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I I ?I ??i^?^????) ISSUED SEMI-WSEHL^ ____ _____?? ???^_^^^M_^_^______^__^^_^^__^_________????????????i? t v. QSI8T8 son. PobUihen. [ % JfaniilB 4" *M fromotion if ttj political, jtejg, ^gricnltnual and (Bommtccial jnltrisls of ttj f {TBRViii.fi!i?topl,8^'o^'IC>' BHTABLI8HBD 1855. YORKVILLE, 8. C., FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1905. NO. 8a. M^Mi???' L n==^ THE GD 1 | FRANCIl c = ( Copyright, 1904, by Tb? P CHAPTER X. WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY. At 10:48 on the Saturday morning Kent was standing with the general manager on the Union station track platform bciide the engine which was * to make the flying run to Gaston. Nine hours of sharp work lay between the hurried conference in boring's bedroom and the drive to the station at a quarter before 11. Boston had been wired; divers and sundry friends of the railway company had been interviewed; some few affidavits had been secured; and now they were waiting to give Boston its last chance, with a clerk hanging over the operator in the station telegraph office to catch the first word of encouragement. *Ka AJir(a/vmr KAQ rH HnOfln 't ?Pfl H 11 IUC auftovi/ WHiu WVWM % us something pretty solid, I'm going into this thing lame," said Kent, dubiously. "Of course, what Boston can send us will be only corroborative; unfortunately we can't wire affidavits. But It will help. What we have secured here lacks directness." "Necessarily," said Loring. "But I'm banking on the board. If we don't get the ammunition before you have to start, I can wire it to you at Gaston. That gives us three hours to go and come on." "Yes; and if it comes to the worst ?if the decision be unfavorable?it can only embarrass us temporarily. This is merely the preliminary hearing, and nothing permanent can be estate llshed until we have had a hearing on the merits, and we can go armed to that, at all events." The general manager was looking at his watch, and he shut the case with a snap. "Don't you let It come to that, as long as you have a leg to stand on, David," he said Impassively. "An interregnum of ten days might make it exceedingly difficult for us to prove anything." Then, as the telegraph office ? watcher came to the door and shook his bead as a sign that Boston was still silent: "Your time is up. Off with you, and don't let Oleson scare yon when he gets 219 in motion. He is a good runner, and you have a clear vi avn. Kent's after-memory of that distance-devouring rush was a blurred picture of a plunging, rocking, clamoring engine gounding over mile after mile of the brown plain; of the endless dizzying procession of oncoming telegraph poles hurtling like great side-flung projectiles past the cab windows; of now and then a lonely prairie station with waving semaphore arms, sighted, passed and left behind in a whirling sand-cloud in one and the same heart-beat. And for the central figure in the picture, the one . constant quantity when all else was mutable and shifting and indistinct, the big, calm-eyed Norwegian on the opposite box, hurling his huge machine doggedly through space. But at Juniberg, 27 miles out of Gaston, there was a delay. Train No, 17, the castbound time freight, had left Juniberg at one o'clock, having ample time to make Lesterville, the next sta.tion east, before the light engine could possibly overtake it. But I.esterville had not yet reported its arrival; for which cause the agent at Juniberg was constrained to put out his stop signal, and Kent's special came to a stand at the platform. Under the circumstances, there appeared to be nothing for it but to wait "*11 ilAlavod Mn 17 tl'QC h PQ rH Ulltll IUC UC iaj VU A1V, J | own uvw.%. from; and Kent's first care was to report to Loring, and to ask If there were anything from Boston. The reply was encouraging. A complete denial of everything, signed by the proper officials, had been received and repeated to Kent at Gaston?was /there now awaiting him. Kent saw in anticipation the nicely calculated scheme of the junto crumbling into small dust in the precise moment of _ fruition, and had a sharp attack of ante-triumph which he had to walk off in turns up and down the long platform. But as the waiting grew longer and the dragging minutes totaled the quarter hour and then the half, he be gan to perspire again. Half-past two came and went, and still there was no hopeful word from Lesterville. Kent had speech with Oleson, watch in hand. Would the engineer take the risk of a rear-end collision on a general manager's order? Oleson would obey orders if the heavens fell; and Kent /lew to the wire again. Hunnicott, at Gaston, was besought to gain time in the hearing by any and all means; and Loring was i asked to authorize the risk of a rearend smash-up. He did it promptly. The light engine was to go on until it should "pick up" the delayed train between stations. The Juniberg man gave Oleson his J release and the order to proceed with * 1 ?