The Imaginary Mine of Seattle's Would-Be Count of Monte Cristo

An up-to-date Count of Monte Cristo would have turned green with envy had he met Wendelin. The latter styled himself “Apa George,” owner of a mine in Mexico worth a fortune, proprietor of many thousand acres in Southern California, and heir to an estate in Germany. There was one difference between the count and Wendelin: the count was honored, while Wendelin’s wealth existed only in his imagination and was not perceptible to the practical eyes of Seattle bankers.

Wendelin was a German between seventy and eighty years old, short and rather stout, with a light complexion and a pronounced accent. He came to this city about two months ago from Victoria, where he was known as George Welner and claimed to be looking for a friend. On a Sunday shortly after his arrival he met Rev. Mr. Hansen, of Port Angeles, on the street and told him he was looking for a place to attend church. Mr. Hansen took him to the meeting of the congregation of the German Lutheran Zion Church, where he was received as a stranger.

Wendelin immediately took a great interest in the church and, learning that Rev. E. Knappe, the pastor and superintendent of missions, was in the East soliciting funds to complete a church in this city, wrote him at Waverly, Iowa, saying that he would give a sum toward the fund.

Through friends at the church and through introductions, Wendelin became acquainted with the family of H. J. Camehl, who lives at Brooklyn, and went out there to live. Wendelin took a great liking to Mr. Camehl’s sons and told them he would take them to his mine at Earanaba, Mexico, and make them engineers at a salary of $10 a day.

Then he became “Apa George.” He told how he had seen untold hardships but was immensely wealthy. His mine netted $100,000 a year, he said, and he had been offered a large price for it. He had a ranch in Southern California consisting of many thousands of acres. Sometimes he got the ranch or the mine over into Arizona, but the general outline of the story was always there. As the weeks passed, Wendelin proposed taking Mr. Camehl’s sons to the mine with him and concluded that he had better put in a smelter. He said it was very difficult to get good, reliable engineers, but of course he was satisfied that the Camehl boys would be just what he wanted.

While Wendelin was doing all this talking his finances ran low, so he went to Rev. W. H. Kurtz, assistant pastor of the German Lutheran Zion Church, and borrowed a small sum. He wanted it only for a short time—a day or so—since he was expecting a remittance. He showed a paper that purported to be a telegram from Germany. After waiting a few days for the return of the loan, Mr. Kurtz came to the conclusion that he had better consider it a gift.

Things went along smoothly for the modern Count of Monte Cristo until last Saturday, when he overdid it. He proposed making presents to the Camehl boys and their young ladies. They all came into the city to see him and first went to MacDougall & Southwick Company’s store on Front Street. The young men remained outside while Mr. Wendelin, with the three girls, went into the store. Such a bill of goods as Mr. Wendelin selected! Silks and laces, slippers, outside garments—in fact, all those things which make a woman’s heart glad. The bill came to $47 and some cents and was not out of detail. Then Mr. Wendelin told A. A. Cragin, manager of the cloak department, about his mine in Mexico and spoke about being married a short time before to the eldest of the three girls who were with him. He called for blank checks and wrote one for the amount of the bill on the National Bank of Commerce. He desired to take along a cloak and a pair of slippers when he left. Mr. Cragin told him it was just as well to let the matter rest until the check was accepted by the bank. Then Mr. Wendelin and the young ladies went away, but just before they went out Mr. Wendelin “struck” Mr. Cragin for fifty cents. He got it, for the bill was not paid.

Mr. Wendelin then crossed the street to Mrs. M. P——’s millinery store and purchased a hat, saying that he would return for another at his boundless wealth, and ended by giving another check on the National Bank of Commerce. In this case he took the goods. Next was a trip to Haynes, Plummer & Co.’s. The young ladies did not go, but he took the young men and bought outfits for them, one for himself, and also an overcoat. He said he was going to get married. Wendelin could not get out of the store without telling a story. He told Mr. Tyndall that he did not have his pocketbook, which was true—he had no money. He stayed at Mr. Camehl’s house at Brooklyn until the check was paid.

When the checks came back unpaid, Wendelin was confronted. He tore up a letter and claimed that he had simply given checks on the wrong bank. It was generally thought that Wendelin was insane, or that the prospect of wealth and an estate in Germany had turned his brain.