Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-07-04
A Well Invested
Fund
By PAULINE D. EDWARDS

NAMED for awhile binding up wounds
Of another kind. l found many south
ern people in great want. The block
ade had deprived them of nearly every
thing one needs for health and comfort.
and as for money. they had only the
Confederate currency. worth only the
paper on which it was printed.
l was poor enough myself. heaven
knows. so far as this worlds goods
are concerned. and all l could do was
to work for these people, to plan for
them and encourage them.
One morning man called on me
whose appearance from the first inter-
ested me. He wore a threadbare suit
Of Confederate gray bereft of it's mill
tary ornamentation. but beneath its
patches was one of those southern gen
tlemen who retained that courtesy of
speech and manner which belong to an
earlier period and are now almost uni
Versally cast aside.
MADAM he said, with a deferen-
tial bow. hearing that you are from
the north, come to you to ask If you
would be so kind as to give me little
formation concerning New Yo'k.
propose to 60 there to enter into bust
ness"
I'm what part Of New York do you
think Of locating?"
81 shall 60 to the city Of New Yo'k.
madam"
In what business do you propose to
engage?"
IAN old negro woman belonging to
my mothe' used to make saive TO
burns, cuts, bruises and such injuries.
1t was very effective. l have the rec
! ipe. intend to manufacture the rem
edy and hope to make a living by
selling it.
Have you capital?''
II have not. But since the ingredi-
ents are cheap, since propose to do
all the work myself, including selling
the salve, fancy l can get on with
! out capital"
| Here was a man who had doubtless
been a planter, a slave owner and a
gentleman reduced to selling a patent
medicine in Il land with which he was
not familiar. MY heart bled for him.
|
in New York who kept boarders and
would take him in and be easy with
him in his payments till he should get
start. Before he left me asked him
II he had money to make the Journey
He said that he had not, but that dur
ing the war he had marched all over
the Confederacy. and a tramp from
Virginia to New York had no terrors
for him. l had just received the quar-
and, taking out Il roll of bills, offered
it as loan. He declined to accept it.
"You will need it as capital If for
nothing else," I said. Take it. You
can consider me partner In your busi-
ness. There are patent medicine SELL
ers in the north who have made enor-
nous fortunes. You may do the
same"
"How do they do it,"
MOSTLY by advertising"
He seemed very much interested.
Suppose. madam. that l use this
| money you offer me for the purpose Of
adve Using my salve and divide with
you the profit arising from such use
Of it. Would you consent to that"
| told him that he would need the
money to reach the scene Of his opera
tons, whereupon he again declined to
accept it till / gave him permission to
use it in any way he chose and to take
me In for partner. Then with much
formality he departed with the funds
which l considered gift and of which
I never expected to hear again.
remained In the south till had
lifted many persons out Of the slough
of despond then returned to the north
to recoup. for my health was not Of
the best Ten years passed. l often
thought of persons bad helped. but
one whom l had seen but once passed
completely out Of my mind. He was
the man who had taken me into the
salve business as his partner.
One morning upon glancing over the
personals In newspaper l was aston
tshed to see one for me. or at least one
Of my name. 1t read:
II Mary Wentworth will communicate
with Armstrong & Constable, attorneys
No. - - street, New York. she will
hear something to her advantage.
communicated with the firm at once
and waited wonderingly. In a few
days l received call from a young
man employed by them, who had
brought carriage to take me to their
Office. asked him what it all meant
and he said he only knew that he had
been sent to bring me. On reaching my
destination | was shown into Mr.. Con.
stables Office. who, after keeping me
waiting half an hour while he talked
law with a client. said to me:
I'VE have been waiting for months
to find you that we may effect the sale
Of the My Old Mammys' Salve com
pany. in which you are an equal part
ner.''
You have made a mistake. sir. !
am not interested in any patent medi-
cine"
He then began to question me as to
my antecedents. recalled the southern
er to whom I had made a loan and
proved to me that l was half owner in
one Of the largest patent medicine con-
Germs In the United States. The found
er had died. and the business had been
sold under terms Of the will to certain
employees. My signature was needed
to complete the sale.
received splendid fortune and aft
er that made frequent trips to the
south, where I expended my surplus
income among those who needed it.