#M1 due care wDiie me suuuuei >>? suu clicking a further communication from headquarters. Loring was providing for the last contingency by sending Kent the authority to requisition No. 17's engine for the completion of the run in case the track should be blocked, with the freight engine free beyond the obstruction. Having his shackles striken off, the Norwegian proceeded "with due care," which is to say that he sent the eight- I wheeler darting down the line toward . Lesterville at the rate of a mile a minute. The mystery of the delay was solved at a point half-way between the two stations. A broken flange had derailed three cars of the freight and the block was impassable. Armed with the general manager's mandatory wire, Kent ran forward to the engine of the freight train and was shortly on his way again. But in the 20-mile run to Gaston more time was lost by the lumbering freight locomotive, and it was 20 minutes past three o'clock when the county seat came in sight and Kent began to oscillate between two sharp-pointed horns of a cruel dilemma. By dropping off at the street crossing nearest the courthouse, he might still be in time to get a bearing with such documentary backing as he had beenl ? J lAFTERS iy S LYNDE . Bobbs-Merrill Company.) able to secure at the capital. By going on to the station he could pick up the Boston wire which, while it was not strictly evidence, might create a strong presumption in his favor; but in this case he would probably be too late to use it. So he counted the rail-lengths, watch in hand, with a curse to the count for his witlessness In falling to have Loring repeat the Boston mes sage to mm during me long w#? hi Juniberg; and when the lime for the decision arrived he signaled the engineer to slow down, jumped from the step at the nearest crossing and hastened up the street toward the courthouse. In the mean time, to go back a little, "YOU'RE TOO LATE!" HE BLURTED OUT. -WE'RE DONE UP." during this day of hurrying to and fro Blashfleld Hunnicott had been having the exciting experiences of a decade crowded into a < corresponding number of hours. Early in the morning he had begun besieging the headquarters wire office for news and instructions, and, owing to Kent's good intentions to be on the grcund in person, had got little enough of either. At length to his unspeakable relief, he had news of the coming special; and with the conviction that help was at hand he waited at the station with what coolness there was in him to meet his chief. But as the time for the hearing drew near he grew nervous again; and all the keen pains of utter helplessness returned with renewed acuteness when the operator, who had overheard the Juniberg-Lesterville wire talk, told h m that the special was hung up at th former station. "O my good Lord!" he groaned. "I'm in for it with empty hands!" in one tne less, ne ran 10 me uaggugt*room end of the building ard, capturing an express wagon, had himself trundled out to the courthouse The judge was at his desk when Hunnicott entered, and Hawk was on hand, calmly reading the morning paper. The hands of the clock on the wall opposite the judge's desk pointed to five minutes of the hour, and for five minutes Hunnicott sat listening, hoping against hope tha- he should hear the rush and roar of the incoming special. Promptly on the stroke of three the judge tapped upon his desk with his pencil. "Now, gentlemen, proceed with your case: and I must ask you to be as brief as possible. I have an appointment at four which cannot be postponed," he said, quietly: and Hawk threw down his paper and began at once. Hunnicott heard his opponent's argument mechanically, having his ear attuned for whistle signals and wheel drummlngs. Hawk spoke rapidly and straight to bis point, as befitted a man speaking to the facts and with no jury present to be swayed by oratorical effort. When he came to the summarizing of the allegations in the amended netltlnn ho Hlrt it wholly Without heat, piling up the accusations one upon another with the careful method of a bricklayer building a wall. The wall-building simile thrust itself upon Hunnicott with irresistible force as he listened. If the special engine should not dash up in time to batter down the wallHawk closed as dispassionately as he had hegun, and the Judge bowed gravely in Hunnicott's direction. The local attorney got upon his feet, and as he began to speak a telegram was ; handed in. It was Kent's wire from | Junlberg. beseeching him to gain time I at all hazards, and he settled himself to the task. For 30 dragging minutes | he rang the changes on the various I steps in the suits, knowing well that the fatal moment was approaching J when?Kent still failing him?he would be compelled to submit his case wlthi out a scrap of an affidavit to support it. The moment came, and still there ' was no encouraging whistle shriek from the dun plain beyond the open , windows. Hawk was visibly disgusted. and Judge MacFarlane was growing 1 justly impatient. Hunnicott began again, and the judge reproved him mildly. "Much of what you are saying is entirely irrelevant, Mr. Hunnicott. This hearing is on the plaintiff's amended petition." No one knew better than the