Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-08-12
THE WIFE OF PEDRO
HELPED HIM BY HER
RARE FORESIGHT
a STORY OF WEALTH LOST AND
GAINED

denly and squandering il in unusual
ways. One of the most prominent of
such cases was that OF Coal Oil John
ny" Steele. who was made very rich
by the discovery OF petroleum on
farm he owned. He spent his fortune
in spectacular ways and then sank into
comparative obscurity. While his mon
ey lasted he was known as 1.-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 it n rocky hill. On his deathbed
he exacted n promise from his son
that he would never sell the land.
Pedro prospected it for silver and one
day found himself in possession of
mine that paid him $4,000 a day.
This amount for a year of, say, 800
working days amounts to $9000000
year What a fortune for one who
had known nothing but AFFECT poverty!
But Pedro Alvarado. unlike Coal
Oil Johnny" did not waste his money
in dissipation A mania for something
usually seizes on those suddenly made
rich, and Pedro's was for pianos. He
built IL fine house and filed 1t with
pianos. There were rosewood pianos
aud mahogany pianos and white en-
ameled pianos-indeed. pianos Of every
variety, 1t does not appear that he
nnf1lH nlnu Of
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 how TO
work his mine i'm 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 ii by mule. Perhaps the mine
could have stood this drain and its
owners extravaganza had the vein
held out But il did not There was
just so much silver i'm it, and when it
was all gone Pedro's income was gone
He had spent il ms fast ms he made it.
and when ii ceased he found himself
with nothing.
During this period. when bank bills
were floating about like snowfiakes.
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 1t lasted and began
putting away money secretly. Catching
thousand dollar bills as they circled
about her, she concealed them I'm 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 10 show
signs of running out he was advised
that in order to keep il paying he must
work it on business principles must
cut down the wastage. due 10 his meth
DDS: he must retrcnch 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 ii was met by the
expenditures. and there was nothing
over; the one balanced the other.
According to all well tod 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 1
mine gave out
Among the servants who had attend.
ed the deceased was n maid who had
been i'm her mistress service a long
while and had learned the secret Of her [
hidden wealth. When the senora's eff.
fects were distributed this maid was
asked If there was anything she would
IKE. She asked for n quilt that her
beloved mistress had slept under so
long that ii had become identified with /
her. But in making the request the /
girl showed anxiety to possess the ar
ticle which would be such valued I
memento of her dear mistress.
Now. Pedro and his wife had many +
tiffs with regard to his extravaganza, i
and she had often warned him that I
he would one day come TO want. He 4
wondered at her death II she had not (
been putting something away for I
rainy day. The maids anxiety Go pos
sess a 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 I
dollar bill after another. accommodating \
In heap on the floor.
When Pedro had got out all the bills
a. IA.