he was naturally open for any adventure, and a
representative of the Cuban rebellion was the first to offer him a
chance. He sailed directly to Nuevitas, and before he had been in
that port a week had fallen in love with a young Cuban widow, who,
though childless, was possessed of an immense plantation. After the
briefest possible courtship, they were married in the latter part
of 1867 or early in 1868; within three months of the wedding she
died from yellow fever; and before the end of the year her estate,
which he had inherited, was confiscated, and he barely escaped with
his life, landing in Florida in an open boat and in a half-starved
condition, without friends or money. He managed to reach
Indianapolis in July, 1869, when a naval acquaintance and friend,
James Noble, gave him an outfit of clothes and money sufficient to
take him to Chicago. Here he determined to locate, and went to work
to find business. He got an agency for the sale of coal, and soon
had quite a start in the coal business. When the Chicago fire broke
out, on that dreadful Sunday night, he was out on the lake boating
with a party of friends. When he got back, the conflagration had
swept his little coal pile, his office and sleeping room, and he
was again left in the world without a change of clothes, and with
less than five dollars in money. The third day of the fire he was
found by Otto Hasselman, of the Indianapolis _Journal_, who was
on the ground with a corps of reporters; and by him sent to
Indianapolis, where he was again furnished with an outfit and a
ticket to St. Louis. Shortly after reaching that place he entered
the service of the wholesale house of R. L. Billingsley & Co., and
remained with them until a year ago, when he purchased a farm in
Illinois."

January 16, 1866, I received a two month's "leave of absence," at the
expiration of which I received the following discharge:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
NAVY DEPARTMENT.

The war for the preservation of the Union having, under the
beneficent guidance of Almighty God, been brought to a successful
termination, a reduction of the naval force becomes necessary.

Having served with fidelity in the United States Navy from the 22d
day of March, 1864, to the present date, you are he