local attorney that he was wholly at the court's mercy; that he had been so from the moment the judge began to consider his purely formal defense, entirely unsupported by affidavits or evidence of any kind. None the less, he strung his denials out by every amplification he could devise, and, having fired his last shot, sat down in despairing breathlessness to hear the judge's summing-up and decision. Judge MacFarlane was mercifully brief. On the part of the plaintiff there was an amended petition fully fortified by uncontroverted affidavits. On the part of the defendant company there was nothing but a formal denial of the allegations. The duty of the court In the premises was clear. The prayer of the plaintiff was grant- I ed, the temporary relief asked for was given and the order of the court would issue accordingly. The judge was rising when the still, hot air of the room began to vibrate with the tremulous thunder of the sound for which Hunnicott had been so long straining bis ehrs. He was the first of the three to hear it, and he hurried out ahead of the others. At the foot of the stair he ran blindly against Kent, travel-worn and haggard. "You're too late!" he blurted out "We're done up. Hawk's petition has been granted and the road is in the hands of a receiver." Kent dashed his fist upon the stairrail. "Who is the man?" he demanded. Tim finllfnrH *' CfliH Hiinnl cott. Then, as footfalls coming stairward were heard in the upper corridor, he locked arms with Kent, faced him about and thrust him out over the door-stone. "Let's get out of this. You look as if you might kill somebody." CHAPTER XI. THE LAST DITCH. It was a mark of the later and larger development of David Kent that he was able to keep bis head in the moment of catastrophies. In boyhood his hair had been a brick-dust red, and having the temperament which belongs of right to the auburn-hued, his first impulse was to face about and make a personal matter of the legal robbery with Judge MacFarlane. Happily for all concerned, Hunnlcott's better counsels prevailed, and when the anger fit passed Kent found himself growing cool and determined. Once free of the courthouse, Kent began a rapid-fire of questiona "Where is Judge MacFarlane stopping?" "At the Mid-Continent" "Have you any idea when he intends leaving town?" "No; but he will probably take the first train. He never stays here an hour longer than he has to after adjournment" "That would be the Flyer east at six o'clock. Is he going east?" "Come to think of it, I believe be is. Somebody said he was going to Hot Springa He's in miserable health." Kent saw more possibilities, and worse, and quickened his pace a little. "What do we do?" asked Hunnicott, willing to take a little lesson in practice as he ran. "The affidavits I have brought with me and the telegrams which are waiting at the station must convince MacFarlane that he has made a mistake. We shall prepare a motion for the discharge of the receiver and for the vacation of the order appointing him, and ask the judge to set an early day for the hearing on the merits of the case. He can't refuse." Hunnicott shook bis head. "It has been all cut and dried from 'way back," he objected. "They won't let you upset it at the last moment" "We'll glvt them a run for their money," said Kent. By five o'clock Kent was In the lobby of the Mid-Continent, sending his card up to the judge's room. Word came back that the judge was in the cafe fortifying the Inner man in preparation for his journey, and Kent did not stand upon ceremony. From the archway of the dining-room he marked down his man at a small' table in the corner, and went to him; at once, plunging promptly into the; matter in hand. ! "The exigencies of the case must' plead my excuse for intruding upon | you here, Judge MacFarlane," he be-! gan courteously. "But I have been1 told that you were leaving town?" ! The judge waved him down with a deprecatory fork. "Court is adjourned. Mr. Kent, and 1 must decline to discuss the case ex parte. Why did you allow it to go by default?" "That Is precisely what I am here to explain," said Kent, suavely. "The time allowed us was very short; and a series of accidents?" Again the Judge interrupted. "A court can hardly take cognizance of accidents, Mr. Kent Your local attorney was on the ground and he had the lull benefit of the delay." "I know," was the patient rejoinder. "Technically, your order is unassailable. None the less, a great Injustice "JUDGE MACFARLANE. IT IS MY OPINION, SPEAKING AS MAN TO MAN. THAT YOU ARE A SCOUNDREL." has been done, as we are prepared to prove. I a in not here to ask you to reopen the case at your dinner-table, but if you will glance over these papers I am sure you will set an early day for the hearing upon the merits." Judge MacFarlane forced a gray smile. "You vote yea and nay in the same breath, Mr. Kent. If I should examine your papers, I should be reopening the case at my dinner-table. You shall have your hearing in due course." "At chambers?" said Kent. "We shall be ready at any moment; we are ready now, in point of fact" "I cannot say