Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1899-10-07
HOW HE GOT A WIFE.
Began by washing Dishes For
Meal and Ended by Becoming Rich.

INV IL w ~ - -
Began by Washing Dishes For
Meal and Ended by Becoming Rich.
"Did ever tell you," asked the rich
business maa who likes TO drop around
to the hotel and talk Of an evening
with the drummers. how | won my
wife? Probably not two people In
Lewiston know. They do not even
know where was born. was born
out in lower Maryland and early got
the Idea that | was wanted out west.
When was 81, started and brought
I'D Mt palisade, New, out Of cash, hard
up for clothes and not able to turn
my hand to anything; never was
taught trade and knew as little about
farm work as you may Imagine.
couldn't tend sheep. and when the
ranchers out there looked at my hands
they told me they hadn't any work
for tenderfeet, and was starving. 1t
came right down to begging with me
There was man out there who had
struck 1t pretty well cattle farming.
He employed IS men about the ranch.
most Of them caring for his mighty
herds Of cattle One morning got up
from my bed beside the hay piles out
In the open and walked over to the
house, hoping to be able to steal some
thing to eat Out back Of the house
was q long lean to kitchen where they
washed the dishes and did other work
like that. | went around to this door.
and the old lady was lecturing Stat
tern looking girl for breaking cups.
She had broken four that morning
while wiplng dishes. The woman, who
was the wife Of the proprietor. had her
dander up and, seeing me at the kitch-
en- door, exclaimed, That there half
baked tramp could wash dishes with
out breaking them as fast as you do
"That could, marin. and l wish
you would give me the chance to try
I exclaimed.
"She looked at me and laughed. and
l didn't blame her much either. DO
you want a job? she asked, threaten
lngly looking at the slattern at the
same time.
eyes; try me. Give me breakfast,
and III wash dishes all the forenoon
I exclaimed.
"'You wash dishes all the forenoon,
and I'll give you dinner she said
cautiously.
ITO make 1t short, washed them oil
the forenoon and many forenoons, for
she saw that man, with strong hands
and carefulness such as | had, could
save dishes where girl would drop
them. There were so many people
there that it too,; all tile time to wash
the dishes. | worked ut 1t three years
and got $40 q month at first and my
board and then SIS q week and my
board. One day the proprietor was
trying to do sum in arithmetic In the
kitchen, and offered to help him out
/ saw he was not good at 1t and was
looking desperate. When he found 1
was good at figures. he came around
every Saturday to get me to help him
and in time made me paymaster Of his
ranch, and still was washing dishes.
They built 6 city at Battle Mountain,
and my boss put up a hotel for sum-
mer folks and put me in to run it We
made money so fast that he could af-
ford to pay me a salary.
~ dressed we'll and was good look
ing. One day his l7-year-old daughter
came up from Denver. where she had
been educated. and | took her around
the country that summer, and when
she heard how l had commenced to
work for her father as a dishwasher
and had sort of worked my way up
she reciprocated. aud we were lovers.
One day the old chap, not knowing
anything about my affair with his girl,
came down and told me that he had
given the hotel to her, as he was get
ting rich at the ranch, and she would
be my proprietor now. He told me to
do everything she told me to do. as If 1t
was his order. About two months aft.
er that sent him the following letter:
Dear Sr-My proprietor, your daughter. has
ordered me to become her husband next Monday
afternoon at St. Paul's. Battle Mountain, and has
also ordered me to invite you and her mother
You told me to obey her implicitly. and shall
at was merry wedding, and the
old chap came down with few extra
thousands, and altogether we had
enough when we cleaned up and sold
the hotel to come down to Anguish,
and then we came here and have been
here ever since Now. don't you so
and tell any one my love story. for it's
sacred to me, though it's queer