CHAPTER XXII.WEARING HIS WEALTH—ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF ADVENTURESSES—LOS ANGELES.
WEARING HIS WEALTH—ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF ADVENTURESSES—LOS ANGELES.
TO one who has lived almost alone and unknown for a half hundred years, the change from obscurity to notoriety and fame is swift and novel. Mr. Creede realized that he was attracting the attention of the world, especially the fair ones in search of husbands, in a very short time.
In his little den up the Gulch he had a collection of letters that were interesting reading. They came from the four corners of the earth; from women of every tongue, and almost every walk of life.
The first one I saw was from a St. Louis play actress, who sent photos in which her left foot stands at six o’clock, her right five fifty-five. Her hair was short and cut curly. She said she was “dead weary of the stage,” and that with the prospector’s money and her experience, they could double up and do the world in a way that would make the swells of “Parie” take to the woods, and there was nothing the matter with his coming on and she would meet him on the Q. T., and if she failed to stack up, he could cash in and quit.
July 11, 1892. A Rhode Island preacher writes to ask for help.
“Doubtless,” he began, “you have many letters from people upon whom the cares of life press heavily, and it must be a source of great annoyance.”
“Doubtless,” he began, “you have many letters from people upon whom the cares of life press heavily, and it must be a source of great annoyance.”
After dwelling at some length upon his deplorable condition, there was a—
“P. S.—If you can’t send money, please send me a suit of cast-off clothes, and greatly oblige,Yours truly,——.“N. B.—I send measure, so that you can get an idea of what size I need. Breast 37, waist 32, leg 33.”
“P. S.—If you can’t send money, please send me a suit of cast-off clothes, and greatly oblige,
Yours truly,——.
“N. B.—I send measure, so that you can get an idea of what size I need. Breast 37, waist 32, leg 33.”
May 17, 1893. A woman with a nose for lucre and a cold nerve, writes from Waxahachie to ask the lucky prospector to “come down and look at her daughter.”
“She is a perfect beauty; has a good solo voice, but is a little lazy. She has not quite developed, being only thirteen years old; but if you will take a look at her you will change your mind. She’s a beauty. She wants to go to Italy or France and study music and if you will help to educate her you may have her.”
“She is a perfect beauty; has a good solo voice, but is a little lazy. She has not quite developed, being only thirteen years old; but if you will take a look at her you will change your mind. She’s a beauty. She wants to go to Italy or France and study music and if you will help to educate her you may have her.”
What a cold-blooded proposition is this, soliciting as a horse trader would for some one who has a fortune to take a look at her child thirteen years old!
A lady writes from Canada to borrow three thousand dollars to buy a farm,and adds that one man should not have so much money.
An ambitious young Englishman, who is in love with the “prettiest girl in Hold Hengland,” writes for a “few ’undred to bring ’er hover with.”
July 8, 1892, at Columbus, Ohio, a widow writes the best letter of them all.
“Dear Mr. Creede:—Having seen by the papers that y’s hav lots av money, an’ a good disposition I write y’s to ask a favor. No it’s not money I wants, nor do I want y’s to marry me. I was as far west as Colarado wanct, saw the Vergini Mine in Uray County an’ its Terrable in 1888. Shure it was terrable, too; for then I lost the best friend av me life—the foreman of the Terrable, he died.“After that it seemed I had no friends at tall a tall, an’ I came back to Columbus. Nearly I forgot to say I wus married wanct—but mind, I’m not wan av thim grassy widdies—I’m bonyfied. Shure if I was as shure of another as I am that Pat is dead, shure I wo’n’t be wastin’ me time writin’ to ye. Nearly I forgot to say that what I want av ye is to find me a good thru and ’onest husband. I’ve lost all fait in these wishy-washy judes here. Gimmethe rough and onest hand of the mountain, and take away your long-tinnis judes.“Comparatively speakin’, I was born in the North of Ireland an’ am a happy disposition.“Remembher, the man must be noble, ’onest an’ thru. Please write to me soon.Very respectfully yours,——.“N. B.—After readin’ this I see I was about to leave out the most impartent part. Now if you can’t find a man with all these good qualities an’ money too, I’ll take the one wid the ’onest, thru and noble carocther. Money can niver buy happiness an’ love, an’ that I prize above everything else. I want a man not less than forty as he should begin to have some since by that time.Wanct more I am,Yours truly,——.”
