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Show HOW A MILLIONAIRE BECAME A RAG-PICKER. One of the noted characters of St. Louis, according to the Post Dispatch of that city, is Joseph W. Rathbone, a former New York millionaire, who now earns a livelihood by gathering rags. He appears to be about 60 years of age, and is very reticent as to his past life. Recently he was recognized by a friend, who imparted the story of his career to a reporter. "Something like twenty-five or thirty years ago," said the friend, "Joseph W. Rathbone was one of the most prominent young men in New York. He was the oldest of two sons, his brother being about three years younger. His father was at one time a sea captain and made several voyages to China, on one of which the younger son accompanied him, but never returned. During a storm he was swept overboard and lost, thus leaving Joseph the sole heir to the old man's money, Joseph's mother having died when he was quite young. At this time Joseph, I think, was about 19 years and was at Yale College. On his return from his last voyage his father decided to give up his sea faring life and settle down in New York. He purchased a dwelling on Twenty-third street near Sixth Avenue, which was then a fashionable residence portion of the city, and probably feeling lonely in his old age, took his son out of college and purchased for him an interest in a large wholesale dry goods house. The young man showed remarkable tact, and for two or three years worked faithfully and energetically, much to his father's pride and satisfaction. The he began to mingle in society, and as he always had plenty of money, he was welcomed everywhere by the young bloods of the town and by the fortune hunting ladies and the mammas. Although he did not actually neglect his business, he did not seem as deeply engrossed in it as formerly, and much of his income was spent in wine suppers and other kinds of dissipation followed by the rapid young men of the metropolis. "Finally he made the acquaintance of a young lady who moved in the upper circles of society, the daughter of a widow who was reported to be very wealthy. How she obtained her money, if she had any, was never known, and there was an air of mystery about her history which caused considerable talk in society; but as she and her daughter appeared to be refined, educated people, they were recognized by the better citizens. "The girl was exceedingly handsome, very vivacious and coquettish in her manner, and always had at least a dozen ardent admirers at her heels. She affected the strongest attachment for young Rathbone, who, in turn, seemed perfectly devoted to her. It was finally reported that they were engaged to be married, and the gossiping spinsters whispered that if there was any love on either side, it was all on his-she was simply after his money that would be his when his father died. It was known that the latter was strongly opposed to the match and that he did everything in his power to break it up. He might have succeeded, perhaps but one day a stroke of apoplexy laid him out on the sidewalk in front of his own residence, and the young man became the owner of something like half a million. All opposition now being removed, the wedding, as a natural result, followed, and it was one of the sweetest affairs New York had ever known. It took place at the residence of the bride's mother, on Twentieth street, near Fifth avenue, and was attended by some of the most prominent people of the city. The supper, which was gotten up by Delmonico, was perfection. Wine flowed as freely as water, and at midnight it was said the festivities began to assume the appearance of a Jardin Mabile ball rather than the moderate pleasure of a well conducted wedding in upper ??. Before 2 o'clock the quieter portion of the guests had become disgusted, and left for their homes and by 4 o'clock there was hardly any one present. About this time the groom succumbed to the influence of wine, and was carried helplessly drunk to one of the upper rooms, where he was left to sleep off the effects of his over dose. "About 8 o'clock he awoke, and gathering his scattered wits together, he started for the room which had been set apart for the use of himself and bride, deeply humiliated and prepared to make a most abject apology to her for his conduct. He found the door unlocked and entering, discovered that a rival suitor was in her company. For a moment he stood as though suddenly transformed into stone, then quietly closed the door, walked slowly down stairs, donned his hat and overcoat and left the house. "About a week afterward, having converted all his property into cash, he disappeared from New York and was absent about two years. In the meantime his wife entered a suit for divorce on the ground of desertion, had obtained a decree and was married to the man who had taken the husband's place. When Rathbone returned he was a complete wreck. He was found one day in Union Square suffering from delirium tremens, and was sent by several of his friends to Bellevue Hospital, where he remained for more than a month. He had spent every sent [cent] of his fortune, and one of his friends, after clothing him respectably, secured him a position in a retail dry goods store; but he remained there less than six months. He gave himself entirely up to drink, and for several years frequented the lowest drinking houses of the city, one of the most disgusting specimens of fallen humanity imaginable. He was sent to Blackwell's Island twice on the charge of vagrancy, and upon his release the last time he disappeared from New York. "How or when Rathbone came to St. Louis is not known, as he refuses flatly to talk about himself, and sometimes flies into an uncontrollable fit of rage when the subject is forced upon him. He lives in a little shanty in the vicinity of Broadway and North Market street, and has no companions but his wretched-looking horse and a mangy dog, who has an irrepressible desire to lunch off the bodies of the trespassers on his master's premises. The old man has evidently forsworn drink, and hoards like a miser every dollar he earns as a ragman. His mind has undoubtedly become weakened through brooding over the deception practiced upon him, and some day will probably end his troubles by suicide. Of all the sad romances of real life his is undoubtedly one of the saddest." |