Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-11-05
THE LOST MONEY BAG
BY Albert Ross.

0J FNiO~iN 'NNSSs
There is a mining man in Butte who
is congratulating himself just nov.
and he has a congratulation or two
coming. He does not live here-it is
said he belongs in Alaska. About
six months ago he dropped into the
city, and with him came a small,
rusty-looking satchel containing $1,000
in cash, the money being principally
greenbacks. Like many other men,
this man is in the habit OF having a
good time when he strikes a city like
Butte, and as soon as he arrived here
he threw care to the winds and start
ed out for the purpose Of enjoying
himself One Of the places visited by
him was Joe Harmons saloon, on
North Main street. Realizing that the
little grip" was a handicap to him
at the rate he was going, he tossed IT
to one Of the barkeepers, and asked
him If he would put it behind the bar
and keep It until he returned, the
barkeeper accommodated him. never
suspecting however, that in that rusty
looking thing there was enough
money to buy something useful. The
stranger was then pretty we'll along
on his journey towards the happy
mood. The barkeeper threw the
satchel on top of the safe along with
some other traps, and the stranger
after taking a drink or two, left the
house. Although he had promised to
call for 1t in a short time, he did not
return. and a month or two later the
satchel was thrown into the basement
with lot of other stuff that had been
accommodating in the barroom.
Two days ago a man called at the
saloon and asked one of the barkeep-
ers if he had left satchel there last
fall. He described the grip" and
said he would like to find 1t, as 1t con-
tanned something he needed In his
business. The barkeeper knew
nothing about the satchel, but VEN
tured the assertion that if it was left
in the house it should be in the base
ment, where all things left In the sa-
loon were thrown when not called for
bv their owners within reasonable
length of time. He then repaired to
the basement, and, after a long search,
dug from the dust and dirt the long
lost satchel. The dirt was brushed
from it's sides. and it was then taken
upstairs and handed TO the stranger.
"Thanksr' exclaimed the man, his
eyes lighting up. This is the one"
Producing a small key from one OF
his pockets, he unlocked the satchel
and drew from its inside roll Of bills
aggregating $1,000, and transferred 1t
to one of his pockets.
81 thought sure 1 had lost the
money" he said. 81 left this grip
here about seven months ago, but
was not aware of 1t. l knew l had
left 1t in some saloon, but being a
stranger In the city, the location OF
the place was mystery to me. Be
sides, l had a comfortable jag aboard
when I struck the town, and that
helped me to forget the places | had
visited. After disposing of the satchel,
| kept going the rounds, finally bring
ing up In that part Of town in which
I afterwards learned neither man or
his money might be any too safe.
While there l was robbed of some
money, but just how much l do not
know. After l got sober l tried my
best to think of the place where l had
left the satchel, but it was all a
blank to me. l had no idea where l
had been that day or night. With
the little money had left went East
and spent the winter, and there was
not an hour that did not endeavor
to think of the disposition I had made
of the grip Finally, a happy thought
struck me. l concluded to return to
Butte and ask every saloon man in
town If l had left satchel with him.
I figured that If I had left 1t in a re-
spectacle place it might still be safe,
and | would recover it. AS soon as
struck the city began systematic
search, going from one saloon to an
other, and my work has at last been
successful. It is good thing | left II
here instead of some place where
things are not stored, or l would be
out $1,000. l guess I'll go north again
now" ----