The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-12-13
A SECRET OF THE SEA.
Placed . Monument Over . Dead
Girl In Cheyenne.

Cheyenne is not the town 1t was
when for awhile IL was railroad
terminus" said citizen OF that place
visiting in Brooklyn preparatory to
what he calls salt water trip, relates
the Eagle of that city.
"All the stories about Its exciting
days were far from true" he contin-
ued II will tell you one, however,
which never saw in print, not be-
cause it Is not worth printing. but be-
cause, I suppose, some who know Of
it think it too tame for a Cheyenne
story. II you ever go to Cheyenne,
ask anybody you happen to meet to
show you the way to the cemetery
there is but one that has any history.
And when you get out there wander
around until you come to the pref
test monument in the place. Maybe
a half dozen men in the town know
the story of it, but certainly no more,
and they may not recall 1t.
''In the exciting days Of the town
there lived in a squalid part Of 1t a
man and his stepdaughter. The lat
ter was not more than 12 years old at
the time. Her mother had died In an
emigrant train on it's way west and
was buried near the road.
"When her husband and daughter
reached Cheyenne, the man sickened
and nearly died. But for the tender
nursing by the stepdaughter he would
not have recovered. He was a beggar
when he got well, but then that was
nothing in those days, and his con-
dition caused no special comment.
Soon after, his buck turned. He had
enough to dress the girl to her hearts
content, and he looked prosperous.
But no one ever saw him work.
don't know what explanation he
made, or whether any, for his pros
perity.
"One day he mounted the girl on a
horse and sent her away on n mission,
which required her to be absent two
days. When she returned he was
gone. Thcy do things quicker in that
country than you do here, or at least
they did in the time of which | am
speaking. No one who knew would
tell the girl the fate Of her stepfa-
ther. She was given a home and
have heard that she had no complaint
to make Of the life she found in it,.
While she was growing into woman
hood she died and was buried in the
cemetery of which l spoke.
"While she was on the mission for
her stepfather, he was engaged in
making counterfeit money. He had
been at it for some time, but the child
never knew It, and he never did any
work in that way when she was about
the house. He was arrested before
her return and he begged the officers
to take him away quickly and to keep
the secret of his crime from the child.
happen 10 know that they kept their
pledge.
He pleaded guilty at once and was
sent to states prison for ten years.
lie was credited with the usual time
for good behavior and came out. as
they usually do, broken and aged.
"One day n banker in Cheyenne re.
ccived check and letter. The letter
bore the Kansas City postmark. 1t
directed the banker to use the check
for the erection OF n monument over
a grave which was described. The
monument was shipped from Kansas
City and the freight was prepaid. On
It's receipt in Cheyenne, the banker
was notified and the work of placing
IL was carried on under his super
vision. do not think the banker ever
knew the story OF the man who paid
for the monument and sent him the
check. He died several years ago.
There was balance left after TIE
placing of the monument and the
banker invested 1T, and while he lived
the interest on It paid the sexton of
the cemetery for keeping the grave
and ground about it in good condi-
tion. In his will the banker directed
that the work should be continued
on the interest. until such time as the
person entitled to the principal should
apDear and claim Il. But he never