Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1895 — Wanted to Die Rich. [ARTICLE]

Wanted to Die Rich.

Many years ago, according to one of the yarns of the sea told by mariners who claimed to have been present, a little British ship having on board a large consignment of Spanish dollars for a house in Rio Janeiro was wrecked on the Brazilian coast. Hoping to save some of his precious cargo the Captain ordered one of the casks containing the gold brought on deck, but the vessel was so badly wrecked by the continuous pounding on the rocks that it was soon found necessary to take to the boats without any of the treasure. As the last boat was about to leave the illfated craft, one of the officers to make sure that no one was left on board, went back to make a last tour of the ship. To his surprise, sitting beside one of the casks with a hatchet in his hand, he found one of the sailors.

“Hurry up!” cried the officer. “We came within an ace of going off without you.” “I’m not going,” replied the sailor, giving the cask a hearty whack with the hatchet, bursting it open, and laughing with delight as the coin poured out around him. “I’ve always wanted to die rich. I’ve been poor all my life, and this is my first and last chance. Go ahead, I’ll stay here with my fortune. ” Argue as he might, the officer could not persuade the fellow to leave the gold with which he played as a child with marbles, and he finally had to leave him to his fate.