The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-07-22
PEDRO'S
WIFE
By SADIE OLCOTT

There nave been. IN the Cnlteu
States and elsewhere. numerous in
stances Of men acquiring wealth sud,
denly and squandcring it in unlls,la!
ways. One Of the most prominent Of
ny" Steele. who WAS made very rich
by the discovery OF petroleum Oh u
farm he owned He spent his fortune
in spectacular ways and then sank into
comparative obscurity. While his mon
cy lasted lie was known as the prince
Of sIlenders."
But the story Of Coal on Johnny" /.
dwarfed by TIM, of Pedro .\lvurndo. {
Mexican. son of n p"on ana MeXicnI
woman. PrlrO'S father saved hi:
money TIL he had 500 and bought
with it rocky hill. On his dcathbed
he exacted promise from his son
that he would never sell the land
Pedro prospected 1t for silver and one
day found himself in possession Of t
mine that paid him 100000 a day
This amount for II year of. say. SOC
working days amounts to $0.OOO.OOl
a year. What fortune for one who
had known nothing hut abJect poverty!
But Pedro AlvarndO. unlike Coal
Oil Johnny" did not waste his money
in dissipation. a mania for something
usually seizes on those suddenly made
rich, and Iedros was for pianos. He
built fine house and filed it with
pianos. There were rosewood pianos
and mahogany pianos and white Ell
amelcd pianos-indeed. pianos OF every
variety. 1t does not appear that he
could play note on one of them or
that he had any predilection for mu'
sic. 1t was simply the form Of mania
that struck him. he having unlimited
means Mt his command.
The story Of Pedro .\lvaradO Is a
number Of stories. Perhaps the most
curious one OF all Is that Of his wife's
foresight Pedro had no idea of bust
ness principles and knew only how to
work his mine In a primitive way.
which was most expensive lie paid
everybody connected with his mine an
enormous salary. besides which his
employees helped themselves to what
they could lay their hands on. Instead
| Of building Il railroad to carry his ore
! he sent it by mule. Perhaps the mine
could have stood this drain and its
owners extravaganza had the vein
held out But it did not. There was
Just so much silver in it. and when II
Ib.,lr i,,nn ~ ~
He had spent it as fast rs he made 1t.
and when 1t ceased he found himself
with nothing.
During this period. when bank bills
were floating about like snowlakes
I'edro's wife foresaw that when the
storm Of wealth had passed the soil
about them would become dry as be,
fore. She determined to gather what
she could while 1t lasted and began
putting away money secretly. Catching
thousand dollar bills us they circled
about her, she concealed them in her
clothing. ripping open articles. putting
the bills in and sewing them up. II
Is singular that while she and her hus
as such he lost sight during prosperity
OF the fact that he might return to his
degradation. while his wife took pre-
cautions against 1t.
When Pedros mine began to show
signs Of running out he was advised
that in order to keep 1t paying he must
work 1t on business principles he must
cut down the wnStnEe. due to his meth
DDS; he must rctrench In the matter
OF salaries; he must stop the stealing
But he had not the ability to change
AS the amount Of silver taken out OF
his mine decreased 1t was met by the
expenditures. and there was nothing
over; the one balanced the other
According to all well told stories. Sc
nora Alvarado. who had been sewing
up thousand dollar bills. should now
come forward and take the lead. But
true stories have way Of running
like water--in channels they make fol
themselves. The good woman did not
live to enjoy the fruits of her precau
ton. She died about the time that the
mine gave out.
Among the servants who had attend
ed the deceased was maid who haC
been in her mistress service Ions
while and had learned the secret Of heI
hidden wealth. When the Scn0ra's ef
fects were distributed this maid was
asked If there was anything she wout
like. She asked for quilt that bel
beloved mistress had slept under SC
long that it had become identified witt
her. But in making the request the
girl showed anxiety to possess the ar
ticlc which would lie such n valueS
memcnto Of her dear mistress.
Now. Pedro and his wife had many
tits with regard to his extravaganza
and she had often warned him thai
he would one day come to want. lii
wondered Mt her death n she had not
been putting something away for !
rainy day. The maids anxiety to pos
sess bedQuilt Of no value. whel
there were other articles far more tC
be desired. excited his suspicious. Rip
ping up the quilt. out fell one Thousand
dollar bill after another. accommodating
in a heap on the floor.
When Pedro hnd got out all the bills
and counted them he found himself
again rich man. He profitel by his
experience as we'll rs his wife's fore
sight In the first place. he turned
over his mine to others who We're ready
kn xN.I,l I.,ft nG m