Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-10-14
FORGOT HIS HOME WEALTH.
he Left Fortune I'm California ia
Become Rich fn South Africa.

he Left a Fortune I'm California to
Become Rich fn South Africa.
Another strange discovery has come
10 light in the Hlbernia Bank deposits
that have been neglected for many
years by their owners. 1t appears that
Jeremiah Pendergast, long mourned as
dead. il alive and prosperous In South
Africa. where he has made a fortune
1t is learned that he has apparently for
gotten that $4,000 await him In the Hi
hernia Bank Of San francisco.
The history Of Pendergasts deposit
is one OF the most interesting of all the
old estates that have lain unclaimed for
years In the vaults of San Francisco
banks. In the first place it now amounts
TO $12, 900, being the largest sum of all
the unclaimed deposits; and, in the next
place, 1t has perhaps been more widely
advertised and more generally claimed
than any other sum In the list. Strange
ly, however, nearly all the Pendergasts
save the real owner seem to have heard
of this money and laid claim to Il, while
the original deposItor has lived quietly
in South Africa all these years, Needless
of the fact that his gold lies In the bank
awaiting the owners orders. Attorney
Oscar t. Shuck has just located the
original Jeremiah Pendergast in the
Congo Free State, where the old man
lives in great luxury, having amassed
a large fortune since he went there as
one of the pioneers of nearly twenty
years ago.
"Pendergast went to South Africa In
1875" said Attorney Shuck, being one
of the leaders OF a California colony.
He left a good sum In the bank here.
since which time no one has ever heard
OF him until got word that he was well
and rich. The nearest trace we ever
got of him here was that he was at the
old Empire Hotel on Pacific street some
time between 1868 and 1870. Hundreds
of alleged heirs have been after the es'
tate, but 1t will no doubt, soon reach
the original depositor."
A strange fact about the case Is thai
the public administrator recently petit
toned for letters of administra ton, al
leging In general way that Fender
CAST died some years ago In Nevada
Judge Slack went so far as to appoint
- AtoIhbg D. DNftl w itpi Nooh' 'A'N
absent heirs, but Attorney Shuck sug
gested that Pendergast still lived
whereupon the letters of administrator
were withheld.
1t IL quite probable that the claimants
were really induced to believe tina
their ancestor died In Nevada, where
an old miner named Pendergast ex
pire1 In fire that destroyed his cabin
and himself at midnight In mountain
fasiness. They will soon learn, how
ever. that the true jeremiah Fender
CAST who left few thousand dollar
In the HIbernia Bank In 1868, went Z
South Africa with only little money
and Is now grizzled with age, but gildet
with gold also The real heirs to thi'
strange pioneer lived in Massachusetts
The bankers and attorneys, as wei
as the public administrator, are won
dering why the pioneer OF 40 deserted
his gold here, even TO become pioneer
In the African gold fields. AT any rate
the money is safe. The distribution OF
a living mans funds has been prevent
ed. and $4,000 now awaits the owners
order-San Francisco Chronicle.