Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-02-10
saMI WoopfN llas.

and demand sympathy for its posses
scr. As illustrating how seeming
misfortune may be turned to account
and be the pledge 20 prosperity page
the wooden legged person who &C
cunulated 100000 In gold bullion
from a United States mint where he
was employed Day after day this
ingenious and thrifty man concealed
gold bar In the hollow timber leg
and walked forth unsupported. Lake
most Of us with q good thing he car
! ried II too far and was caught In the
act But that has nothing to DO
with the point that seeming misfor-
tune may, II combined with intelh-
gence, disposition and anxiety TO get
ahead" prove blessing in disguise
and an opportunity TO get rich with
out taking chattel mortgages or pro-
iteering on necessities.
There was Old Charley Scranton
who had a wooden leg, a peg leg,
tapering down from the place where
his meat leg Joined II and with
stay that ran up beyond his hip TO
broad leather belt about his middle.
Il was disfguring OF course but
Charles, who was a drinking ana
fighting man OF parts. found 1t an
ever present help in time OF trouble.
In battle he twisted the peg in
70 the earth at bracing angie
and stood firm as rock
AGAINST his opponent. He had
been known to remove il from his
person and. by using il as a weapon
Of offense-like the later trench CLUB
to clean out a blacksmith shop full
of hard cider habitues and hold the
building against all corners until!
overcome from the inside by the po-
tency OF the beverage. Charles was
wont 10 tell us boys in his moments
! Oh ga anu ISAdAA''S'' N--
was awkward but had its good points
and that he meant to be buried with
II strapped upon his clay; however
those who had charge OF the oose-
ouies found difficulty in carrying out
this last fond request and Charles
wooden leg stood in corner OF the
srnithy several years as a memento
mort until, as IL was suspected ou'
never proved, the wagon repairef
chopped il UP to kindle a fire. How
ever while II lasted il was as gooo
as any skeleton at an Egyptian feast
10 the eucher players and consumers
Of indurated cider and shed It's IN
spoken warning over many a kes
marty thru the dim light OF lanterns
( OF course Charles never had d
chance TO COP a fortune with H.
I Charles never had weeks wages
intact at one time but money isn't
everything. The leg served Charles
well in life and pointed a moral
when he had gone where wooden
leg wouldn't last much longer than
a feather. So there was misfortune
turned 10 account in action and
morale.
Then there was Jerry who had a
wooden arm. Not all wooden OUT
wooden from below the elbow. hol-
lowed out where he stuck his arm
into IL and with a steel hook at the
end of It about the size Of those the
butcher hangs a quarter Of beer on
Aside from that hook jeremiah was
inst an ordinary middle weight VINO
would have been slapped TO peak
but that hook and the disposition De-
hind II made Jerry mighty prominent
in the athletic circles Of that day al
nubIic sales. barn raisinss and horse
races. Jerry proclaimed open season
Az concerned his crippled CONDITION
and invited assault. Tradition tells
Of but one instance where youth
full roughneck rushed in where hard
boiled wisdom feared to tread. Jerr!
led him between a cheering throns
the length OF the quarter mile tracH
IA a Roman emperor might trail
triumph. Jerry was in demand foI
farm butcherin. because that moor
vas seemingly made Tor scAdlna
hogs in a barrel. That crooked piece
OF iron and wooden arm gave Jere
miah all the prominence and preeml
uence ne ever had or would have ha'
for il was all bu.lded on the nook
So there is another instance wher
seeming misfortune led TO emlnence
Better DE first In an iber.an village
etc.
The world is fun of opportunity
AS We have seen even wooden !eE
: may have its higher uses.