Year: 1875

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Streets OF OsWegO and the AstOnish-


ing Results Of Treating the Mysteri-


Gus Stranger Kindly.


-OswegO Correspondence OF the New York sun.


About a year AGO there dropped in here 4
tat cred, gray-bearded individual, about
sixty years old. Where he came from no
body knew, but he attracted attention by
his seedy appearance and the melancholy
air with which he wandered aimlessly
through the streets. At first he was taken
for tramp who had struck the town dead
broke, but as he continued 10 stay
around an atmosphere Of mystery gathered
about him, and it was supposed that he had
escaped from some asylum for the insane,
or was a man without a country, or some
thing Of the kind. Pretty soon he began to
patronize the reading room, and was a
constant attendant on all the literary and
religious exercises, and those with whom
he talked said he had the air of a cultiya-
ted person; had more than ordinary Intel
ligenCe, and evidently had once been some
body. They noticed, however, that he
said little about himself, his origin, or his
destiny.


The old man at length went to board
with Mr. f. q. Hammond, reputable and
respectable resident. Mr.. Hammond has a
fine family and in it a daughter Of twenty
years, an intelligent, cultivated, beautiful
girl. With this girl the uncOuth bOarder Of
sixty soon became deeply enamOred, andhe
made frequent proposals Of marriage 10
her, and was promptly rejected on every
occasion. He was so gentlemanly in all
his relations with the HammOnds, that
they hesitated about turning him away al
though they were terribly annoyed by bis
attention to the daughter. He paid his
bills promptly, and was not guilty Of an
act to which they could take exception.
He was still as tattered as usual, and was
not warmly welcomed in his Wanderings
about town.


The stranger went to Grace Church, the
most aristOcratic in the city, on Sundays,
and his shabby appearance shocked the
piOus WOrshippers beyond expression, and
pretty soon some one Of them intimated to
him that his presence was not altogether
acceptable. This reused the old mans ire,
and he dropped Grace Church in a hurry,
and went to the east side Episcopal house
Of worship. The first Sunday he was there
he put a S. bank note in the contribution
box, and in a short time he announced to
the officials that he desired to carpet the
church aneW-and he did so; and in giving
he was not behind the most liberal. This
of course made considerable talk, and the
mystery Of the old man Of the tattered coat
deepened.


Meantime the HammOnds heard that
their bOarder was throwing the cash freely
among the east side Episcopallans, and
they began 20 open their eyes. When he
next resumed his proposals Of marriage to
the girl, she drew from him his history,
which put an entirely new phase to every
thing. He showed her papers and other
proofs that he was from New York city,
and had possessed great wealth. that his
property had become involved, and tired OF
litigation, he had stolen away from the
city, diguised himself, and had gone to
OswegO as a retreat until his affairs should
be wound up. He did not wish to have his
friends know where he was. Within a
month his business had been successfully
settled, his financial embaTassments were
over, and he was in possession Of large
property.


Miss Hammond waited long enough to
allow him to substantiate his story, which
he did to her satisfaction, and that Of her
parents, and then she was married to the
tattered old man by the Rev. Mr.. Emerson.
The marriage was kept quiet until yester-
day, and then the old gentleul2n sent to
| the newspapers the notice Of the marriage
of John II. Garfield, Of New York, TO
frankie S. Hammond, Of OswegO, and the
pair took the noon train for New York,
| Mr.. Garfield having laid aside his rags and
| donned an elegant wedding suit.


Garfeld's property is known by those OF
| Mr.. HammOnd's family, who have investi-
gated, to be at least $4,000. The bridal
| trip includes a summer tour TO Europe,
and the brides mother is 10 be one Of the
party.