as to that. My health is very precarious, and I am under a physician's orders to take a complete rest for a time. I am sorry if the delay shall work a hardship to the company you represent; but under the circumstances, with not even an affidavit offered by your side, it Is your mis-1 fortune. And now I shall ask you to excuse me. It lacks but a few minutea of my train time." The hotel porter was droning out the call for the eastbound Flyer, and Kent effaced himself while Judge MacFarlane was paying his bill and making ready for his departure. But when the Judge set out to walk to the station. Kent walked with him. There were five squares to be measured, and for five squares he hung at MacFarlane's elbow and the plea he made should have won him a hearing. Yet the judge remained impassible, and at the end of the argument turned back I in a word to his starting point "I cannot recall the order at this time, If I would, Mr. Kent; neither can I set a day for the hearing on the merits. What has been done was done in open court and in the presence of vour attornev. who offered no evidence in contradiction of the allegations set forth in the plaintiff's amended petition, although they were supported by more tnan a dozen affidavits; and it cannot be undone in the streets. Since you have not improved your opportunities, you must abide the consequences. The law cannot be hurried." They had reached the station and the eastbound train was whistling for Gaston. Kent's patience was nearly gone, and the auburn-hued temperament was clamoring hotly for its innings. '"fhis vacation of yours, Judge MacFarlane: how long iR it likely to last?" he inquired, muzzling his wrath yet another moment. "I cannot say; if 1 could I might be able to give you a more definite answer as to the hearing on the merits. But my health is very miserable, as 1 have said. If I am able to return shortly, I shall give you the hearing at chambers at an early date." "And if not?" "If not, I am afraid it will have to go over to the next term of court." "Six months," said Kent; and then his temper broke loose. "Judge MacFarlane, it is my opinion, speaking as man to man, that you are a scoundrel. I know what you have done, and why you have done it Also, I know why you are running away, now that it is done. So help me God, I'll bring you to book for it if I have to make a lifetime Job of it! It's all right for your political backers; they are thieves and bushwhackers, and they make no secret of it But there is one thing worse than a trickster, and that is a trickster's tool!" For the moment while the train was hammering in over the switches they stood facing each other fiercely, alt masks flung aside, each after his kind; the younger man flushed and battlemad; the elder white, haggard, tremulous. Kent did not guess, then or ever, how near he came to death. Two years earlier a Judge had been shot and maimed on a western circuit and since then, MacFarlane bad taken a coward's precaution. Here was a man that knew, and while he lived the cup of trembling might never be put aside. It was the conductor's cry of "All aboard!" that broke the homicidal spell. Judge MacFarlane started guiltily, shook off the angry eye-grip of his accuser, and went to take his place in the Pullman. One minute later the eastbound train was threading its way out among the switches of the lower yard, and Kent had burst into the telegraph office to wire the volcanic news to his chief. TO BE CONTINUED. MOUNT ETNA'8 VASTNESS. The Highest Volcano In Europe Is Ninety Miles In Circumference. "Just come out. Yes, It is visible!" So it was. But how different from the Mt. Etna of our imagination? Its very vastness dwarfed It. We had not realized that the highest volcano In Europe was 90 miles in circumference at its base. The slope is so gradual from base t6 summit that the first im presslon is totally different from that of an abrupt mountain rising 11,000 feet above the plain and sea and produces something of a disappointment. Then, too, this morning there is no smoke. The snow scarcely comes down more than 3,000 feet: the long slopes below are clothed with forests. But the summit is clear and glittering in the sunlight. This for a few minutes only. Then the clouds wrap themselves round the head of our disappointment. We hope the monarch will uncover, and show himself longer another day. Taormina is rapidly becoming the popular tourist resort of Sicily. Not only Is it one of the best, but it is the safest point whence to study the effect of light and shade on the mighty slopes of Etna and the long and jagged coast line of the ever-foaming sea. Places down below are malarial. This place is high in air, above all risk of malarial fever. It Is also extremely picturesque?some one called it "madly picturesque." It lies on a shelf of limestone rock, one long street with rib-like lanes ascending and descending on either side. Above and behind this one long street three tall. Jagged peaks fling themselves wildly upward against the sky, the "mountains altogether gone mad and raving." If one wishes to realize what may