Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-02-06
,oins and when he threw down

piece of money or a bill he meant for
that to pay for whatever he had pur-
chased, and under no circumstances
would he take change.
Though making no pretensions 10
employment of any kind he was al
ways in a hurry, and never without a
cigarette between his teeth Owing
to a singular habit he had Of never
smoking more than one cigarette from
the same box crowd of little boys
followed him from place TO place TO
gather the fragrant little packages
that he strewed upon the floor and the
pavement about his feet When he
silver 1oliar to the first little boy
whose face pleased his fancy and send
him after a box of cigarettes. The
fortunate youth always got 95 cents
for his trouble.
Upon one occasion, while at Austin,
ne cabled to some member of his
family m Europe for zone or two
dogs" Soon afterward ne was
notified that rs dogs had been shipped
to him and that the remainder would
be forwarded as soon as they could be
collected. Through some error of his
own or the cable operator the message
read ION or two hundred when II
reached Europe.
OF course. such man soon becomes
well known, and he was often griey.
ously imposed upon by worthless
characters who took advantage of his
liberality. He would bow to a dray-
man with as much politeness as he
would to cattle king. He was fond
of children and pretty girls. They all
knew him and they We're not afraid of
him He frequently threw 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 a
steamboat, he would certainly but 1t II
the owner could be induced to part
with it at any price After passing
about year in Llamo something hap.
pened over In Europe which greatly
increased his wealth, and 1t 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
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 a sack of gold in a
flower pot, and laborer discovered a
large sum scattered over the bottom
of well. A 500 bill was taken from
an old fiddle. and a government bond
had beenfolded and used under clock
to make it sit even. The mantelpiece
in his library was covered with golden
gods. There were many golden idols
of Hindu workmanship on an altar OF
ivory in small apartment which he
frequently visited.
From 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
palace with kings and princes. Over
the door of his 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
! fectlyf cool, which was not often, he
carried himself with lofty, princely
dignity. His thirst for beer was a
ceaseless, bewildering craze, which h.
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 a gold mine, calliope, a
steamboat or a mouse trap. Tt
please a comrade he would do any
thing but sully his honor or his I'M
maculate shirt front.
Many simple folks regarded the
man with superstition. They actually
thought that he could transform iron
or any other metal into gold. The
truth made very plain tale Mr.
John Tediman-which in all prob.
ability was not his name-had in
herited an immense fortune. large
portion of which had been so wisely
invested that 1t yielded a princeiy 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 slip of paper
found under his pillow were his
favorite words, Everything Is notn-
ing to which he had added but
love, New York World.