Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-02-06

Tread ION or two hundred when it
reached Europe.
+ Of course, such a man soon becomes
well known, and he was often gIiey-
ously imposed upon by worthless
characters who took advantage Of his
Iliberality He would bow to a dra.
man with as much poIiteness as he
would to cattle king. He was fond
of children and pretty girls. They all
knew him and they were not afraid of
him He frequently threw a handful
Of silver among a crowd of school chill
dren as they ran through the street.
Whenever anything pleased him, no
matter what it was, a horse or d
steamboat, he would certainly but it if
the owner could be induced to part
with it at any price After passing
about a year in Llamo something hap
pened over in Europe which greatly
increased his wealth, and it made him
very angry.
Il can't spend what | am getting
now" he said; what on earth am
to do with five or six times as much?'
1t is said that he spent at least
81 100000 druing the last year Of his
life. He acquired the habit of secret
ing sacks of gold and rolls of bills in
secluded hooks about his big house
and barn before he died. A great
deal of this hidden treasure has been
found, but there is no telling how
much has disappeared forever. a
gardener found sack of gold in
flower pot, and a labOrer discovered a
large sum scattered over the bottom
of a well. A 500 bill was taken from
IAN old fiddle, and a government bond
had beenfOlded and used under clock
to make it sit even. The mantelpiece
gods. There were many golden idols
of Hindu workmanship on an altar of
ivory in a small apartment which he
frequently visited.
From a relative who came over
from Europe to adjust the dead mans
affairs the people of Texas only learn
ed that they had been assOciating with
"a man who had been reared in a
palace with kings and princes. Over
the door Of mis- library was written in
Greek: Everything is nothing"
Tediman had many warm friends in
Texas, but the great secret of his life
was never revealed to the most init
mate Of his associates. When per-
fectly cool, which was not often, he
carried himself with lofty, prfncely
dignity. His thirst for beer was a
ceaseless, bewildering craze, which he
never made the least effort to control
In his happier moods he was wax IN
the hands of his friends, and nothing
was easier than for them to induce
him to buy gold mine, a calliope, d
steamboat or q mouse trap. To
please a cOmrade he would do any
thing but sully his honor or his I'M
maculate shirt front
Many simple folks regarded tie
man with superstition. They actually
thought that he could transform iron
or any other metal into gold. Tie
truth made a very plain tale. MI
John TCdiman-which in all prob
ability was not his name-had in
herited an immense fortune, a large
portion Of which had been so wisely
invested that it yielded a princely III
come.
The man had evidently done some
thing that had aroused the anger Of
his sovereign, and he had either
suffered Punishment or chose volun-
tary exile. He died with his hand
within easy reach Of his favorite
elixir. Scrawled upon a slip of paper
found under his pillow were his
favorite words, Everything is moth
ing to which he had added but
love New York World.