be meant by "mountain Insanity." let hfm com" to Taormina. Two* weeks at Taormina and Etna would not be gracious! Sometimes, for an hour In the early morning, his head remained uncovered. Then we had to be content with a tremendous mass of cloud, dark and far from Impressive. He was a cold neighbor, sending a chill air or a tempest or a rain almost every day. One day, to the delight of the Taormlnlans, he J covered all the ground with snow. After a night of storm, on the morning of our last Sicilian day. he stood forth in all the glory of his majestic greatness. No single mountain we had ever seen had presented outline so simple, so grand. From the most distant unslope of his base to the dazzling whiteness of his summit not a suggestion of cloud! All the eyes that had waited so long were uplifted, fixed upon him. Taormlna was not. Etna was everything. How stupendous a presence! What individuality! Not one of a range, but standing there alone; not beautiful, but more than that?sublime; strong and mighty, his head clearly outlined against the brilliant sky! Nor is this the mood of an hour. All the day he stood forth shadowless. It was enough, all that we could have asked or waited for.? Sicilian letter in the Christian Register. iHisccltunrous Smiling. WHAT 8ULLY SAYS. Cotton King Givos Wise Advice to Cotton Planter*. To the Cotton Growers of the South: "If you wish to win your battle and obtain a fair price for your cotton you must reduce your acreage very considerably. "You have surprised the world by the manner In which you have held your cotton. "Surprise It again by cutting down your cotton acreage. "Do not be led astray by the present steadiness of prices. "Three causes have contributed to bring about this rise of more than one cent a pound. "First. The urgent demand arising from an unprecedented consumption. "Second. Your courage and wisdom In making the buyer meet your terms. "Third. The belief that you would cut your acreage to such an extent that the supplies from this crop and Ho rrnwth of IQOS-Ofi would make a commercial crop no larger than the world needs. "The first two causes lose their force the moment It Is known that there Is a prospect for a moderately large crop next year. "Even If the mills take 12,000,000 fcaJfs during the current season, this would leave a carry-over-of 1,500,000 bales. Hence the necessity of a smaller crop this year. "Do not let any rise In prices between now and the end of the planting season deter you from reducing your acreage. Such an advance would be meroly anticipating that you were making the decrease which your friends have advised you to make. "If the June report of the government shows that you have failed to make sufficient reduction the only persons who would be gainers by the advance would be the speculators who sell their futures at a profit. "The price of the cotton you produce will be regulated by the actual, not the expected, reduction. "Don't depend on your neighbor to do the reducing. "In this matter of acreage reduction bear In mind three suggestions: "Don't rely on bad weather to cut down the size of the crop. "Don't put a large acreage Into cotton simply because It Is too late to plant corn or other diversified crops. "It would be far better to let part of your land lie Idle than to run the risk of raising a crop so large as to make possible another period of low pncea conon. "I am making this appeal to you because I regard the next few weeks as critical to the south and because I believe that every man who is interested in the welfare of the south should urge the importance of a reduced acreage. Daniel J. Sully." MODERN SEEKER FOR GOLD. His Methods Differ From Those of Old Prospectors. The yield from the gold mines has increased 60 per cent in less than a decade. In seeking the reasons for this truly remarkable development one is especially prominent?the great advance which has been made in the methods followed by the modern gold seeker. The prospectors, says the Scientific American, have taken advantage of progress in geology, chemistry and other sciences and have provided themselves with mechanical aids which are far superior to the crude implements employed by the metal hunters of the past. Their examination has not been confined to merely the bed of a creek or the side of a mountain, but often is so extensive that it embraces miles of W ? rv?