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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 1912)
MADE TRAMP MINER’S HEIR T is not often that a man feeds a stray fowl and has it magically turn into the goose that laid the gold en egg. but that is just what has happened to Joe Harris of Knox ville, former auction eer and member of the Tennessee legislature and now in his old age a poor poultry dealer. Twenty five years ago Harris fed. clothed and staked a tramp miner, William Robinson, whom he picked up on the streets of Knoxville, and the other day through Ijondon solicitors he learned that he is the beneficiary of Robinson’s will. The one time tramp died recently in Melbourne leaving an estate said to cxceded two million dollars.' When he befriended Robinson Har ris was a famous auctioneer and went from city to city through the south conducting sales. He was a pictur esque figure. Tall and gaunt, a little Btooped, always in frock coat and high Bilk hat. Harris attracted crowds wherever he went. He had a tre mendous stock of funny stories and knew how to tell them so that when be mounted a stand to cry his goods men pushed as close as they could to listen because they were sure of en tertainment. He was quick to see funny incidents and could always get back at any wag who tried to be facetious with him. Sales were often delayed until his services could be secured. He made from three to five hundred dollars every day he worked and sometimes by taking a commission would make as much as $10,500 a day. Generous to a fault, he spent and gave away money as fast as he earned it. No one in distress was ever refused help by him. iOne day as he waited for a train in Virginia he saw a woman crying in the station. She held a baby in her arms while a little boy about five years old 6at beside her. trying to console her. “What’s the trouble over there?" Harris asked a native of the place. “She’s been turned out and has to go home to her folks,” came the an swer "Why?” asked Harris, touched by tbe woman's grief, "Did you see that rich Col. W— at the sale today? Well, he sold her hus band a little house for $1,000. They were to pay for it on the installment plan. Her husband died last week ow ing the Colonel $271, so he turned the woman and the children out because, be said, he knew they could not finish the payments.” “That amount don't represent a day's work for me,” said Harris. “Call some responsible man. I'll leave the money to finish paying for the house.” Harris was already opening a wallet containing more than $1,000 which he bad just made in that particular town. “Let the poor thing stay in her home!” The train was whistling, and Har ris handed over the amount, adding. “I’ll be here again Monday and will ! settle any minor expenses incident to ; the deal.” The favor was forgotten by Harris until a day or two ago he had a let ter from the little boy, now grown to manhood. He had read an account of Harris' good fortune and wanted to congratulate him. He and his moth er had never been able to write their (hanks for his kindness to them be cause all they knew of their benefac tor was that his name was Harris and that he was an auctioneer. They did not know where he lived. This was only one of many likq i« ' cidents in his life. He once gave a beggar whom he found in a pitiable physical condition in the streets of Nashville $150 with which to go to a hospital for treatment. It was in January, 1887, that Harris met the man who has just left him more than $2,000,000. At that time Harris operated an auction house in Knoxville. As he went into town one morning he stopped by an old freight depot that he had just bought and was having torn down. While he was look ing about giving orders to the men at work, he noticed Robinson tip his shabby old hat to him. Harris stopped and looked the man In the face. Robinson was evidently hungry. I "Have you had breakfast, young I man?” Robinson was then 28. “No, sir, I haven't.” “Take this quarter,” began Harris, “and go over to Ronner's saloon and get you two drinks. They'll brace you up. Then I'll take you home for breakfast.” At the table Harris offered Robin son $2 a day to oversee the negroes at work on the old depot. Robinson accepted eagerly. When Harris pass ed the depot at noon he called to Rob inson and took him home to dinner. After the meal Was over Robinson picked up a violin belonging to Harris. "Never in my life had I heard such fiddling," declared Harris in an in terview last night. “That's the same old fiddle there under my bed. I turn ed to my wife when he finished play ing and 1 said, 'You can expect this man home to supper tonight. Any body that fiddles like Robinson here can find lodging as well as food in my house.' ” So the medley played on the old fiddle changed the course of events for both men. Harris can still hear the old tune echoing down the years, but now to the accompaniment of clinking gold. "You needn't go back to work those niggers this afternoon,” Harris told Robinson as they left the house to gether. “You come to the auction house with me.” It was a new Robinson, freshly shaven and well dressed in new clothes from his shoes to his hat who went home with Harris that night. When Harris went to Nashville to take his seat as representative from Knox county in the Tennessee legis lature he took