Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-06
FRENCH PETE.
nY RHETA cHILpE poRR.

] knew him only as the fisiIman for
some time after H.. actual acquaintance
with him ceased. At the time | never
thought Of asking ms name, and he never
thought to mention it,
lie was a Frenchman OF type not
often met with. Very large of frame,
muscular. slow moving. as awkward on
his feet as a sailor ashore, and, above all,
a coantenauce deeply, darkly melancholie.
1t was not exactly sOrr0wful face, but
looked as if its owner regarded life from
a standpoint Of settled pessimism. Vic
Tins of chronic dyspepsia sometimes wear
that expression, but the tishman was no
dyspepti, lie was as healthy rs a king
salmon Nevertheless, lie was as melan-
choly as Jacques.
He sold fshyery good nes-froln a
pushcarr in Seattle half dozen years
ago. when the first l<londike rush was
lifting that picturesque town from finan-
cial depression to prosperity. Twice Il
week me Hshlnan visited my neighbor-
hood. The winding of his horn down
the street was Il signal for Paul and Nir-
ginia, the two black cats. to bounce from
their slumbers III front of the open fire
and race out to the sidewalk. where they
waited for the iishman to come Mp and
throw them each smelt. This he al
ways did. and | think it was his atten-
tons to my beloved eats that first drew
me 20 him. | fell into the habit Of buy
ing fish myself instead Of leaving the
transaction to Hop Toy, who was under
contract to ''makee everything" including
the marketing.
We soon established friendly relations.
and when Christmas time came around |
presented the iiSnman With y small fruit
cake, wrapped i'll white It's, Je paper, tied
with red ribbon and Il slltt Of holly.
HIS reception of the modest gift we'll
nigh embarrassed me. He went Grim
son, and, snatching off his shabby hat,
bowed kali way to the ground.
Madame" he said impressivey, ''you
are the very first lady who ever gave me
a Christmas present"
And all that day | was miserable to
think that | had not given the man some
thing really worth while, Il warm jersey,
for instance, for | remembered that he
had not seemed very well clad for the
shiyery wetness of Puget Sound win
ter
Soon after this the fishman ceased his
visits He disappeared abruptly, and
after week or SO it occurred to me that
he might be i'll. | had no idea where he
lived, but the versatile Hop Toy yolun-
teered to find out and succeeded. The
fIshman was discovered to live alone in
one of a wretched row of shaeks along
/ the water front, in neighhorhood affect
being the Puget Sound apology for an
Indian.
The tishman was indeed i'll, with pneu-
monia, and when | sent the city physi-
clan to him he was in Il desperate Condi-
ton. No one had been near him since he
was stricken. and he had gone without
food or fire for days, There was no logi-
cal excuse for his being alive at all. but
/ alive he was. and alive he continued.
4 thanks TO his amazing vitality and Il
| degged determination OF his own not to
! tie If he could help it. He assured the
/ doctor many times that he must get well
! there was something he had to do be-
/ fore he Went. and this fiery will 10 live.
/ with the doctors kindly ministrations.
finally put him on his feet again. He
/ came 10 see me as soon as he was able
to walk-a gaunt, chalky-faced. trembling
EohJect, holding to the back of chair in
order q stand upright.
On, madame. | was ze seek man,
he exclaimed feebly when | had made
hiu 81, down. And oh. re misery to be
seek without woman in re shack. |
say oyair and ovair to myself | will get
me womans as soon as ave 70 mon
naie.
| suggested that wives were not exact
y in the nature OF extravaganza ID
thrifGy tishmen, but he made a magnifi
cent gesture of head and hand, silencing
me Then in broken and eloquent French
he poured ont highly colored and quite
unbelievable tale. He was a iishmau
HOW. it was true but that was not his
calling lie was. in fact n miner. and
no ordinary miner either. BY rights he
SHOULD he millionaire, for ii was he and
no other man who was the dScoverer and
',Shtfnl oWner of great mine famous in
The rtIthWesi.
Jim sreedwcll. he was my partnar
He was drunk in camp when | locate
,lOt claim. Zen he has me off with one
shotgun. and he sell zar mine to Il Yam
kce for $500, and nevair get one sou.
| marveled AT the audaeity OF the ro-
mancer. The story of the mine it's dis.
covery and sale 10y the supposed discoy-
erer who promptly converted the money
into liquid form and swallowed il all in
mn incredibly short time, is we'll known
on the coast. The mine is UNIQUE. al
most the entire island on which ii is sit
uated close to the surface OF the earth
being gold, of very low grade. huf 80
easily mined and conveniently TRANSPORT.
Ell that the value of the property is some
thlnG fabulous. lt has been worked for
years, and shows no signs of giving out
Men are at work there year in and year
out, shoYeling the coarse, yellow clay,
anu sending il in carloads to the chlori-
nation works, where the sparkling sands
ccalcd them.
The island is the most forlorn looking
place on earth-the abomination of DESC
latlnn-remlnding one OF the laudScape so
Nvidly pictured in 'Childe Roland" The
gas from the chloriuation works has
destroyed every bit of vegetation for
miles around. On the island there is not
one leaf OF grass of any growing plant or
tree still 1t contains one of the great
mines Of the world, and the fishman be-
+, walled 1t 50 eloquently that he almost
maze me believe in the story of his orig.
inal ownership.
Drawing has chair nearer his eyes
lost, he continued:
tOr long time | want to die. | drink
and drink. all re time / drink. Zen |
I SnF~-do noe be one hig fool. ston 70
l MhiSkpn. l 90 In ,,.nrl l - - -.