The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-16
WORLD is SMALL.
Coin Given by Mistake Restored
After FOrty-Five Years.


After FOrty-Five Years.
From the Washington Star.
This is after all a small world" re-
marked well-known resident, land I
have had repeated evidences Of it, but
one instance more than all the rest
impressed the fact on me in way that
shall never forget. Forty five years
ago I was somewhat younger than I
am now. Indeed, was but boy then
l was one of many boys who did not
have as much spending money as
could have gotten rid of easily. About
the only way I could get spending
money was to earn 1t. This I did by
doing odd jobs, carrying water, for
few houses were supplied by Potomac
water In those days. and in nearly
every other way that came a boy s
way. One evening was specially anx-
ious to get some money and with an
other boy. who, like myself was arm
ed with broom, we entered into the
business of crossing sweepers, depend
Ing on the kindness of passers by to
chip in few pennies. The place we
picked out was from DR.. Samuel b.
Yates drug store. then at the corner
OF Seventh and Louisiana avenue, to
the old Bank Of Washington There
was great deal of traffic between
those two points, and the mud was
Ceep In consequence Of a heavy Slush
about the windup of the winter. Bust
ness was good, or at least the passers
by were, and in less than two hours
we had collected about As cents be-
tween US, for we had agreed to divide
equally. The last piece of money hand
ed me thought to be a penny, and
as / afterWard learned the giver also
thought so, but when we counted I'D
In the light at the drug store it proved
to be SIS gold piece. 1 knew that
whoever gave it to me supposed it was
penny, and / had scruples about
spending 1t. I did not have any reason
to do so, for the As cents we earned
outside Of it. with our previous capital
or cents, gave us all we needed,
which was to get in the old Washing
ton theater where the late John T.
Raymond was playing in a farce. Any
how, the S. was not in the divide.
My partner, leading dentist here
did not insist on it, for it was regard
ed more as a find than a part Of our
earnings-that S. gold piece remained
my property until two years ago, when
l surrendered it to it's owner, who
proved the property by describing the
three letters which he himself had cut
on 1t. At the time mentioned l was in
Athens, Greece, having gone there to
witness the Olympian games. One
evening, while at hotel In Athens
l noticed on the register the name of
a boyhood friend, although he was ten
years older than I was, and l sent my
caro- to him. 1t proved to be he. Like
myself, he lived in the old Third ward
L mad not seen him for thirty years
for he has lived abroad the greater
part OF his life. He is a Well-knoWn
american lawyer, who has practiced
ms profession in Rome for over TWEEN
ty-f1ve years. Of course, we got to
talking over old times in Washington
and about the boys of our day. Incl
dentally, he mentioned the dentist who
was my partner on the street sweep
transaction, and something put it into
my head to tell of getting the, SIS gold
piece. TO my great surprise, the Ro-
man lawyer said: I remember you
both. and the particular night you
speak of you wore a red comfort and
your associate had broom which had
no handle. And I am the man who
handed you the S. gold piece, which
had the letters E. R. L. cut on it, OF
course, l handed him the coin, which,
as you may imagine, was somewhat
worn, for carried 1t for many years
on my watch chain. We spent a pleas
ant week together, and on my return
there came with me two Roman scarf
pins. One of them, you see. I wear.
DR.. -, my dentist friend and street
sweeping partner, has the other. Now.
are you willing to agree with me that
this is small world after all? To
think that l had to go all the way to
one of the first cities started in this
world to find the owner of the coin, and
that I found him there. shows. as
say, that this world, after all, is some
what small"