The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-06-30
"Old Clothes.
IOriginal.l

that makes me very valuable. Though |
no larger than a hickory nut, l am
worth many thousand dollars. l was
born in Brazil. The first Of this world,
at least of daylight for me was rolling
/ out with stones, sand, earth and other
minerals following the stroke Of a
pick / lay on the ground before a
workman He looked about him and,
1 seeing his foreman's back turned. pick
ed me up and put me in his mouth
When he went from work he was
searched. but I was not discovered.
The next scene in my life of motion,
so to speak, was in a wood. The work
man who had found me sold me to q
man of better grade. The price paid
was 500 in United States bills The
man who bought me took me to a
room, locked the door and examined me
carefully. l could see by his express
sion that he was very much pleased
with me- He got a box of sewing
utensils from a closet and. ripping a
pocket in the lining of his coat put
me in and sewed me fast. didn't
suppose that l would stay long in this
place but did.
One day a policeman came to my
owners room and arrested him. He
was not wearing the coat in which he
had sewed me. 1t hung in a closet. A
month later it was taken down and
with other clothing taken to Villa de
Principe, where it was sold to a Jew.
A young man "all tattered and torn"
came into the Jews shop tried on sew
eral coats, and, the one l was in fitting
him. he bought it. l think the price
paid was So. The young man walked
al the way to Rio, doing work here
, and there for a meal. Had he known
that he had me with him he might
have ridden in a coach and four.
) When he got to Rio he shipped on
vessel bound for New Haven, Conn.
was rolled, with other clothing, in
small bundle and put under his bunk,
he DOMINIC sailor toys. When we reach
, ed New Haven my owner put on his
shore clothes, left the vessel and walk
ed up into the city. He met a number
: of young men he knew, and by his con-
versation with them I learned that he
had been q student in the college there
and his father had died insolvent dur
= ing the sons second year. From a
student he had become a sailor, had
+, sought employment in South America
d and had got stranded in Brazil One
G of his old chums loaned him some
: money with which to buy a ticket to
o his home in a distant city
This home was in a shabby little cot
tage in the suburbs. 1t was both a
, melancholy and happy meeting be-
II tween the young man and his mother
a and his two sisters. They were evil
e IDENTITY people of refinement living in
f poverty. Their returned boy was hun
d CRY, but there was nothing save q
piece of corn bread in the house to give
+ him. They begged him to stay with
e them, try for position and help them
{ To this he consented, and they were
Y happy.
u That night after he had gone to bed
7 one Of his sisters took his clothes and
: sat up late patching and darning then
that he might appear the better II
looking for employment. After the
Y sewing she took them downstairs into
the kitchen, heated an iron and pressed
/ them. While running the iron over the
= coat its nose hit an obstacle in me
/ I,o f,It 0f, 4
10 examine the place where l was; then
y taking knife, she ripped the SEWN!
~ and took me out. Seeing nothing but
III brownish stone, she threw me into
coal scutte, but on second Thoughts
d took me up again and put me on
table. Then, finishing her ironing, sh
q took the clothes to her brothers room
"a The next morning she showed me t
her brother and told him where sh
e had found me. He looked me over yer,
u carefully, thinking all the while, ant
E asked his sister to show him the plac
Il where she had found me. Then he pu
~ NE in his pocket and later on startet
II out TO look for a situation About nool
~ he went home He met his mother Il
- the hall. He was pale and trembling.
~ "Oh, mother he exclaimed
a my boy, what has happened?
- IF it shouldn't be true it would XII
IS me-"
"l "What?"
- The stone Fannie found sewed in m
- coat. Thinking 1t might be jewel +
-, the rough, took it to jeweler He say
it's diamond. A diamond of that siz
is worth many thousands Of dollars"
- He took me out of his pocket, an
"a the mother and her daughter gathere
! round, each trembling with excitement
u Don't count on too much, dear boy,
80 said the mother. IF 1t is a diamond,
! has real owner, and you must fin
u him, but he will doubtless give you
q reward for its return"