The age-herald., 1898-02-13

patiently for its completion, because we were eager to begin business. One morn- ing we went to South Water street to look at our prospective scene of wealth. All that we found was a heap of smoking ruins. Half a block had been burned down during the night.
 No other place in Chicago was to be had for love or money, so we decided to go down the Mississippi river to Iowa, where there was a new town called Dubuque. We found a boom there, too, and succeeded In getting store only after vast trouble. A butcher had just finished building two story brick house, and we finally, by pay ing him a big rent, got him to let us nave this buildingl He put up a frame shahty next door and made fortune
 We worked hard to prepare our store, ex- pecting the arrival of our goods daily. But it was a long wait. There was no railroad, of course, and all freight had to come by boat from Pittsburg, Cincinnati or Chicago. At last, after many days the fire canoe'' arrived, and real old hre canoe she was. But she had the goods with which we two young druggists were to make our fortunes, and she looked grander to us than the finest steamboat that mas floated on the noble Mississippi since then;
 Enormous Freight Charges
 The freight charges, however, were ter rife They amounted to between S50O and s60O and after we had paid them my part ner had in his pocketbook one five and one three cent piece, while I, after close search, found $2.27 Then two young men looked at each other with long faces. Another boat was expected in a few days with more drugs on which the freight charges would be $200 or $500. We two had all the good will in the world to pay everything by and by, but the Mississippi river boats didn't take good will in those days any more than they do now.
 About three blocks below us was bar room kept by an elderly man with heart as big as a bass drum. He knew us only as newcomers in a strange country Know each other, but he was our only hope 50 I went to him and told him that we were a "little' short of money to pay some freight.
 "Well we'll" said he, "that may happen to any young beginners. I was in the very same fix when I commenced here, and somebody helped me-"
 He did not say another word, but stopped down behind his bar and brought out a padlocked wooden box. He unlocked 1t and pushed it over to me. Here" he said, "count out what you want I'm too busy to do it," and he turned to serve his customers.
 'This is very good of you," said I, "but we may need more than you will want to spare."
 Althurian Generosity
 '.Neyer mind," replied he. Count out for yourself all you want. If the money IS under my counter 1t may burn up. It's bet ter if somebody uses 1t, and have conh- dence in you and your partner.
 counted out $500 in sovereigns. This was the money most in circulation then. It came in through the sale of pig lead, all the lead mines being in full blast T bn pmDtV sack and went home. When told my part ner of my luck his round, fat face beamed and his mouth opened so wide With JOY that I was afraid his ears would fall into it. So I shook him. saving those necessary and recalling him to business We made out a joint note to our friend and I took 1t to him. He looked little angry and tore the note into bits, saying, T don't need that"
 This shows how people were then and how each helped his neighbor as far as possible I hope that we did not forget it. We tried, anyway, to help others as we had been helped. It was valuable aid, in deed for it started us on the road to pros perity. In a few days our business was so big that we had to keep open day and night. After awhile a cousin of my part ner came from Chicago to help us, and soon we managed to start him in business for himself in Winona, Minn., $50 miles up the river
 Long, Hard Trip
 In December, 1857, he wrote, asking that one of us go to Winona to take charge or his store so that he could go to Chicago to marry the girl who had been waiting for him till he got his start in life. TO go $50 miles in that unsettled country was no small job at any time, and in winter 1t was a serious undertaking. There were no railroads and few wagon roads. How ever I started one January morning with my team and buggy. It was DeautiIuiiy broken team, and I was glad Of 1t pe1ore the trip was ended
 I laid out each days journey in advance as nearly as one could In that time, when there were no paths or bridges. The first day all went well, but the weather was excessively cold. On the second day It became foggy and wet and the roads broke up badly The mud was three or four inches deep and the horses foundered along at less than a walk, With acres or mud hanging to the wheels.
 Tn that night it froze hard again ana that stiffened the ruts till the going was so bad that we made hardly any progress. I had seen only four other teams In all this time and had to find my way by guess ana good luck.
 Toward afternoon the wind changed sud denly and my experience of the country taught me that blizzard was coming fast Soon it began to snow, ana Tn an hour I was fighting Tn most iurious storm Nobody who had not been through such an uproar of Nature can imagine what it is. I could not see ahead of my horses Hanks, and 1t was impossible to gather any idea as to whether l was on the road or miles away from it. The horses were tired to death, and I knew that they-probably would begin to turn in Q circle in their attempt to get away from the wind and the driving ice crystals :.
 I got out of the buggy. therefore, and walked at their heads for several miles, di- recting our movements by my little pocket compass-a precious companion, indeed on the prairies. I am sure that 1t saved my life.
 At last the sky looked a little brighter, as it does always at sunset and thought that could see a small black strip about a quarter of mile ahead of me- did rot know where was. had not seen a farmhouse or even human being all day. So drove straight for the strip of black ness, and, as I had expected struck the "bush forest"
 It was just as If we had entered a cozy, well heated room. The storm seemed to bc all above me. The trees were bending overhead, and the air was full of noises. I knew that was on the bluffs over