The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-28
A DREAM or SUDDEN WEALTH.
| Hard Luck OF . Preacher Recalled ny ="
Alleged Discovery Of Gold.

NEW CANBRIA, Mo-, June @'-Ioi NV
vears Dave Thomas and DICK Wlihalns'
miners. have wrought with pick and blasting
nowder on a ledge in Baldwins coal mine
near here. Now they think they nave ois-
covered gold mine.
This Is the second time the mine mas
figured in a boom. Years ag" Charles
O browning. a Baptist minister, resided
a, New Cambria. His salary was very
sr,l, and he strove to make both ends meet
hv working several days each week as
barber
One day his wife got letter from iegai
firm ut Washington, stating that the claim
~ the Jacob Ball heirs, Of whom she was
~ nod nossed Congress and the chances
- oorIy navment we're good. The letter
s.;l ,h.t Mr. Ball was wealthy ship owner
~ pbiladelpbia and that his vessels were
,onfscated for the service OF the Govern
u,ent during the War Of 1912.
A. the close Of the letter 1t was casually
voted that the amount awaiting dlstr1pu-
ton was s5o, OOO 900. which would ne lortn-
coming after few little preliminary fees
,are forwarded. As there were said 10 De
onlv twenty heirs, Mrs. BrowIings snare
y, Tho estate would be about S2.5OO,OOo
The Brownings had rejoicing that night:
Tho letter was shown to the people around
town No one seemed to doubt the bro~n-
ings good fortune.
From a preacher Browning developed
into a man Of affairs. He decided to en-
bark in the coal business. The baio"lh
nina was started during the war, out was
abandoned when rock was struck. bro~h-
In q mt at work large force OF men. They
h,estad through the rock and struck coal
vein. %. ~ the land
was a peculiar one. be was 70 pao wi Iii
baldwin one cent q bushel royalty on an
tSe coal brought to the surface and was
never 70 shut the mine down for any cause.
excent a strike, unavoidable accident, or
act of God" The way the coal VEN ran
Baldwins royalty wou1d - h az oo c an acre
The hest coal land in Macon county can be
Five thousand dollars worth OF mining
machinery was contracted for with fenh-
sylvania firm Mr.: Bro 5 m nSve y banouets
e at the little hotel. The story Of his sud,
denly acquired wealth got abroad ana
people came to see him: 4 CON merclal
club was orgsnized d.s and ars MI Pans
were made for the building Of q new city Sall,
tha erertion OF q magnificent high school
building and the paving OF the streets.
Browning went over to macon sstt. w.en tne
Mayor Of the town and 10 mayer s e. -,ac1
way said to the cashier OF each OF me Danks
/; that he expected to open deposit account
some time during the week and az ne wanted
to be fair about 1t he would !ust pace slN,
OOO with each bank. This tickled the bank
ers of course, and they "efe very pieeeai'
to the former preacher
During this time not dollar OF the Brown
ING heritage had come to town, but pnsi-
ness was booming just the same. The
first objection was raised by the MINERS
They asked to be paid Mr.. Browning SAID
that the remittances had possibly been de,
laWed by the mails and that they would
certainly come within a day or two. The
men agreed to work for another week.
Browning had purchased the finest resi-
dence in the town had nearly bought out
the furniture stores In furnishing it and his
obliqations we're mounting skyward. At
last letter came from the law firm stating
that an unexpected obstacle had arisen
lust when everything was supposed TO be
going nicely and that more money vas
needed to surmount TINS maj oi1lcuily.
The sum named was peyono Drowning
ability to raise.
That was the end. Mine operations
suspended. Browning was considerably
worse of than he was when he started me
boom. or course, the people who had sold
him pianos and furniture took back their
! property and were not mach out, out the
miners accounts were unliquldated, ana
as they had many mouths to iced, they
were not in the best of humor:
While his affairs were verging on ruin,
Brownings home burned down and the
Insurance. money enabled him to settle
with the miners and leave town In toierable
sort Of shape. He is now running barber
shop somewhere in Nebraska.