Evening star., 1901-05-04
G. P. Huntington Left Him 100000
in His Will.
HOW THE Two MEN FIRST MET
Pete Made Himself Useful to the
Railroad King.
AND GOT HIS REWARD


Kip Van Wrinkle, sans the sleeping prOcliV-
tiles of Washington Irvings hero. He is
fond. very fond. of that style of liquor SO
dear to the hearts of Kentuckians, and
never. i'm any event. loses an opportunity
uf samping its quality, regardless of age
color or brand. Despite his fOndness for
drink. Pete never lacks for companionship
The small boys of the town love him: the
men never pass him without a CHEEKY
greeting; and all the pretty girls of the
town give 'Old Pete a nod and a smile as
he awkwardly raises his hat and goes
gangling by, saying: How air y. Miss
Bessie?' or Good mawnin', Miss Sue hope
1 see y well-'
The n. n. and NJ. V. railroad, of which
the late Coils P. Huntington was president
makes quite an important stop at Mt Ster-
ling. In fact, for several years the presi-
dent spent much of his time there; for it
seemed to be the best point on the western
end OF the road from which to control it's
management and watch the service it was
giving to shippers and passengers. 1t was
during one of these visits that Pete man
aged to insinuate himself into the good
graceS of the great rairoader. 1t han
pened in this way: One November morning
about fifteen years ago. Pete was sitting
in 1-acy's saloon, watching the door thirst
lily and hoping for the appearance of some
angel who would invite him to the bar.
Pete had, as he expressed it. "a muff in
his mouth and had vainly tried to inter-
est Lacy in his hard luck story. Pete sat
down BY the stove and gazed alternately
out of the window at the pattering rain
and thence to the door. which he regarded
with longing eyes. 1t opened at last and
MIR BradShaw'S son James, husky Young
fellow of four-andtwenty, came stalking
through. Old Pete's lips grew moist with
expectation.
''Mawnin' Jeems." he said. and there was
doubtful quaver in his husky voice.
II
james gazad at the forlorn figure hump
cd over the stove. and answered that he
was all right; then turned to Lacy and
ordered j drink of whisky, for which he
paid with a fiye-dollar bill.
Jimmy" said the old man, I'm a feelin'
powerful bad this maWnin'. Couldn't V
spare me bout fifty cents for a day or
two
No pap. can't do it," was the reply.
Il amt got but four dollars and ninety
five cents, and / got to pay that out iist |
as quick as / git to John Henry Longs"
Pete was beginning to despair. We'll.
can't y let me have a quarter Them he |
asked James shook his head negatively |
and walked away, saying:
Can't do It today, but maybe ! kin let !
y have a quarter EeXt week"
AS the old man resumed his former seat |
at the stove the door banged violently open |
aud a big red -whiskered farmer stamped |
into the room shaking the water from his |
ON ercoat and wipinS his face on a red ban |
dana handkerchief.
Hello. Pete" said the tiller of the SOIL |
in a loud voice; I'm jist goin t have a |
drink; come an jine me-
Pete could scarcely restrain himself: but |
he rose Very calmly, stretched his long
arms To their utmost length and yawningly
said: Il don't keer much for 1t, Buck. but
Ill take drink Jist fur tn soshiDility |
it
The Old man let the liquor trickle down
his long throat and when he had smacked !
his lips over the last drop of it he turned |
I" his companion and said:
Buck, I'm almighty glad t. see v agin, !
How 5 Liz an tn little Sanderses?"
4 tell v, Pete" Buck answered, con- |
fidentially, I'm a-gettin' long jist bout |
z well z man could Spect to. l amt |
rich by no manner O. means, but I'm got
th best crop o white hurley t'backer 'at !
ever / seen. This rains brought round a
good season an I'm a-Strikin' down to-
day: next week I'm goin t prize an send
it down [ Louisville I sell on tn market
thar
-In-deedy," the willy Pete exclaimed.
Then VT a rich man. Buck Sanders. an
don't know it, With that he brought his
c.eUched fist down the counter with
such force that the bottle and glasses rat
tied again and again. Buck he con-
tinued. after an impressive pause shaking
his finger at the other to give his words
their full value; Jim wills Johnson sold
his tbacker at Louisville day fore yis-
tiddy. an got a. avridge NV leven cents
fur it. leaf, lugs and trash; he did, by
granny"
Mr.. Sanders gave a gasp and tried TO
speak, but the effort was too mucn for
him. so he made sign to Lacy instead
The glasses Were refilled and Pete con
tentedly proceeded to wash away that por-
tion of the 'muff' which the first drink
had not downed.
Fifteen minutes later the two men sep
arated. Pete keyed up to the notch Of
TO per cent, walked down to the hotel,
where he found everything in an uproar
Porters. bell boys. chambermaids and
tI..
hither and thither moving trunks. gather
ing clean linen. transporting quilts from
one room to the other and making as much
noise and confusion as it was possible to
make with the implements at hand. Pete
watched the preparations in silence for a
while and then, turning to the clerk, said
in loud voice:
Well. by granny. Pillsbury, you fellows
seem / be almighty busy round heah this
mawnn'; whut's tn matter?'
''Sh-h-h," said the clerk, laying his fore
finger across his lips and frowning at Pete
till the wrinkles closed his right eye, don't |
talk so loud: Mr.. Huntngton's here"
Pete received this news with all the grav-
fty of the occasion.
'Whurs e at?' he asked in the same |
soft whisper that Pilsbury had used In
rouchsafing the information.
In number ten" came the reply: you
orter see 1t. too; it's all fixed up finer n
the bridal chamber" With these words
the clerk again bent to his work, leaving
Mr.. Bradshaw to his own devices.
meanwhile the great ralIrOad magnate
and finanCier had drawn table before the |
window in room number ten. and his pen
was flying over tablet of paper as fast
busy man can make 1t go. A knock |
came upon his door, Mr.. Huntington, with |
out lifting the pen. invited the knocker to
enter. and In obedience to the summons old |
Pete stepped into the rooms.
Mr.. Hunten on he said ignoring the |
fact that the great magnate had not so |
much as raised his eyes. II am heah L bid |
y welkum L ouah beautiful city"
Here he paused for answer but Mr. |
Huntington made no reply. Pete was not |
abashed: he had come for a purpose, and |
one rebuff was not going to stop him.
Well. by granny he said. after
pause; and his voice expressed such indig-
nation that the great financier lifted his
eyes to see what was the matter; "ef them
fool pOrters amt left v heah without
fab. an it-a-rainin' outside like forty too
I nevah did see sich keerlessness; it's anufr
to give v tn newmonyn"
With that set to work and soon had
a cheerful fire blazing in the old CRATE
Though the day was not cold the cheerful
crackle pleased Mr.. Huntington, and he
gave Pete nod and smile of thanks
Emboldened at this, the old man began |
to set things TO rights in the room, talking
to himself in his own fashion as he placed
each article in its proper place.