Robinson with him. Be fore starting he had his own tailor make Robinson a $45 suit of clothes. Harris had won eight silk hats on Har rison’s election and he handed one of them over to his new friend. “If I wear a silk hat to Nashville you'll wear one too,” he said. They stopped at the old Maxwell house and Harris furnished Robinson Butte, Mont., was a mecca then lor all fortune hunters, and Robinson was anxious to try his luck there. So Har ris paid his debt to Col. Bell, bought him a ticket to Butte and gave him a roll of money. Robinson left Nash ville March 10, 1887. Six years later Harris heard from him. The expressman brought him a package containing $500 from Robin son, who was then at Cape Nome, in the gold fields of Alaska. Since that time Harris has had many misfortunes. The great strain of auctioneering both indoors and out has almost ruined his voice. He suf fers constantly with his throat. No longer able to conduct sales, he is con nected with a small poultry business and is forced to live in a very modest way. His wife, still fond of the beau tiful things to which she was accus tomed until late years, has made their two rooms over an old store bright with window boxes of blooming flow ers and green vines. Everything about the place is neat and clean, but very plain. There are six or eight large bird cages in the combination living and bedroom, for Mr. Harris is a great admirer of song birds and loves to hear their music. He does not seem elated over the news of his good luck, but will contin ue to go about his work as usual until the fortune has actually been turned over to him. As he sat in the light of a little oil lamp on a table beside him, never lifting his eyes from the floor as he talked, he did not appear to be over 50, for his hair and long mustache are still red. with no touch of gray. He is modest about his gen erosity in the past, constantly declar ing that he never did much for char ity. ■'I never did anything more than 1 ought to have done,” he frequently as serts. “I have made over $100,000 auctioneering.” JOE HARRIS. witn plenty of spending money. Hob-' lnson never mentioned his relatives IT he had any living. He appeared to be a man of refinement and culture, well able to take care of himself in the company of the legislators and state senators with whom he was constantly associated in the famous old hotel in Tennessee’s capital. He was grateful to Harris and warm in his praise of him. He frequently expressed his be lief that he would strike it rich some day and be able to return Harris' kindness. One night as they were having a drink together Robinson declared that he wanted to play the grain market at old Col. Bell’s place, and Harris gave him $50 for the purpose. I>ater Rob inson went to the Maxwell house with $1,300 that he had made out of the $50. “Now, Robinson, you put $1,000 .in my friend H—’s bank here in Nash ville. It is safe, and you can operate on the remaining three hundreu," ad vised Harris, but a day or two after ward Robinson appeared to be much depressed and finally confessed that he had lost his last dollar on May wheat and was in debt $50 to Col. Bell. He has no children except an adopt ed daughter, now married, who lives in Kentucky. Since the news of his fortune has gone out over the country Harris has received hundreds of let ters, many of them from women who want to marry him. If he is single, they write, please notify them and they will send their pictures. "The notoriety is the only unpleas ant thing about it.” he laughed, hold ing the lamp over his head to light his visitors down the dark hallway of the old building, which he may soon leave for a luxurious home. Egypt to Preserve Egret. Mr. Dudgeon, director-general of the department of agriculture, states that the department is interesting itself ir the propagation of the white egret which is a great worm destroyer. . Unfortunately, owing to the trade that is carried on in its feathers, the species had become rather rare ir Egypt. A law has now been passed prohibiting the shooting of this bird with the result that while in the be ginning of the year there were only SOO white egrets at Simbellawen there are now about double that number.— London Chronicle. SINGS PRAISES OF POVERTY _ .v Writer Points Out Why in Many Ways It Should Be Preferred to Affluence. Any man may brutally pay his way anywhere, but it is quite another thing to be accepted by your human kind not as a paid logger, but as a friend Always, it seems to me, I have wanted to submit myself, and indeed submit the stranger, to that test. Moreover, how can any man look for true adven ture In life if he always knows to a certainty where his next meal is com ing from? In a world so completely dominated by goods, by things, by pos sessions, and smothered by security, what fine adventure is left to a man of spirit save the adventure of poverty? I do not mean by this the adven ] ture of involuntary poverty, for I main j tain that involuntary poverty, like in-1 voluntary riches, Is a credit to no man. It is only as we dominate life that we really live. What I mean here, if I may so express it, is an adven ture in achieved poverty. In the lives of such true men as Francis of Assisi and Tolstoy that which draws the world to them in secret sympathy is not tljat they lived lives of poverty but rather, having riches at their hands, or for the very asking, that they chose poverty as the better way of life.