The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-20
|ELf SACRIFICE
is REMARKABLE
vsman Tolls For Years, Living on So
Per Week In Order to Create
Fund to Educate Some
Orphan.
LOST EVERYTHING ONCE
lad $1,000 Saved When Concern Col
Iapsed But Has Now Resained
the Sum Which is In
the Bank.

ST. LOUIS, April 20.-Miss Sarah
Robinson, 81 years old, has for IS
years lived on 50 a week, while she
has saved the rest Of her meagre
earnings as a seamstress for the fu-
ture care and education of some or
phan girl whom she desires, after her
death, to take her name.
Her remarkable self sacrifice was
brought to light Tuesday through a
loss which endangered the boarded
sum-
The old mahogany box containing
her certificate of deposit for the
amount of her savings, $931.50, and
the will in which she bequeathed the
whole amount to the Christian Mis-
sionary Society, for the benefit of the
future little Sarah, disappeared a
few days ago from its accustomed
place in her small, bare room in the
rear of 1415 North Thirteenth street.
Hurrying to the Boatmen's Bank
when she discovered her loss, Miss
| Robinson was rojoiced to learn that
| iae money was intact. But to regain
possession of 1t she was required to
advertise the loss of the deposit GER
tifcate, and she win also have TO
give bond for twice the amount of the
deposit She began advertising imme-
dately and notified the police of her
loss.
Miss Robinson told the story of her
longing to take mothers place,
through her savings, to some child
whom she would never see.
1T was my wish as young wo-
man, to have a little girl of my own,
said the gray-haired little woman.
But 1t was not meant that this wish
should be gratified, for no man ever
asked me to marry him.
! came to st, Louis 80 years ago
from England and found employment
In clothing factories as a seamstress.
have worked in this way ever since.
] have been able to earn $3.50 a
week when work was steady, and |
found that could rent rom for 81
a week, and could get what | needed
to eat and wear for another dollar a
week.
SO | began saving my money for
baby. decided to leave the money
to the Christian Missionary Society,
and to let them select the baby af-
ter my death. All | asked was that
she be named after me and brought
up as | would bring her UP II ! were
living.
Whenever | put dollar away
would say to lvyself, There's pair
OF shoes for little Sarah or There's
a book for her. That made it easy,
and ] was surrr5sed to find how
much / could save.
In 1898 ! had almost $1,000 saved
but | had it in building and loan
company which collapsed, and most
OF 1t was lost With what little was
left ! started again to save, resolving
that if l could keep my health |
would leave enough money for little
Sarah when / died.
have no relatives in this country
and my sister in England knows what
am doing and prefers that | should
save for little Sarah rather than for
her. ] did not tell anyone else, for ]
feared II my acquaintances knew how
nuch | had saved some of them
would try to borrow of me.
Kept my certificates of deposit in
an old English mahogany box, togeth-
er with my will and my mothers
Dible. Sometimes ! would exhibit the
nox to neighbors, but | would never
snow them the contents. ! am unable
% understand how the box came to
disappear but ! am glad the money is
not lost
Miss Robinson keeps her room
scrupulously neat. Her clothes are
worn and patched, but are kept neat,
ana her whole appearance is one OF
primness. She is employed
Marx-Haas factory Thirteenth
street and Washington avenue, but
was not at work Tuesday
Ma