Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-23
TheEvening STORY
PEDRO'S
WIFE
By SADIE oLcoTT

sCunces Oh ucn acquiring wealth. SUD
denly and squandering 1t In unusual
ways. One Of the most prominent Of
such cases was that of Goal OIL John
ny" Steele, who was made very rich
by the discovery Of petroleum on a
farm he owned. He spent his fortune
in spectacular ways ard then sank into
comparative obscurity. While his mon
ey lasted he was known as 'the prince
Of spenders."
But the story Of "Coal OIL Johnny" is
dwarfed by that OF Pedro Alvarado, a
Mexican, son Of peon and Mexican
woman. Pedro's father saved his
money till he had 500 and bought
with 1t rocky hill On his deathbed
he exacted a promise from his son
that he would never sell the land.
Pedro prospected 1t for silver and one
day found himself in possession Of a
mine that paid him $4,000 a day.
This amount for year Of, say. 800
working days amounts to $4,000, 900
4 year. What fortune for one who
had known nothing but abject poverty!
But Pedro Alvarado, unlike Goal
OIL Johnny" did not waste his money
in dissipation. A mania for something
usually seizes on those suddenly made
rich, and Pedros was for pianos. he
built fine house and filed 1t with
pianos. There were rosewood pianos
and mahogany pianos and white en-
ameled pianos-indeed, pianos Of every
variety. 1t does not appear that he
could play note on one of them or
that he had any prediction for mu-
sic. 1t was simply the form Of mania
that struck him, he having unlimited
means at his command.
| The story Of Pedro Alvarado 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 no N to
work his mine in a primitive way,
which was most expensive. He 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 railroad to carry his ore
he sent it by mule. Perhaps the mine
could have stood this drain and it's
owners extrayagancs had the vein
held out. But it did not. There was
just so much silver in 1t, and when 1t
was all gone Pedro's income was gone.
He had spent it as fast as he made 1t,
and when 1t ceased he found himself
with nothing.
During this period. when bank bills
were floating about like snowdakes,
Pedro'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 it lasted and began
putting away money secretly. Catching
thousand dollar bills as they circled
about her, she concealed them In her
clothing, ripping open articles. putting
the bills in and sewing them up. 1t
is singular that while she and her hus-
band had been poems and had drudged
as such he lost sight during prosperity
of the fact that he might return to his
degradation. while his wife took pre-
cautions against it.
When Pedros mine began to show
IcAkhb VI Out h0 Us dAfloCQ
that in order to keep 1t raying he must
work 1t on business principles-he must
cut down the wastage. due to his meth
DDS; he must retrench 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 teld stories. Sc
nora Alvarado, who had been sewing
up thousand dollar bills, should now
come forward and take the lead. But
true stories have n way of running
like water-in channels they make for
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 a maid who had
been in her mistress service long
while and had learned the secret of her
hidden wealth. When the senora's ef
fects were distributed this maid was
asked II there was anything she would
like. She asked for quilt that her
beloved mistress had slept under so
long that 1t had become identified with
her. But in making the request the
girl showed anxiety to possess the ar
ticle which would be such valued
memento OF her dear mistress.
Now, Pedro and his wife had many
tiffs with regard to his extravagance
and she had often warned him that
he would one day come to want He
wondered at her death II she had not
been putting something away for 4
rainy day. The maids anxiety to pos
sess bedquilt of no value. when
there were other articles far more to
be desired. excited his suspicious. Rip
ping up the quilt. out fell one thousand
dollar bill after another. accommodating
In heap on the floor.
When Pedro had got out all the bills