—David Grayson in the Ameri can Magazine. EVEN A SNAIL HAS FRIENDS French Society Has Been Formed to Prevent Him From Being “Adulterated.” A society has been formed in France called the "Friends of the Snail.” The society does not concern itself with the treatment or maltreatment of the living snail. Millions of sails may be put to a lingering death in the salt can without disturbing the minds of * the members. Their friendship exists only for that aristocrat of snails, the Vigneron de Bourgogne. Especially fed on vine leaves, he grows to noble proportions, develops a notable flavor and is therefore accorded a proud po sition upon the gourmet’s table. The Friends of the Snail are con cerned with the posthumous reputa tion of this king aihong' snails. It seems that ragpickers collect his empty shells by the thousand and sell them to nefarious dealers, who wash them with potash and then refill them with a compound of calves’ hver pounded up with a little brown earth and other ingredients, flavored with saffron, parsley and various seasoning herbs. The spurious snail is then sold as the true Vigneron de Bourgogne, whose price is from 20 cents to 30 cents a dozen. The inferior quality of snail, but still a real snail, fetches only from 8 to 10 cents a dozen. The Friends of the Snail will now see to it that no shell and herb dis guised liver shall in future bring dis credit upon the Vigneron de Sour gogne. TRAINING HORRORS MAKE GOTCH SHUDDER Frank Gotch, World’s Champion Wrestler. The mat game will know its greatest exponent, Frank Gotch. no more, ac cording Ed Smith, a close friend of the wrestler. Smith said: “The absolute horror of training out weigh in the Gotch mind the love—or need, as the case may be—of money. In other words, the champion will at tempt to worry along now on what he has accumulated—and live in peace and quiet. Also he will live without the torture of having to think that within a certain time he will have to start the hideous grind of ‘going on the road’ in order to get himself fit for a hard match. “Dante never pictured worse tor ture or harrowed a soul with more frightful Ideas of an inferno than Gotch entertains about training. “It's a strange situation, but a true one nevertheless. And other athletes who have reached a certain stage af ter the troublous years of the grind, talk in much the same strain as does Gotch. “The other day I ran into Gotch in a down-town hotel. It was the first j time I had seen him since last fall. ; when he wrestled Hackenschmidt ! here. Clad in a woolly overcoat and under a heavy cloth hat. the Iowa star j looks as fat and sleek as a retired business man, whose one aim was to I exact most of the good things out of this life. “Gotch has just closed up the fall work on the farm and Is casting about | for something else to occupy his time, j But a suggestion about wrestling ! again brought out the old Gotch smile I _ and his eyes narrowed down to little slits as he thought about it. “ ‘No more for me,' he blurted out. 'Did you ever conceive some hideous idea of Hades? Well, I've got some hideous ideas, too. but they’re all about training. The hereafter doesn't bother ue so much. " ‘Every once in a while, usually at night when I’m sitting at home and enjoying the ease and comfort of a nice place, I think of the wrestling game and wonder how it would be to start out again. Say, tfie chills just begin to creep all over me when I fancy those six weeks, or maybe it would have to be eight weeks this time, of work that would be necessary to get me into condition. “ ‘Now, I’ve had unpleasant things come up in my life, and later had to go through them again. That’s the < way with most of us, I guess. Hut with training it is vastly different. The tortures of training never will be erased from my memory. “ ‘People say I get my money easy because it was just natural for me to wrestle; well, I have all the natural j qualifications. I wish .these people knew the truth. It's the hardest I money man ever got. " 'They are scolding 'me in some quarters because 1 don't wrestle Zbyszko again. They may keep on scolding. I don’t care. I beat him once; don't doubt that I could do so again, but I haven't the slightest in clination to try it. That's final, and I don't care how strong you make it-”* j “CENTER” BLEUTHENTHAL Bleuthenthal, center for Princeton, is rated as the best middleman play ing football in the east this year. 111 1 1 4 "■ -- Mack Signs Football Star. Brown university has no chance of getting the services of Robert L. Stevenson, a member of last year’s freshman team at Minnesota, and who was looked upon as a valuable acquisi tion for this year’s squad. Stevenson came out second best in an argument with the Minnesota faculty eligibility committee last year and left school. Early this fall reports said Stevenson would enter Brown, but the athlete denied this. He has signed a contract with the Philadelphia American league team and will go south with the Athletics. Lacrosse Growing in Popularity. Lacrosse, the national game of Canada, is rapidly becoming a world wide sport. The Britisher has scat tered cricket and association football wherever he has settled. Baseball is confined almost entirely to Americans and Canadians and is being taken