UNIQUE HOSTAGES OF FORTUNE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue VIII, 24 February 1900, Page 365

UNIQUE HOSTAGES OF FORTUNE.

About three years ago, a Gertuaa gentleman, travelling through America with a large family, contracted a big bill for board and lodging at a Brooklyn hotel, and discovered, when the account was presented, that he had not enough ready cash available wherewith to settle it. He therefore proposed to leave bis eldest lad, a boy of 14, in lieu of the debt; the lad to lie duly delivered up on payment of the account. This odd overture was actually ao epted, the lad staying on at the hotel until a fortnight later the receipt of a remittance in full released him from his peculiar position.

An Oriental traveller of some notoriety found himself in a foreign city without the means of paying his immediate expenses, whch were then considerable. After conning the matter over in his mind for a day, and arriving at no better solution of the problem, he offered his creditors a valuable Egyptian mummy—really the remains of a princess of the Pharaohs —as a hostage of fortune until such time as he was able to ransom It with ready cash. The unique pledge was taken in, and afterwards honourably redeemed. It now reposes in the Berlin Museum.

A certain landlady, proprietress of a boardinghouse in the north of London, some years ago, had a German gentleman as boarder in her establishment for six months, during which period he professed to be engaged as an inventor, but. as he appeared to invent no method of paying his bills with regularity, the landlady asked him if he would kindly consent to change his address. He adopted her suggestion, and also left in lieu of. his debt the incomplete model of a flying machine, which the proprietress subsequently sold for twenty pounds. An extravagant beggar—which appears a paradox, but is not—spent considerably more in certain little luxuries for himself than lie could contrive to cover by his earnings as a crossing-sweeper. Consequently, in order to satisfy one of the most pressing of his creditors, he permitted him in legal language, “to have and to hold, until such time as it should be fully redeemed.” a certain remunerative street-crossing in the West End of London. The creditor, who was aware of the cash value of this peculiar pledge, took charge of it for seven weeks, until the income derived therefrom was sufficient to justify its redemption. A wealthy and eccentric gentleman in America- outran his income by various excesses, chiefly gambling, and was hard pressed for cash to quiet some of his numerous creditors. In his prosperous days he 'had made for him a magnificent and costly coffin, of polished cedar, inlaid with silver, and with solid gold handles and fittings, collectively valued at two hundred pounds. This unique pledge asked his creditors to accept for a season, until he redeemed it at its full worth. Strange to say, this singular article was accepted by tho creditors, and in less than a year was redeemed by its original owner out. of a legacy he received. A clever young mechanic in Liverpool had a serious illness, during which he got into arrears with his rent. Prior to Iris sickness, he had devoted much time and money in building a small church organ in his iMxlroom. On his recovery, he honourably offered this almost complete Instrument, in lieu of debt, to his landlord. It was formally accepted, but not removed, and the young fellow- to ■ redeem his beloved iiistrumeirt., which lie afterwards completed and sold for £4OO.