.
But here we were, for the first time,
about to go shopping in the streets of
Stockholm, just plain, simple million
niraS md nthiYor &c J.
city where we had understood things
would be reasonably cheap; easily
within purchasing power of people like
ourselves who, while we did not have
money to burn, were possessed of
reasonable competence.
But cheap Why we had nevre
entered a town in all our travels where
the prices of everything were SO enor-
nous. Articles had appeared about us
and our fortunes in the city journals,
and just as soon as we reached
store, whizz! fizz! the prices rose like
rocket. Every one of us was
marked man among those shoplseep.
ers. And that in honest Sweden!"
We began to appreciate why it was
that rich people sometimes became sus-
pieious and what is popularly termed
'mean." Most of the millionaires,
when they had heard the prices, de-
tcrmined to wait until they should have
returned to America; then to purchase
the same things. at fifty per cent less
than they could where they were made;
aplan which had much to commend it,
not only from an economical stand
point, but from a lofty moral predilec-
tion as well, inasmuch as they would
thereby avoid the necessity of lying to
the custom house officers when they
reached the wharf.
One firm deputed clerk to call upon
us at our hotel and offer to drive some
of us to see the beautiful sights of the
city, without expense. Five or six
constituencies capitalists accepted his
offer, and, free of cost to themselves,
spent the best part of a day in driving
round the town and envsons. They
gracefully accepted, also, his business
card when he left them at their hotel
But happened to see him standing in
front of his store on the last day of our
soJourn in the city. His hands were in
his pockets and there seemed to be
plenty of room for them; indeed, there
did not appear to be anything else in
his pockets bnt his hands. He bowed
to me as | passed, though was not
one who had accepted of his hospitali-
ty; but in his department there was n
grieved and injured air, which led me
into wondering how much he was
out" on account of the American
millionaires.
When on the next day we bade fare
well to Stockholm, we breathed n siph
of relief, that we were once again to
be our own real selves; to be dealt
with like people who had to count their
pennies, and figure up the cast But
how little one can tell of the mysteri-
Gus ways of Providencel
AS we came into Russia we'maryeled
why we were treated with So much
Difference, and why our baggage at
the custom house was scarcely ex-
amined at all. But the day following
our arrival it was all explained. The
authorities had received orders from
their superiors to let us alone. But
why?
| asked this question of Russian
gentleman. He smiled knowingly, as
# he fancied | might be playing him
trick. But he took out of his pocket
;he st. Petersburg paper, and trans
.ated for me into English the follow
ng important announcements:
"A party of fifty American millionaires are
,n their way, with private steamer and cars.
10 st Petersburg The party contains all the
aillionalres in America except Vanderbilt and
Gould Along the railway In Sweden and Nor
way they threw away among the people
twenty-five thousand rubles."
That, gentle reader, would be equiv
alent to more than fifty thousand dol
'ars in American gold. And here l
'est my pen. Why should / longer
seek the paltry dole of mere litter
ary feller," since have become bill
iionaire?-N. Y. Independent.
Bloodstones.
Almost every jewel has supersti-
~ 70 b. "a