Gilpin observer., 1900-03-15
HOW HE GOT A WIFE.
CeEan by Washing Dishes For q
Meal and Ended by Becoming Rich,

Dexun ~ waning Dishes For q
Meal and Ended by Becoming Rich.
did ever tell you." asked the rich
business man who likes to drop around
to the hotel and talk of an evening
with the drummers, "how l Won my
wife? Probably not two people in
Lewiston know. They do not even
know where l was born. was born
out in lower Maryland and early got
the idea that was wanted out west
When l was 81, l started and brought
up ct 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 al ny hands
they told me they hadn't any work
for tenderfeet. and l WIS starving 1t
came right down 70 begging with me-
There was Il man out there who had
struck it pretty well cattle farming
He employed 10 men about the ranch
most of them caring for his mighty
from my bed beside the hay piles out
III tilt tI)tI w dlAttI over " tHG
house, hoping to be able to steal some
thing to eat. Out back of the house
was Il long lean to kitchen where they
washed the dishes and did other work
like that. | went around to this door,
aad the old lady was lecturing n slat
tern looking girl for breaking cups.
She had broken four that morning
while wiping dishes. The woman. who
was the wife of the proprietor. had her
dander up and. seeing me at the kitch-
en- door, exclaimed, TIhat there half
baked tramp could wash dishes with
out breaking them as fast as you do
"'That l could. marin, and l wish
you would give NE the chance to try
| exclaimed.
"She looked at me and laughed. and
didn't blame her much either. DO
you want Il job? she asked, threaten
incly looking at the slattern at the
same time.
"'Ies; try me. Give me breakfast,
and III wash dishes all the forenoon
exclaimed.
"'You wash dishes all the forenoon,
and I'll give you 4 dinner she said
cautiously.
ITO MAKE it short, l washed them all
the forenoon and many forcnoons. for
she saw that n man. with strong hands
and carefulness such as | had. could
save dishes where girl would drop
them. There were so many people
there that 1t took all the time to wash
the dishes. worked at it three years
and got $40 n month at first and my
board ard tE"n So week and my
board One Cay the proprietor was
trying 20 do s;lm in arithmetic in the
kitchen, and offered to help him out.
| saw he was not good ut it and was
looking desperate. When he found
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 n city at Battle Mountain,
and my boss put up q 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 well and was good look
ing. One day his 1T-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 | had commenced to
work for Eer father as IL dishwasher
and had sort Of worked my way up
she reciprocated, and we We're 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 it
was his order. About two months aft
cr that sent him the following letter:
Dear Sir-My proprietor, your daughter has
ordered me to become her husband next Monday
afternoon at st. Paul's, Battle Mountain and has
also ordered to invite you and her mother.
You told me to obey her implicitly. and shall.
"It 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 Augusta
and then we came here and have been
here ever since. Now, don't you go
and tell any one my love story. for it's
sacred to me. though It's queer
Lewiston (AIe.) Journal.