up by the Japanese and Chinese. On the other hand, lacrosse is played not by Canadian residents in foreign lands, but by teams composed of natives in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan, etc. > Reception for Cady. Catcher Cady, one of the heroes of the world’s series, was given a warm reception when he arrived at his home town. Cady has invested his earnings of the world’s Beries In farm lands near his home town—Bishop Hill— and expects to change the name in a short time to Cady Hill. _ TIMING AT OLYMPIC GAMES Novel Electric Method Used in Some Races to Get Exact Time—Device Settles All Disputes. At the Olympic games at Stockholm there was used a novel electric method for timing the runners in some of the races, so as to get the exact time made by the winner, and also to decide who crossed the line first, even when the difference was very small. The starter gave the signal by firing a pistol and this was connected by electric wires wdth two stop watches and these commenced to run for tak ing the time. The start and finish were at the same point, and across the track a light string was stretched be tween poles and the string was also connected with the stop watches for stopping them. The first comer broke the string when crossing the line so that the watches were stopped and the exact time between start and finish could be seen. Breaking the string also served to work an electric device for the shutter of a camera which was mounted just on the finish line and above the judge's stand, so that the photographer had an image of the win ner when crossing the finish line. This method is very useful in settling all disputes.—La Nature, Paris. GOSSIP T JAMOAQ I 1 I SPORTS! Pitcher Herring has been sent to the Atlanta team for a little pickling. Gawge McBride of the Senators signed his 1913 contract. Yes, he got a raise. The say a pair of tight shoes made Jimmy Archer the greatest throwing catcher of- his time. "I’ll be right there helping Johnny Evers to a successful manager," says “Lefty” Leifleld of the Cubs. Miller Huggins, the newly appointed manager of the Cardinals, is confident the St. Louis players will hustle for him. Quarterbacks have given more trou ble to the Yale coaches this season than any other position on the Eli team. Two players who are sure of their jobs on the Cleveland team for the coming campaign are Jackson and Graney. Chafley Hemphill, deposed man ager of the Atlanta Southern league team, may lead the Youngstown club next season. If Johnny Kllng is to manage the Kansas City team, it's news to Charley Carr. Carr has a notion he will hold that job himself. It seems there is about as much chance of Frank t Chance managing the Yankees as there is of a snow storm on July 4. Coach Yost may begin to realize that keeping men in condition has as much to do with winning games as having good plays. It has been rumored thaj Art Devlin of the Boston Braves will lead the Oakland team of the Pacific Coast league next season. Yusslf Mahmout is lit a dilemma. The Bulgarian wishes to remain to fight the Terrible Turks and is eager to return to battle Zbyszko with the toe hold barred. FOOTBALL TOO ROUGH Pugilists Dodge Gridiron Game Because Too Strenuous Average Fighter Would Sooner Face Pack of Fallen Angels Than Take Any Part in the Popular Col lege Pastime. “If you want to get a fighter’s goat just ask him to help out some team in a football game,” said Bug Slattery to a party of friends the other day, writes Walter C. Kelly in the Cleve land Leader. “How's that, Bug; don’t the mitt artists like the. gentle gridiron pas time?” asked Harry L. Davis, who is an enthusiast on all branches of clean sport. “The average pugilist would sooner face a pack of fallen angels than take part in a football contest,” answered Slattery. “The professional fighter has a horror of the strenuous college sport. He does not like the roughing, and the terrific bumps that the gladi ators of the gridiron are so accus tomed to. A fighter likes to have a single opponent, and he wants him in such a position that he can keep his eyes upon him all the time. He dis likes to have a king upset him from behind, and then have a dozen or more other chaps stamp all over him and wipe up the mud with his physiog nomy. “They brought a big fighter to Buf falo a few' years ago to play against the Oakdales. The manager of the vis iting team thought his fighter could take care of anything they would place opposite him in the game, and he went in there with the express de termination to knock out his man. But he counted without his host. The game had not gone the first half before the pugilist was being carried off to the side lines by his friends. He was a sorry looking specimen, and so sore about the body that he did not leave his room for a few days. That guy never tried the college sport again “I remember some years ago when the Detroit A. C. brought a team here to play against the C. A. C., they brought a fighter named McGee with them. It was to be his job to put Sport Donnelly, the C. A. C. captain, out of commission. Donnelly, who was a great football genius, and a fighter j as well, was put wise to Mr. McGee's ' intentions, and he watched the D. A. C. slugger closely. Along about the lat ter part of the first period there was a scrimmage near the grand stand, and when the smoke