The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-28
Former Witty Resident OF
This City Makes a Pathetic
Appeal to the Editor of a
Frisco Newspaper.
GARMENT Is NEEDED:
BREEZES QUITE COLD
States That He Joined in Rich
mond Effort to Help Quake
Victims So His Request
Should Be Needed.

San Francisco. March c7.-The San
Francisco citizen who won out at the
time of the disaster of April, 1906. to
the extent of a short tan overcoat
with two buttons missing and hole
In The left hand pocket. the gratuity or
]. b. Dignam. at that time editor OF
the Dignam's magazine. Richmond.
Ind. would do well to return the gar
ment. Dignam needs. II now more
than any one in the world. according
to his own story and he has uttered a
pathetic appeal in an effort to recover
his contribution to the relief OF San
Francisco's distressed.
Writing on December IS. from room
No 1908, Boyce building. Chicago. the
office of Hand. Knox & Co. the gem
erous hearted. but now half frozen.
Dignam said:
Loaned the Garment.
Editor The Call. San Francisco. Calf
Dear Sir: During the recent up
heaval in your city a. refer to the
seismic. not politically l loaned my ov-
ercoat to a citizen Of YOUR town and
he has failed to return 1t to me. Now.
with the wind blowing a 40 mile gale
across the lake and the thermometer
Sobbing around the zero mark. find
myself very much in need Of II. With
| this climatic condition in force and
several months of ii staring me In the
face. I am begi' fling to grow q little
anxious.
In common with other residents Of
the city of Richmond. Ind. where I
resided at the time In question. tried
| to do my share toward relieving the
\ unenviable position that a large num-
Der OF your citizens found themselves
in after the big fire had done its best
and I loaned the only overcoat that
the house of Dignam was In posses
sion of to some unknown citizen Of
San Francisco.
Burst Into Poetry.
| In order that there be no misundcr-
standing regarding the nature Of the
transaction. I wrote the following on a
slip Of paper which I attached with
safety pin to the inside pocket of the
sovercoat:
| To you my friend this coat ] loan
To have and hold il for your own.
L
The dawn of new prosperity.
| To him who plugs. success is sure.
No longer need the poor stay poor.
Roll up your sleeves; you can not
lose.
Work like the devil and cut out
booze.
Then when you have got your start
anew.
And life looks pretty good to you,
Send back my coat: don't care
how.
shall need it worse than you DO
now.
At the bottom OF this added. ~. b.
Dignam. editor Dignam's magazine.
Richmond. Ind"
Notwithstanding the standard Of lit
Ierary merit that the state of Indiana
is famous for. they were unable to
appreciate Dignam's magazine, and
the last saw of it was. 1t was going
isouth with two paper mills. q printer
and a landlord about a days march
behind.
Makes IN Apology.
! regret that ii has become neoeo-
sary for me to make this lengthy ex-
Iplanation to you. but feel that II may
encourage you to make q greater ef-
fort to put me in possession Of my
coat than yOu otherwise would do.
OF course. II the gentleman who got
this coat can prove that he needs II
worse than | do shall be glad to n
range II SO that he can have the CON-
fort Of IT few months longer. but
really feel he has had II nov ~ long
as he can reasonably expect me % be
separated from it. I am. yours very
truly. J. B. DIGNAA.
p. S.-You will have NO difficulty
whatever in identifying the coat. 1t
was a short. tan colored garment with
the top button missing and had a hole
In the left hand pocket. J. b. p.