Smyrna times., 1911-11-22

TWO
FORTUNES
Both Came Suddenly to the Same
Person and One Was Many
Millions
By DAVID WALTER CHURCH
Copyright by American Press Asso-
niafinrn

Why should we read fairy stories |
with marvellous happenings when there |
are such occurring in real life? The
Imagination is not capable of Creating
the possibilities that occasionally occur
among persons who are made of flesh
and blood and have souls. What imag-
1nation century ago in a long strip
ling IllinOisian could detect the lead
er of the greatest political crisis the
world has ever known? And in the
acquisition of wealth, what more won
derful development in fancy than the
story of real Mexican peon who came
into an income of $10,OOO,OO0 a year?
In a town of northern Mexico,
in an adobe house lived an old man.
Pedro AlvaradO by name, peon, who,
with his Indian wife, worked and
saved till he had accumulated S1OO
With the money the couple bought a
piece Of land on the top of a rocky
hill near by the town in which they
lived.
Why they put their hard earned saw
ings in this barren and not very ac-
cessible summit and continued to save
and to pay $40 year taxes on it when
they needed the very necessaries of
life Is not known. 1t is possible that
the wife. having been an Indian, had
heard tradition handed down from
her forefathers that there was a treas
ure buried there.
Be this as 1t may, there must have
been some reason for the old couple
putting all their money in a barren
rock, and this view is borne out by the
fact that old Alvarado. having willed
his purchase to his son and three neph-
ews, called upon the former to swear
that he would never part with his in
terest in 1t. When we remember that
this legacy bequeathed young Pc
dro was supposed to be worth but
$25 we cannot but assume that his
father must have had an inkling that
its value was much greater.
After the old couple died the summit
of the barren rock was not divided
among the heirs, but kept as one prop
erty. Then came men who believed
that there might be silver under the
rock. They had plenty Of money and
were ready to risk it in an investiga-
ton. They offered the heirs a large
sum for the property, and Pedro's cous-
ins were willing and anxious to sell
But Pedro. true to his oath, refused to
part with his share. In vain the 9th
ers begged him not to stand in their
way of taking advantage of the offer.
Pedro stood firm. But after awhile a
friend loaned him the money to buy
out his cousins interest and make the
investigation as to what the property
contained
One day men began to work on the
top of the hill with pick and shovel
A month passed and nothing but ordi-
nary earth and rock was displaced.
The cousins came to see and jeered al
Pedro for a fool But Pedro had been
loaned sufficient money to pursue his
investigations to the end and worked
on. Another month passed and yet an
other with the same result Then one
day in twinkling all was changed
A vein was struck indicating that the
Palmilla mine. as it was called, was
the richest silver mine that had evel
been opened
And now this story takes on a won
derful change. Pedro AlvaradO. sol
Of a Mexican peon father and an In
dian mother, heir to a beggarly estate
supposed to be worth but $25. sudden
ly springs into an income of $4,000 {
day. The fairy waves her wand anC
the adobe hut in which Pedro wal
born is changed into a sumptuous pal
ace furnished from the manufacture
, of the old world Money without linn
it is given away, thrown away. What
ever the silver king fancies he buys
Those in his employ are loaded witt
luxuries.
1t seems to be the desire of all me-
) to live in a palace. for all men who aC
quire immense fortunes build sue
/ structures to live In. Nevertheless
, their abodes are typical Of their or
, gin. Pedro built his palace. and whe
! he got It finished and furnished it wa
! wonderful to behold. especially in th
latter respect. The furniture all cam
, from abroad. The most costly beC
. steads. chairs and cabinets were shiI
ped from Paris; rugs came from tn
orient. and Pedro. instead of walkin
on the wooden floor-Or. more likel!
the dirt floor-to which he had bee
: accustomed. sank in the soft sui
stances manufactured by Persia
:, workmen.
But the most curious freak of tn
= suddenly enriched man was a mani
: for pianos. His palace was filed wit
1 them They. too. came from those IA
(, tories where the most skilled worl
men we're employed in their buildin
a and their mechanism was eneased
r. the most costly woods, often beaut
fully inlaid. They were in his pa
lors. in his living rooms. bedrooms
anywhere. everywhere where thel
was room for them. and room in P
I dro's palace was abundant
Z Slngularly enough but one selfI
| ,,oott,,a ,y,,idao fhfS auddonlv anrichl