The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-30
The Hunters

lOrisinall
Marcus Hunter was left an orphan
when he was sevea years old lie had
no brothers or sisters no home. no
money, no anything. Nn uncle WHO
was well 10 do tool, him 10 his house
against his wife's Wishes and The
boys life thprc was one of misery.
When he was seventeen the uncle died.
aud the aunt turned the boy out Of The
house. lie found a position as CLERK
IN business house In Ten years he
set mp for himself.
His relatives who during this period
had ignored him now began TO nod
pleasantly to him when they met him
and invited him to their houses. The
aunt, who had made life burden to
him, reminded him OF the pleasant
days that he had spent under her roof
and how happy It HAD made her TO be
mother to him.
Just as Mark was getting on his
feet in business way n commercial
panic came on He needed n little as.
aistance 60 tide him over the crisis
and applied to those OF his relatives
who were able TO help him. He began
by telling them that he would like Ia
talk over his affairs with them With a
view to getting their advice He got
no further than this. for each and
every one OF them pronounced himself
incompetent TO advise him. This shut
the poor fellow Oh, as they Intended.
He failed Then his relatives dropped
him again.
When the commercial storm was
over Mark went to work for a man
who was a business genius. lie took
q great fancy to his clerk and pro-
noted him rapidly. finally making him
second only to himself Then the eln-
ployer died chlldless and left about all
there WAS OF the business TO his pro
tege.
Marcus died multimllllonaire. lust
before his death he made a will, 10
which he directed that the house in
which he had passed bls lonely life-
he never married-shouid he closed by
his executor from the day Of his death
till one week after the funeral, when
an auction should take place Of every
thing it contained. No one was 20 be
admitted to the sale except his rela-
fives.
since lie left no direct heirs, most OF
the relatives were present at the read
ing OF the will each hoping for sub
etantlal re.nembrance When they
heard this singular provision and
learned that the testator had left no
legacy to any one Of them they natu-
rally inferred that he had concluded to
remember them hy leaving their lega-
cles in different articles OF furniture.
Put what n singular way. Ten thou
sand dollars might he In hollow cane,
while but $1,000 had been placed in a
rosewood desk Yet the cane might be
knocked down FOR n dollar. w'tie the
desk might brng 500. Was there ever
sucii Il way devised for disriluling
millions OF moncyf The will further
stated that the amount realized from
5 the sale was 20 he expended by the
executor for monument TO the de-
ceased.
when the day OF the sale came
around it was astonishing how many
relatives Hunter had left behind him.
There we're Hunters mnumerable both
by name ana In reality a protest
was made 10 the executor that many
Of them were not related 10 the testa-
Tor aud should not he admitted. But
he argued that by the terms Of the
viii the sale must take place then and
there aud there was no time to exam
lne credentials.
Tue crowd were kept whiting while
articles were first sold that could not
possiblg contain anything. such rs un-
covered erockery. ON these there
were only such bids rs would serve
10 get them out OF the way. But
when 1t came 20 articles In which
stacks Of bills could be placed the bid
ding became furious. As soon rs an
article was Knocked down the buyer
wished to get af II. but was Informed
that he could not have It ill after the
sale. The bidders had every variety
OF opinion as to what articles Were
most likely 10 contain large amounts
so that anything wooden or hollow
brought excellent prices. 4 Kitchen
table with a drawer Cooked and n'
kew brought &f00. an upholstered sofa
$500. q can't fishing rod AloO 4 steW
pan with hollow handle large enough
10 contniu dozen $1,000 bond
brought S2TI. One Of the rayorltei
was PLASTER bust OF Ahranam Lin
coin. Such busts arc usually hollow
ana this would naturally attract Al
ingenious hide. i brought SGJa ans
was the cause or protracted quarre
between two different branches o
Hunters.
Well. the last article was inalll
knocked down. and buyers were tol'
that they might lake away their pur
chases. A rush WIS made for tn
articles. but few were removed. Sey
eral purchasers had lirought hae'feer
ana with these hegan to sniash thcl
articles. The signal WIS a crack o.
the head Of Abraham Lincoln's bust
which dropped Into a ooup,e OF dozei