The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05
GRAY AND HIS MONEY
A MYSTERIOUS TEXAS CITIZEN AND
HIS SHOWER OF GOLD COIN.
He scatters Money Freely, Relieves
pears Like q wilI-o'-the-Wisp.
Caldwell Crex) Letter in St. Louis Globe

Caldwell Crex.) Letter in st. Louis Globe
Democrat.
A few years ago not day passed that
John Gray did not surprise the people OF
Caldwell. Tex. Very frequently he operated
upon a scale of such magnincence and mys-
terry as TO lead the astonished citizens to
believe that he possessed the open sesame
TO treasures beyond computation. or carried
Aladdin's lamp in his pocket. One OF his
many, and. perhaps. the most extraordinary
OF all his performances. eliminated in caus-
ing pretty two-story cottage. pain cd. car
peted and furnished ia the most luxurious
style, to spring into existence. as it were.
IN a single night. At that Mr.. Gray lived
on his fine ranch, some eighteen miles from
the city. His friends had often invited him
20 come TO town to live. he said that he
intended to do that very thing some fine day
or night. and. In pursuance OF this Idea ne
purchased a desirable building lot on one
OF the best streets in the little city.
One very pretty spring morning about
three years ago lady on Magnolia street
threw open window OF her house and saw
. pretty cottage which stood upon spot
of ground where the last rays of the set
ting sun OF the previous evening had fallen
upon vacant lot covered with green grass.
Others saw 1t, and people could hardly be-
heve their eyes. A half dozen OF the holder
ones walked into the street and began to
say TO each other, What is IL? Who did It?
Is tx really a hOuse? 1t certainly was
house. very pretty cottage. which had
sprung into existence without the nose %
hammer or saw during the night. There
were forest trees in the yard OF quarter
OF a century's growth, two living grey
hounds were lying upon the porch and
little blue smoke Was slowly rising from
one Of the hues. The front door was sud
denly thrown open and John Gray came
out on the porch with a newspaper In his
hand and in the most careless and in
different manner imaginable said: Good
morning. ladies' and gentlemen Won't you
come IMP The amazed citizens knew the
nan; he had often surprised them before.
Hitherto he had only been regarded as an
eccentric phi.anthropic millionaire, the
source Of whose great wealth was involved
an mystery. Now they were ready TO swear
that they saw a magician
MYSTERY OF JOHN GRAY.
This strange man had been living in the
country about two years. He had improved
one of the finest ranches in the State and
erected a palace on it, spending money as
AZ he picked IL from trees. He made no
secret IN saying thtt he came from the dia-
mond fields OF South Africa. where he had
luckily accumulated a large fortune. The
people had called him 1.-The Diamo-id. King"
and had regarded him as a harmless. &C.
centric character, with ten thousand times
more money than brains. He made his
debut In the town dn his shirt sleeves, with
his breeches stuffed in his boot-leg5, and
seemed TO be constantly Influenced by an
irresistible desire TO make everybody happy.
He went about giving money 10 every
school, church or charity that he could
hear OF. He paid off old mortgages for his
neighbors and gave $40 gold pieces TO chill
dren. The poor around him were clothed
and fed. Those who were In want simply
asked and they received He gave employ
ment TO every laborer that came 10 his
ranch. and he was constantly importuning
his neighbors TO let him help them along
People did not know what to make Of him
and they only hoped that he would live al
wealth would never grow less. They had
not found him out all at once. Ii took them
a year or more to discover something of
Some thought that John Gray had found
the old Spanish gold mine, up in the Llano
mountains, Of which much has been written
bad built his palace ever the verv snnf
Where a Mexican pack trail OF the last CEN
Augustine. had been butchered by In
dams. Every old Texan has heard the story
OF that train-heard how the Indians fol-
lowed II. and finally murdered the last man.
IL all happened right about here, so the
story runs. the old San Antonio road.
The Mexicans had buried a dozen mule
peopie his strange eu man a has found ,nd fhs
hidden treasure. John Gray spoke Spanish
like a native, and that was some evidence
dozen books were firmly convinced that
John Gray and Cagliostro were one and the
same. Let him alone" said the wise ones.
..he is Cagliostro. He has lived from the
! beginning Of time and will go on forever.
and he can make gold doubloons as easy
as your wife can make biscuits
THE HAND OF MIDAS.
\ Mr.. Gray enjoyed life. and nothing gave
him more pleasure than to surprise some
and far above and beyond their troubles
He often did this kind OF work openly, but
he evidently preferred TO send a thrill OF
pleasure into the human breast in some
mysterious way. For time people thought
the woods were full OF good spirits, and
that witches of a benevolent kind were
wandering over the prairies and sleeping
In the barns, houses and yards of the farm
ers. poor ranchman lost a pair OF pillow
horses-all he had. His corn and cotton
were in the weeds. and his horses could
not DO found. The man was in despair.
One morning he went TO his stable and
saw a splendid pair of horses tied to the
to u.s." said HIS wife. Hitch them TO the
plow." No owner ever came for the ami
mails.
hands OF a cruel creditor awoke
one morning to find barrel OF
flour inside OF his yard gate. His children
his wife went 10 scoop out little flour
20 make some biscuits she also scooped
out two or three twenty-dcllar gold pieces.
Then the farmers wife got sitter and
sifted 500 I'm gold out OF that barrel OF
flour Just a little more than the amount
of old SSinfint's mortgage on our farm,
said the husband.
A neighbor's house burned TO the ground.
John Gray took sufficient force or labor
ers and mechanics and rebuilt IL. me-
nagerie and circus came 10 Caldwell.
Everybody wanted TO go TO the show. The
people OF that particular portion OF Uncle
Sans dominion are good judges of shows,
and are at all times peculiarly enthusiastic
on the subject. though hundreds are ever
compelled on account OF financial strin-
gency 10 be content with the street parade
and such other auxiliary entertainments as
are given gratuitously outside OF the great
canvas John Gray was well posted, and
when the eventful day arrived he walked
through the crowd to the ticket wagon and
said. Give me thousand tickets, If You
please" The astCunded agent hesitated.
aCertainly / mean It." said the fmperturb-
able Mr. GRAY. while he cOolly proceeded
TO count out 500 in gold. Everybody, even
the poorest OF the poor. saw the elephant,
the lions. the monkeys. the white horses
and the clown. John Gray was foremost
I'm the throng. and he apparently nearly
hurst with enjoyment. Such extravaganza,
such awful liberality had never been heard
OF before People now began to believe IN
dead earnest that the man knew how 10
make $40 gold pieces out or brick dust, or
mud or something else
tended a school exhibition. and he fe in
love with the graduating class of tweve
voung ladies' He raved about the pretty
Girls All the evening Next morning ne