The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-14
Wcman Bought berself
Mrs. Graham of Lackawanna Township, Pike County, Penn
sylvania, Purchased Herself at AlmshOuse Sale
and Made Fortune BY the Bargain
Peculiar Custom Involved.


! the Huckleberry road close by Mea-
4 chants mill, an if she can't make out
with the township money I'll advance
hats lackin'.'
A round of applause was the fat little
mans first reward for his seeming big
| heartedness. Then Parson Doolittle
came up and shook him by the hand,
I and said heartily. God bless you.
brother and Deacon Grimes, who
Brother Baker" said he, with I'M
! elton. I've alters knowed you TO be a
philantrofist- an now I'm certain sure
tibet L was right
! The Cause of Bakers Generosity.
y short time after the widow had
entered upon her new life in the cot
tage by the mill. il became known to
everybody that George William Baker
had bought in the adjoining township
the homestead of the Grahams. The
last owner, Eli. after unsuccessful at
tempts TO dispose of the property. had
removed to the west. Here fortune
had favored Aim. At the time when
the widow bought herself from the
overseers of the poor, Eli was a man
of means, and. as he had always been.
a mean man. who gave little thought
to anything but self. For several years
he had Kept up desultory correspond
ence with his er-in-law-because
she was near his home farm; but had
extended her no aid in her time of
trouble. lie had been so long a dweller
in Pike county that he did not deem it
disgrace for even d Graham to be a
Lackawanna pauper. Like all mean
men. he was ever on the lookout for
a chance to increase his wealth. and
one day. just before last years Christ
mas, his heart--such as it was-was
made glad by a letter from the widow,
in which occurred the following para
graph. underlined for emphasis:
IF you make me good offer for
my service ! will get you a good price
for the old Graham farm that's been
of no use to you and yours and nobody
else. Name your price. deal rightly
by me, and if you're not too grasplnS
the cash will be ready for you when
you sign the papers"
They Had Found Coal.
1t was about the middle of Decem-
Der, 1898, that Daniel Ebbitt and Sam
Howell. on their own authority, and
without let or hindrance, took posses
sion of the long unworked limekiln on
the Graham farm, and were soon max
ing it profitable in a moderate way.
One day they We're selling a wagon
load of lime to a farmer near the poor
house. and Dan eSpied the Widow
Graham on the road nearby. He had
known her since he was a boy, and
liked the old lady because she had
always been kind to him.
Good mornin' Wilder said Dan.
Come over to the wagon an I'll tell
We somethin' ye orter know"
AS the widow ranged up alongside
the wagon, Dan leaned over the side
board, and with an open palm on each
IL Il. l. III RI
Wilder, they's coal an plenty o. it
in under the limekiln. Maybe 'nough
coal to make you rish as Creosote or
some O. them coal barons. as they call
'em down by Carbon county"
The hint was enough. and the slrewd
widow lost no time in acting upon il.
after cautioning goodnatured Dan not
to let the secret go further.
She paid a visit 10 Squire Seaforth.
a near neighbor. who was well up i'll
everything pertaining to coal mining.
and he promised 10 make an inyestiga-
ton and report IN due season. The
squire found unmistakable evidence of
the existence of immense VEINS of coal
on the Graham farm. and volunteered
to aid the widow in bringing about a
sale in such way as tc make it prof
liable to herself. The widow sent him
TO George William Bake. the capital
list. and terms were agreed upon
This is the upsnot: Eli Graham
came on from he west and received
from George William Baker $4,000 for
the farm, which has already proved To
be worth many times that amount.
The Widow Graham received nom
her brOther-in-law $500 as commission
for finding n cash customer. who could
have secured the farm for half what
he paid
She received also from George Will
liam Baker $1,000 as commission for
bringing about a trade that will make
him much Weather than he ever ex-
pected to be.
She also received the deed Of the
cottage by the mill, y be hers as long
as she lives. Il am no longer for
sale" says the widow.
r. ". MALPINE.