The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-30
The Hunters

no brothers or sisters, no home, no |
money, no anything. An uncle who
was well to do took him 10 his house |
against his wife's wishes, and the |
boys life there was one of misery. |
Vixen lie was seventeen the uncle died |
and the aunt turned the boy out OF the
house. lie found q position as clerk
in a business house. In ten years lie
set up 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 n burden TO
him, reminded him of the pleasant
days that he had spent under her roof
and how happy IL had made her TO be
mother to him.
Just as Mark was getting on his
feet I'm business way n commercial
panic came on. He needed n little as
sistance to tide him over the crisis
and applied TO those Of his relatives
who were able 70 help him. lie began
by telling them that he would like to
talk over his affairs with them with
view TO getting their advice. lie got
no further than this. for each and
! every one of them pronounced himself
incompetent TO advise him. This shut
the poor fellow off. as they intended.
He failed. Then his relatives dropped
him again.
when the commercial storm was
over Mark went to work for man
who was u business genius. He took
| n great fancy to. his clerk and pro-
noted him rapidly, finally making him
| second only to himself. Then the EN-
ploycr died childlcss aud left about all
there was of the business TO his pro-
| tege.
Marcus died multimllliOnaire. Just
1 before his death Inc madc will, in
which he directed that the house In
| which he had passed his lonely life
| he never mnrried-should he closed by
! his executor from the day OF his death
til one week after the funeral, when
an auction should take place of every
thing It contained. No one was TO be
admitted to the sale except his rela-
tiyCs.
Since he left no direct heirs, most Of
the relatives were present at the read
ing OF the will, each hoping for sub
stantial remembrance. When they
heard this singular provision and
learned that the tcstator had left no
legacy 10 any one of them they natu-
rally inferred that he had concluded to
remember them by leaving their lega-
cics in different articles of furniture.
But what n singular way! Ten thou
sand dollars might be in hollow cane,
while but 81, ,0C0 had been placed IN Il
rosewood desk. Yet the cane might DC
knocked down for n dollar. while the
desk might bring 500. Was there ever
such Il way devised for distributing
millions of money? The will further
stated that the amount realized from
the sale was to 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 were Hunters innumcrable both
by name and in reality. a protest
was made TO the executor that many
of them were not related 70 the tesla
tor and should not be admitted. But
he argued that 10y the terms of the
win the sale must take place then and
there and there was 10 time TO exam
inc credentials.
The crowd were kept waiting while
articles were first sold that could mol
possibly contain anything. such rs un
covered crockery on these there
were only such bids as would serve
TO got them out OF the way. But
when It came TO articles in which
stacks OF bills could be placed the bid
ding became furious. As soon as at
article was knocked down the buyer
wished TO get Mt It, but was Informed
that he could not have 1t till after Tho
sale. The bidders had every variety
of opinion as TO what articles were
most likely to contain large amounts
so that anything wooden or hollow
brought excellent prices A kitchen
table with a drawer 0ocked and NJ
key brought 500, an upholstered sof;
5000, n cane fishing rod $50 \ stew
pan with hollow handle large enough
to contain dozen $1,000 bonds
brought 500 one Of the favorl,c'
was plaster bust Of Abraham Lin
I coin. Such busts are usually hollow
and this would naturally attract M
ingenious hide. 1t brought 5000 anI
was the cause OF n protrNcted 0uarre
between two different branches o
, ! Hunters.
We'll, the last article was ilnall!
knocked down, and buyers were tol,
that they might take away their pur
chascs. A rush was made for TN
articles, but few were removed. Scv
eul purchasers had brought hammer
and with these began to smash thcl
articles The signal was II crack OF
the head Of Abraham Lincoln's bust
which dropped into Il couple OF do2eI
pieces. An exclamation Of rage wen
up from the man who had paid tn
enormous price for It, From that me
! mcnt the crash of furniture, the rir
ping OF upholstery ana the smashing o
llass aud stonewnre were mngc
al ,f