/vo?A/.ilnar fAlir pIqPQ area. man; a pi uo^vuiin ...? to the dignity of an expedition and embraces a variety of apparatus, to say nothing of a staff of geologists and other experts. In the old fashioned system, as it might be termed, of seeking precious metal the prospectors can be divided Into two classes?those who are satisfied to obtain the metal in any form and the "pocket hunters." The latter individual considers himself above the other type of prospector, terming his calling professional. Many a one has spent the better part of his life in exploring beds of streams and dry valleys in search of pockets. In southern Oregon the pocket hunters have been perhaps more numerous than elsewhere in the United States proper, as this section of the state has yielded a large umount of gold In this form. Pocket prospectors depend upon the pick, shovel and pan, as do their fellows, but they seldom dig further Into the side of the bank or hill than their shovel will reach. The ordinary prospector wades along the bed of the stream or tramps through its sand If it is "dry," here and there filling his pan with the material. Then immersing the pan in water, he thus separates the sand from the other matter and gradually spilling out the sand, eagerly gazes at the bottom of the pan to note any glittering streak which may betoken the presence of gold. If he is working along the side of a hill where he believes the ledge of rock may contain a vein of gold bearing ore. he breaks off likely portions with his pick, crushes them as best he can and dumping the dust and fragments into his pan repeats the separation process. In the examination of rock for metal bearing ore, the arrastra of the Mexicans and Spaniards has been used ex tenslvely, especiully In California and Oregon. This contrivance consists of a vertical shaft or axis, which supports several wooden bars fastened at right angles to It. To the ends of the bars are attached heavy flat stones, which, by the movement of the axis, revolve in a circular pit. The specimens of ore are placed in the pit, a stream of water Is turned upon them and the arrastra placed In motion by animal or water power. The ore Is resolved Into a slimy sediment by being ground In the water and passes off through the sluiceway, which Is provided with riffles for catching the gold. The modern methods for searching for deposits of precious metal are so radically different from those described that It may be said a revolution has taken place In prospecting In the United States. In the Rocky Mountain region the formation has been pierced as far as 2,000 feet In the effort to ascertain the existence of a vein or the dimensions of one already discovered. Some of the projects which have been carried out preliminary to the opening of mines represent an outlay of more than $1,000,000 in the purchase of apparatus. the employment of noted experts and in the general magnitude of the operations. Among the mechanical appliances which have been of great assistance to the modern prospector Is the drill. With it he can make borings In a week where, If a shaft were sunk, a year would be needed. If the formation is to be examined by a shaft, however, the cost of sinking it is reduced to a minimum by means of explosive cartridges, which are now manufactured especially for such service. They are ignited by means of the electric current, and it should be said that an essential part of the modern prospecting outfit Is the chemical battery, wnicn is or vaiue nor oniy ror hub purpose but In the application of electrolytic methods for separating: the precious metal from the dross. Few expeditions of any size are sent out without an experienced geologist, who Is usually provided with maps and other data giving the best Information available regarding the region to be explored. Maps giving the extent of the claims, the direction of the veins and the general topography of the region where the mine is to opened are obviously of much value, and a draughtsman is frequently included In the staff, with material for preparing the maps on the spot from the data obtained by the investigators. Besides the geologist, the services of an expert chemist are also of great Importance, and a laboratory in miniature Is contained in the packs carried by the animals. So complete is this portion of the equipment that a fairly correct field analysis can be made of the specimens secured by the use of the drill or by the other prospecting tools. If the outcropping of a quartz vt In is discovered, enough is broken off to allow its character to be studied both from a geological and a chemical standpoint. After examining It in connection with the formation In the vicinity, the geologist Is often able to indicate where the surface can be bored with the possibility of reaching the ore bearing stratum at once. The value of the ore from the outcropping and that from the interior can be approximately determined by the chemist. To crush the ore is a slight undertaking, and with the lead which he has brought along the material can be readily fused in a portable furnace. In fact, he has the essentials for making a "dry assay" on a limited scale, for cupels are now made of such light weight that they can readily be .carried on muleback. Taking the ingot of lead and of precious metal he can easily oxidize the lead by placing It in his cupel and heating the latter to the required temperature In an oven constructed of material which he can obtain in the vicinity. With his nitric acid he separates the silver which may remain, leaving the gold only to be tested for Its value. The proportion of the gold to a given quantity of ore can be determined by his scales, but by using his touchstone or black basalt he can detect the quality of the gold by the color which this substance makes when drawn over