Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-05-14
SENTIMENTAL NOTES.

Il see by the papers," remarked New
Orleans cotton broker the other evening.
that dozens of sentimental notes have been
found In the supplies sent to the army in
the Philippines. They come from romantic
factory girls and are baited hooks. blind cast
in the sea of chance. hope some may land
good fish. But what set out to say con-
tinued the broker, "was that the paragraph
recalled one of the most curious and whim-
steal adventures ever had in my life "Ill
give you the facts as briefly as possible. In
the winter of 1893 spent several months on
ranch near San Diego, Cal. There was
crossroads store few miles away, where
we used to get our supplies, and one day l
dropped in and bought box of light cot
ton socks. In looking over my purchase
when reached home I felt something in the
toe of one OF the socks, and, much to my sur
| prise, pulled out a letter written in girl s
hand. 1t said in substance that the writer
was employed in the New Hampshire fac
tory where the hosiery was made and knew
that this special consignment was going TO
California, which had always been the land
of her dreams. She drew graphic picture
of the deadly dullness of life in small fac
tory town. and admitted with lf-humor-
Gus frankness that she sent the message in
the vague hope that something might hap
| pen to relieve its grinding monotony Alto
| gether it was an amazingly clever letter
bright, breezy, and at the same time deeply
pathetic-and, considering the way it
turned up, it naturally made a profound
impression on my mind 1t was signed
Barbara Hollis
| After thinking it over a few days with
increasing interest and curiosity, sat down
and wrote reply, which mailed in care of
the general delivery, as no specific address
had been given. The prospect of witty,
semlsentimental correspondence was very
| alluring just then, for the ranch itself was
not an overlively place, and was thorough
ly disappointed, a couple of weeks later, to
get back my letter, stamped 'undelivered.
| My next move was to write to the postmas-
ter, asking whether he could supply me with
the address of the lady named, and he re-
piled on an official blank, giving me to UNI
derstand that postmasters are not required
to do anything except draw their pay Then
l tried the owners of the factory and they
returned my letter with No such person
now employed here penciled on the bot
tom. With that gave up in despair.
| Barbara Hollis haunted me for long
time, the broker went on, "but she finally
faded out of my mind and thought no more
! of her until she was recalled by mere chance
| fully a year afterward. | was north at the
time, and had been summoned by business
to Manchester, n H., where, in looking
over Il time table one morning, happened
| to notice that the town in which the hosiery
factory was located was only short dis
lance away and connected by trolley. 1t
seems rather a foolish thing for man of
my age to admit, but | Immediately became
excited, and could hardly wait to secure di.
rections as to the route. | soon got a car
and in less than an hour was on the ground
without anything definite in my mind ex.
cept fixed determination to find and meet
the mysterious Barbara, if / had to turn
the whole place inside out to do it, con-
Guided to first go to the factory and make
some guarded inquiries, on the pretext that
| | had message to deliver from friend 1t
was an immense, tremendously big concern,
but they received me very courteosuly in the
office and one of the bookkeepers went care
July over the pay rolls for several years
back in a vain effort to find the name. At
last he frightened up. III tell you what
you do, he said; go upstairs and see our
| Mr.. Ferguson. He's been superintendent of
the knittingrooms ever since we started,
and can give you a line on any girl that ever
worked here
| 81 rushed upstairs and found Ferguson at
a roll-top desk. He was big and genial, but
when | stated the object of my visit a
strange, startled look flashed across his fat
face Barbara Hollis he repeated, in an
awed tone; 1 haven't heard that name in
ten years. Is she dead. them | asked,
greatly shocked. We'll. yes-er-that is to
say, she isn't exactly alive. he replied.
Not exactly alive | cried. in amazement.
| no. said he; but why do you ask? What
| do you know about herr l thought it best
| to be frank and made clean breast of it,
but before | got through Ferguson was
writing in spasms of elephantine mirth.
'IIa, ha, hal he roared; If that don't beat
all Then he caught his breath and ex-
planned: Barbara Hollis" isn't a girl, he
said, and never was. She was a syndicate
There were nine in it at the start. That
was away back in 's5 or sc, and they were
the best lockers in the shop. They thought
| up this scheme of sending out notes in socks
I and the smartest one in the crowd did the
writing. They We're all signed the same
Barbara Hollis and when the answers
began to come in they divided them up, ac-
| cording to taste. Well, sir. YOU would hard
|
if the whole nine of those girls didn't get
married on correspondence They made
the one that did the writing hold off until
the last, and then the story leaked out 1t
set the rest of the girls in the shop so crazy
that the boss had to issue strict order
against anybody else trying the same
scheme. If he hadn't every sock we sent out
would have had ten-page letter in the toe
But it beats the world, he added, how yor
got hold of one of those old notes. That
California storekeeper must have dandy
fresh stock OF gents furnishings
Where are the girls now asked, feel
ing sort of dazed. Living all over the coun,
try he replied; at least eight of them are
| We have one back with us. She's widow
Would You like to meet her? Not on your
lfen | shouted, and | got out of the place
as quick as | could. The idea of that syndi,
cate woman gave me the cold horrors. She
seemed somehow like an octopus-reachine
her tentacles in every direction, and gather
ing in her prey! Inever breathed easy unit
| got back to Manchester. IN. o. Times
| Democrat.
| Friendly Warming.
| 4 ~