Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-02
STONE INSTEAD OF BREAD.
The story of n wnIfuI Son who wns
Dirinherited.

1ncre died year ago near the village
of Baysde, N. Y, a very rich man. His
name was William G. Buhrman, and he
kept the most modest little store in
picturesque ncighborhood called "Thc Al
ley" lie left four sons and to three Of
them a large fortune. To the fourth he
left n stone. That stone had history.
Mr.. Buhrman was man who believed
in economy, for all his riches. Since the
year 1928 the little general store, feed
emporium and the grist mill beside it
have flourished. They were left Mr.
Buhrman by his father, himself n rich
man. The son took up the thread Of the
business life where his father left it and
continued famously. lie loaned money
to the farmers and took mortgages on
their farms. In those days farming on
, Long Island was a paying enterprise.
The railroads had not then put western
commodities into competition with those
of the east, to the detrimcnt of the latter.
Rich men went there to make their
summer homes, and they are there today.
Mr.. thurman never became ambitious
away from home. He worked he
slavcd-at his business morning and
night and brought up his sons to do like
| wise. One of these, however, rebeled
against the vigorous regime of life set
down by the father. There was n bitter
quarrel between Mr.. Buhrman and his
son one day. In the heat of it the young
man SO far forgot himself as to pick up "A
big rock and heave it at the old gentle
mans head. Then he went away.
/ The man of gray hairs said nothing. lie
simply picked up the rock he had skill
fully lodged, tied it in a bandanna hand
kerchief and tucked it high in his safe
among the bonds, deeds, railroad stock
and mortgages. Once in awhile he would
take it out and examine it, saying to him
self: Il shall leave my three sons $780,
600 each. This son shall get what he in
tended for me-this chunk of granite"
He kept his word.
The years rolled on. The breach was
never healed between father and son,
and the stone still nestled there among
the hundreds of thousands. One day the
man of riches died. His will was read
and his promise was kept. The son who
had rcbelled against the parental dictum
received the stone, the other sons some.
thing like 100000 each. In the old safe
and elsewhere there was found nearly
100000 in ready cash. The rest Of the
fortune was in lands taken on the fore
closed mortgages; railroad stocks, bought
at hundreds and now worth thousands
real estate in city and country town lot,
and granaries, bank stock and eectri,
trolley shares. The three sons received il
all.
But within the last year, since the ole
mans death, something has come over
the three sons. They have built them
selves beautiful villas, one Of them with
in a stones throw of the old buildinl
whore the father and grandfather mad,
the Buhrman hundreds of thousands
by the side of the beautiful lake. They
spent the winters in New York and tn,
summers at home, but they were no
happy. Blood is thicker than water, an,
the stone which the old man treasured il
his just and righteous way was nothing
to them.
They sent for the erring brother. IL
did not come. Finally they went to him
finding him in poverty, but defiant ant
self reliant still He had served a yer!
hard penancc for the one rash deed of hi
life and the brothers realized it.
They offered to divide equally will
him - to make him a co-legatee will
themselves. Lawyers were brought int,
the matter, and quietly, without an.
blowing of trumpets, the three big heart
ed, manly fellows opened their purse
and put their flesh and blood on his fee
for life.-New York Herald.