the surface of the metal. In the outfit of the modern prospector quicksilver has become practically Indispensable. Its affinity ?for gold makes It a most valuable agent. Where the existence of placer gold Is imagined, the Introduction of mercury Into the test washer soon solves the use of riffles and other crude appliances which were formerly depended upon almost entirely. After crushing the specimens of test ore, the quicksilver can also be used to ascertain the quantity of free gold among the particles. As the mercury can be ellmi nated by heating: the composition to a sufficiently high temperature, It is now utilized In large quantities by the modern prospector. A FAMOUS SONG. How "Abido With Me" Came to Be Written. Henry Francis L.ytr, author of that matchless composition "Abide With Me," for twenty years was a sufferer from consumption. During this time he was the minister over a parish composed largely of flsherfolk In a coast town of England. He labored faithfully among his people, yet he always longed to do something that would have nn influence for the good of humanity after his death?a longing which found expression In a beautiful poem. The story of how this desire came to be fulfilled through writing "Abide With M,e" Is related In the Delineator In an Interesting paper by Allan Sutherland, giving the history and romance of the famous hymn. "In the autumn of 1847 his physicians Informed Mr. Lyte that It would be necessary for him to relinquish his work and spend the winter in Italy. When the last Sabbath of his stay In England. Sept. 5. 1847, arrived he determined to preach once more to his little flock and to celebrate with them the Lord's supper. In spite of the protest of friends, he carried out his Intentions, although scarcely able to stand In the chancel. In words of melting tenderness he pleaded with his people to lead holy lives, and when he took his leave of them there was scarcely a dry eye In the church. The day had been well nigh perfect, and In the late afternoon, recovering somewhat from the strain of the service In the church, he walked slowly and feebly down the terraced walk to the water he loved so well and which he was about to leave forever. The spell of the hour was upon the minister. While the bright sunset colors faded Into the sober grays of twilight he slowly made his way back to the house In prayerful silence and went to his room. When he Joined his family a little later he bore In his hand the words that were destined to move thousands. His prayef had been answered. His last evening In his old home had produced that which will be a blessing so long as the heart turns to Its Maker for help In times of need." >tV It takes sunshine In the soul to ripen the fruits of the spirit. A BATTERED DIME. ! I Recalls Interesting Rsminiseences by ' Chief Wilkie. A battere^ dime lying upon the desk 1 of Chief Wllkle, of the secret service 1 Is all that Remains of a famous coun- 1 terfelting case writes W. W. Price, the Washington correspondent of the i Columbia Record. "This coin," said Chief Wllkle, "caused a panic In a bank, disturbed the business Interests < of a whole town, and put this bureau to a great deal of trouble. After we had run down the counterfeiting plot from Its inception to this little coin, we dropped the whole thing as quick as a wink. Why? Because the counterfeit was a genuine coin and there was no 'plot.' "The number of wild goose chases the secret service has been obliged to undertake on apparently first-class evidence of wrong-doing, would, If written out. make a good sized book. Very often,, as In the case of this Innocent and perfectly good ten-cent piece, the people who have first shouted 'counterfeit' have done so with nothing better than a genuine coin or note to back up their charges. Knt so verv lonsr stro we sot a flood of complaints from the cotton belt of J the south. A quantity of 'dangerous' standard dollars were circulating all through Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia, we were Informed, and If something was not done, and done pretty quickly, business throughout that section would be at a standstill for no one would dare to take any money. We rushed our men to the scene of trouble at once and found that the terrible 'counterfeits' were plain, every-day, silver dollars. What had aroused the suspicions In the minds of the business people was the fact that all the coins were brand new and all of the same date. The explanation was very simple indeed. The sub-treasurer at New Orleans had run out of silver dollars and had got about $200,000 from the mint. "Often a defect In a perfectly good coin, such as a bubble formed in the melting pot or a slip of some of the machinery that does the reeding or milling will give It a strange appearance or will affect Its ring. Immediately someone will Jump to the conclusion that it Is a 'very defective counterfeit, almost as good as the genuine,' and we will receive a volume of complaints about it "A few months ago our agent at LoulsvMIe happened to be visiting in Washington. 