A DYING MAN AND HIS EMPLOYERS'

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3822, 16 October 1883, Page 4

A DYING MAN AND HIS EMPLOYERS'

The Ballarat Courier of a late date contains the following particulars of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the death of a commercial traveller named Henry Edlin :—Yesterday morning the remains of a commercial traveller named Henry Edlin were conveyed to the Ballarat cemetery, the funeral cortege consisting of about a dozen fellow commercials, who paid the last tribute of respect to the deceased. Tho story of deceased's illness and death is a very sad one, and may be told in a tew •words; the correspondence below showing on one side the charity of a good Samaritan, and on tho other a less pleasing development. Wo do not intend to make any comment on tho affair, but will leave _ our readers to drayv their own conclusions from the following circumstances :—" On Thursday, August' if) last, Mr Henry Edlin, a commercial traveller in the employ of Messrs R. Bowman and Co., tea dealers, Melbourne, became suddenly ill at Lester's Hotel, yvhere ho received tho kindest treatment, and yvas attended by two medical men, at the request of Mr Lester himself. Sunday last, Mr Edlin was so much worse in health that Mr Lester sent a letter to the firm of Bowman and Co., couched in the following terms, and the succeeding telegrams will complete the story : — "Lester's Hotel, Ballarat, .September 2, 1883. Messrs R. Bowman and Company. Gentlemen,—Mr Edlin, your representative, is seriously ill, and unable to yvritc. I therefore consider it my duty to inform you of his present condition.- —Yours, &c, A. Lesteu." To this communication no reply was received; and ou Monday Mr Lester forwarded a telegram as follows :—" lth September, 11.55 "a.m.—Mr R. Bowman, tea merchant, Elizabeth-street, Melbourne. —Mr Edlin, your traveller, is still very dangerously ill." No reply. Mr Lester then sent another telegram to Mr R. Bowman .-—"Doctor thinks Mr Edlin is dying. Bond tho address of his friends." The following yvas the terse reply:—"His wife lives at Como, Waugaratta.—R. Bowjiax and Co." Tho unfortunate yvife having been communicated with, here is her answer, dated sth. September:—" I have no money to como. What shall I do?" Tho next telegram from Mr Lester to Bowman and Co, says;—"Edlin dead. Must be buried Friday morning early. Please scud notice to his friends." And here is the unsympathetic answer :—" Mr Lester.—Be kind enough to return us to-day sample cases and books left by Mr Edlin, as yve yvant to send traveller to Ballarat at once.—R. Bowjian and Co." This is the last of tho correspondence, without a single recognition of MiLester's kindness or charity; but, to the credit of the commercial travellers, be it stated, on the circumstances of the case being made known, they at onco subscribed the money necessary to give poor Mr Edlin a decent funeral, and yesterday morning a dozen mourners followed the remains of the deceased to his last resting place in the Ballarat cemetery. Thus far the story has gone: but at a meeting of commercial travellers held yesterday, it determined to bring tho whole matter before tho Commercial Travellers' Association.