Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-06

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old lady who was cyair kind to me when
| was poor fishman, when | was seek
man iii dat orrible shack, | give 'alf my
mine. Tou not accept, it madame, j die
with unhappiness."
He departed, leaving me speechless hut
vastly entertained.
Thereafter he pu1yeyed fish as before,
no allusion to the Midas past or tlIe
dreamful future being made OH his pasf
or mine.
One day in April Hop Toy came up
stairs and announced a Ga Ter
One man bottomside; you go down,
was his laconic formula.
! went down and there was the fish
man, transformed in his miners garb;
blue denim trousers tucked into high
laced boots, flannel shirt, wide hat, and
Hudson Bay blanket coat. He had had
il bath and Il shave and looked quite like
Il gentleman. The melancholy had left
his dark face and he fairly beaned with
energy and ambition. He was off at last,
he said, and had come to say goodbye
and to repeat that half the mine was TO
be NV property when he returned.
shook hands with him heartily and
wished him luck.
In May of the following year took a
jaunt up to Sitka, one of the pleasantest
vacation trips one can take. let me add.
lnc SIeHnef ualteu at Juneau ana
+ Speedwell island. and ] visited the fa-
nous mine. Straightway, of courses 2
recalled the fishman who had almost
passed out OF my memory.
On the return trip there were few pas
sengers. and / sat almost alone at the
captains table. The captain of the
Queen, then the largest boat in the
| Alaska service, was aboard as a pas
senger, his own boat being temporarily
ont of commission.
lie and the captain of the Mexico. our
/ beat. were jolly pair OF sea dogs 1t
amused them nightly to tell tales of adl-
/ venture that would have taxed the Gre
/ dulity OF the yeriest ''eheechawka," as
they call the tenderfoot out there.
You do it very WE'LL / said, after
laughing at one of these extravaganzas.
/ but the largest story of that kind / ever
listened to was told me by man who
used TO sell me ash in Seattle" And
related tn, fshman's tale
4 The two captains looked at each other
/ significantly.
French Pete" said the captain of the
I Mexico. II thought he died down in
Frisco
The StrangeSt part Of that story. :"
SAID the captain of the Queen, turning to
me Is that 1t comes pretty near being
4 all true, The Frenchman did locate that
! claim, and | guess it's true that his part
hef got most of the money and all of the
glory, but | don't believe he buncoed
/ French Pete out OF all of his share. The
probabilities are that Pete was celebrat-
iiig' and his partner did business with
/ hlm when he wasn't just responsible !"
Then he added: IF Pete says he knows
where there's another big mine | wouldn't
be surprised if he does They used To
say that that fellow could smell gold.
| Besides he wouldn't stay sober for any
length of time unless there was some
4 hing big in it.
And I'll bet you get your money. :"
said the captain of the Mexico gallantly
But truth, II it be stranger than fiction.
! = not half rs artistic. ] never saw the
ishman again. Soon after that Alaska
4 Journey my western home was given mp
aud left Seattle However. il | never
saw him again | have al least heard Of
nm. | came upon Il paragraph in a New
ORR paper, dispatch from Vancouver
! Il, IL read about as follows:
/ Mr Pierre lie Blanc. better known ON
/ the coast as French Pete, who came
down from the klondike last fall with a
fortune tue hrst clean-up of his wonder
/ ful dlcoveres on White creek. has snf-
fered a deep affection in the death Of his
Young wife, whom he crossed the ocean
( only few months ago tn WOO and marry
MT lie Blanc spent a week In Seattle air
er coming out. and went from there ci-
reetly To his childhOod's home in France
There he met and married the daughter
of an old friend, He started hack Ia
Alaska with his bride, his properties
there demanding his personal attention.
me young woman sickened mysteriouslv,
ana died here last night after few
hours Illness. Mr.. lie Blanc is prostrat-
ed With his loss. After the funeral. and
as Soeh as he RECEIVERS sufficiently. he
will conthIe his sad journey northward y.
Foor French l-ete, His life seems ever
crowded with disaster / have nerer
heard another word of him, Pcrhaps ne.
too has gone. Sometimes l wonder II
ne tned 70 lind me in Seattle. After ali.
thoqgh, ne was rs ignorant OF my name
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