“Dear Mr. Creede:—Having seen by the papers that y’s hav lots av money, an’ a good disposition I write y’s to ask a favor. No it’s not money I wants, nor do I want y’s to marry me. I was as far west as Colarado wanct, saw the Vergini Mine in Uray County an’ its Terrable in 1888. Shure it was terrable, too; for then I lost the best friend av me life—the foreman of the Terrable, he died.
“After that it seemed I had no friends at tall a tall, an’ I came back to Columbus. Nearly I forgot to say I wus married wanct—but mind, I’m not wan av thim grassy widdies—I’m bonyfied. Shure if I was as shure of another as I am that Pat is dead, shure I wo’n’t be wastin’ me time writin’ to ye. Nearly I forgot to say that what I want av ye is to find me a good thru and ’onest husband. I’ve lost all fait in these wishy-washy judes here. Gimmethe rough and onest hand of the mountain, and take away your long-tinnis judes.
“Comparatively speakin’, I was born in the North of Ireland an’ am a happy disposition.
“Remembher, the man must be noble, ’onest an’ thru. Please write to me soon.
Very respectfully yours,——.
“N. B.—After readin’ this I see I was about to leave out the most impartent part. Now if you can’t find a man with all these good qualities an’ money too, I’ll take the one wid the ’onest, thru and noble carocther. Money can niver buy happiness an’ love, an’ that I prize above everything else. I want a man not less than forty as he should begin to have some since by that time.
Wanct more I am,
Yours truly,——.”
Up to the writing of these pages, the mails continue to bring loads of letters from all sorts of cranks. Those from women are turned over to Mrs. Creede; but only a very few, of course, are answered.
In that poet’s Paradise; that dreamy lotus-land, Southern California, Creedehas bought a beautiful home. It stands just at the end of Sixth street on Pearl, surrounded by tropical trees, vines and flowers. Here the balmy breezes bring down the scent of cedar from the hills to the north, and the soft sea-winds creep across the lea from the ocean-edge. It’s a pretty place—a pleasant place for weary pilgrims to rest, beyond the waste of a sun-dried sea—
O’er which he toiled, a sea of sand before him,Dead snakes and withered toads lay on his way;The desert sun, red, awful, hanging o’er himThe livelong day.And lo, at last there breaks upon his visionA paradise with flowers and tropic trees,Cool, crystal streams that flow throw fields elysian;Los Angeles.
O’er which he toiled, a sea of sand before him,Dead snakes and withered toads lay on his way;The desert sun, red, awful, hanging o’er himThe livelong day.And lo, at last there breaks upon his visionA paradise with flowers and tropic trees,Cool, crystal streams that flow throw fields elysian;Los Angeles.
O’er which he toiled, a sea of sand before him,Dead snakes and withered toads lay on his way;The desert sun, red, awful, hanging o’er himThe livelong day.
O’er which he toiled, a sea of sand before him,
Dead snakes and withered toads lay on his way;
The desert sun, red, awful, hanging o’er him
The livelong day.
And lo, at last there breaks upon his visionA paradise with flowers and tropic trees,Cool, crystal streams that flow throw fields elysian;Los Angeles.
And lo, at last there breaks upon his vision
A paradise with flowers and tropic trees,
Cool, crystal streams that flow throw fields elysian;
Los Angeles.
CREEDE’S RESIDENCE, LOS ANGELES, CAL.CREEDE’S RESIDENCE, LOS ANGELES, CAL.
CREEDE’S RESIDENCE, LOS ANGELES, CAL.
CREEDE’S RESIDENCE, LOS ANGELES, CAL.