cleared away i McGee remained prostrate on the sod while Sport was in his position inno cently chewing his finger nails. "I guess the fighters were never known to make a success at football,” said Doctor Kvz. "They do not under stand the game in the first place, nev er having been trained to that sort of thing. Football is a college game, and it requires a different sort of tutoring altogether to develop players than what is given the pugilistic gentry. Then, too, it requires a different sort of pluck to that shown in fistic engage ments. Football is much more strenu ous, and far more dangerous than fighting in the ring. The gridiron hero is more daring and reckless than his pugilist brother, and the football man is obliged to train much harder, and to suffer more hardships. He needs more moral courage than the fighter." EDDIE GILLETTE One of the most popular'players on the University of Wisconsin football team and who Is noted for his long and spectacular runs. Promote Association Football. The American Football association, whose headquarters are in Newark, and the Amateur American Football association of New York are working together to organize a country-wide association to promote the association football game. Each state will be a gov erning body and will send delegates to a meeting to be held in New York. The United States will then join the International Federation, which is a world-wide organization. Hagerman Wants His Share. Casey Hagerman, it is said, will ask the National commission to order him a share in the world'6 series from the Boston Red Sox. Hagerman got in bad last summer when he refused to return to Denver because of a cut in salary. He claims he was ready to give the Red Sox his services and should be considered a member of the team. The commission is not likely to pay much attention to his plea. News From Tesreau. Here’s a note from a fan at Belle fontalne, Ohio, said to have been re ceived by an eastern sporting editor: “Your college chum, Jeff Tesreau, passed through here today. As usual, he had terrific speed, but darned poor control. He passed four in one block, and came near hitting three more." --:_ ^ Nebraska Directory Jackson-Signall Company Live Stock Commission TELEPHONE 80UTH 82 SOUTH OMAHA Mosher-Lampman Business College One of the leading acnoolsof the United States. Write today for our special money-saving offer. Mention this paper. Mosher a lahphas, omaha, suuluuu Byers Brothers & Co. Livestock Commission 80UTH OMAHA LINDSAY THE JEWELER is now located at 221 % 80UTH 16th 8TREET. near Farnam. Visit our new Store when in Omaha. Fine Assortment of Gifts for Christ mag. FOR HIGHEST PRICES SHIP TO Wood Bros. LIVE STOCK COM MISSION MERCHANTS South Omaha Chicago Sioux City So. SL Pad Try Us—It Will Pay You Consign yonr stock to ns for good prices, good fill* and prompt remittance. Write or wire us for any desired information regarding tbe market. Ail com munications answered promptly. We are working for your interest and appreciate your business. N. E. ACKER & CO., Live Stock Commission Room 110-112 Eictianga Bldg., Stock Tils. Station, S.ttaaaa, Bek. BOSTON CHILD KEPT DIGNITY Matron Meant to Be Kindly, But Youngster Was Not Conversa tionally Inclined. This story has been going the rounds of Boston about the ten-year old son of Director Russell of the Boston opera house. « One evening during an entr’acte at the opera house Master Russell waa promenading alone in the foyer. In faultless evening dress—a very glass of fashion. A Boston matron, seeing that he was lonely, began to make herself "agreeable.” “You are Director Russell’s little boy, aren’t you?” she asked, with patronizing sweetness. Master Russell resented this Intru sion on his dignity, but his courtly maners w-ere unruffled. “Yes. mad am." he replied, with an elaborate bow. "Where were you born?” "In France, madam”—Slightly more frigid. “What part?” continued the lady, feeling the conversation well started. "All of me, madam.” And he bowed and walked away.— Judge. Suicide Among German Children. Why do so many German children commit suicide? No one seems to know, but there is no dispute about the fact. Indeed, it has been said that the majority of suicides are those of children, and experts seem inclined to connect the grisly epidemic with the educational system. That “the weak must go to the wall” has become an axiom that has been extended to the schools, and the undeveloped mind ol the child seeks relief in suicide from the discouragement of failure. It would be interesting to know if any ot the so-called heathen countries of the world have ever experienced such a horrid social phenomena as that ol child suicide. Marriage. The couple were being married by an out-of-town justice of the peace. f "Until death do you part?” the mag istrate asked, in the usual form. The man hesitated. "See here, judge, can’t you make it an indeter minate sentence?” ,quoth he, after thinking a moment.—Puck. A Civil Answer. "Do many strangers settle here, landlord?” “They all settle, an’ them without no more baggage than you got settles in advance.” Exceptional Child. First School Teacher—Does Edith's little girl ever make any bright an swers? Second School Teacher—No; she al ways knows her lessons.—Judge. Good Reason. "Why do you call the popular game poker?” “Because It stirs things up.” a t \ /