'I believe that I will get a lot of these new dollar notes,' he said, 'and take them back home with me. We very seldom see any new money out our way.' He went down to the treasurer's office and secured fifty new bills, which he took home with him. In less than a week we began getting kicks from business men and professional men who desired to give us a 'tip' about the latest work of the counterfeiters. After we had received a few of these complaints, we sent ttiem to our lxmisvme man. 11 was not more than a day or two before he tumbled to the fact that he was 'running down' the very notes that he had put in circulation. "One of the most famous of our false alarms was given at Sheepshead Bay. From a number of sources we learned that there was a gang of supposed counterfeiters at work of nights In an Isolated house down near the race track. Men were seen to sneak into the house, which stood with its barn at a considerable distance from any other habitation, and would remain working there until day light. Strange noises, hammerings, and subdued conversations came from the mysterious building, and the only explanation that could be given of it all was that a gang of counterfeiters were making money there and would soon be flooding the country with the spurious currency. We got so many complaints and they came from such apparently trustworthy sources, that we Anally gave orders for the agents in the district to raid the place. On the eventful night the raid took place. The operatives waited until the 'gang' was well at their nefarious vocation, then surrounded the place, and broke In. As they entered the sight that first met their eyes was a man shoeing a horse. The 'gang* consisted of a small crowd of men who were at work on a 'ringer.' They were fixing up this horse to run him at Sheepshead track, but of course did not dare to go ahead in the open. So they waited each night until the race horse crowd had gone home and then went to work doctoring up their entry." GRIZZLY BEARS ANO PANTHER8. Afraid of Man, Saya Wyoming Hunt* er?Danger Whan Attacked. "In the mountains of Wyoming, where I have hunted for years, you can find most any kind of savage animal that you get In America except alligators. Grizzlies, black bears and mountain lions are commonly killed there," says Hugh Shlverly, of Sheridan, Wyo. "Some of the men 1 that come out there to hunt think 1 that If they stir one hundred yards 1 away from camp they must be armed 1 to the teeth for fear of being attack- 1 ed by a bear or a "painter" and killed. There's a heap more danger of getting killed on account of leaving your gun at home when you go down Market < street. Some one might shoot you on I the street in a big city, but It Is dead 1 sure that a bear or a mountain lion will never attack you unless you drive him to It. "I've hunted through the best dls- ' tricts for big game In the country, and I've seen a good many grizzlies, but I t>? ???on nnn nf thorn am after I a man unless he was cornered or < wounded. If you run into a grizzly bear in a lonely place you'll hear a I grunt, something like that of a mam- I moth hog. and then there will be a < mighty crashing of underbrush as he i makes off In the opposite direction as < fast as he can go. All you can gen- i erally see of a mountain lion Is a . tawny streak as he makes off at In- l credible speed. If he has any Intention of being after you It must be i his intention to go around the world I and catch you in the rear, for If you < are standing to the east of him he Is i sure to go due west. "Mountain Hons In the winter time ' will follow sleighs at a distance, walling as they go, but there is nothing In that to Inspire terror, for I don't think they have ever been known to i close In on anybody. Their terror of i human beings Is the thing which makes them hard to shoot In all the time that I have been In the mountains I have never heard of any one being attacked by a wild animal that had been left strictly alone. But I've known men to be killed even by deer when the brute was driven to desperation. "Grisslles are the best game In the world. When you once get their dander up they are savage fighters, and the hunter's life Is In danger every minute unless he Is a good shot and has a steady nerve. If you ever get within reach of the grizzly's paw you are a dead one. These stories of men killing them with knives in handto-hand fights are about as reasonable as It would be to talk of stopping a i locomotive by getting In the way of the train. If the big fellow gets the chance to deliver one blow it is all over. There was a grizzly up our way that the cowboys called Big Ben, who killed about one hundred and fifty steers before he was finally shot. He would break a steer's neck at one blow. and then he would pick him up and carry him off to a secluded place. Orisslies look awkward, but they are mighty light on their feet, and they can beat any man in a footrace.? Louisville Herald. THE LAW IN ICELAND. Prisoner Could Not bo Looked Up Beoause He Had Lost Warrant In the midst of all the debate awakened. especially in England, by Hall Calne*s treatment of the problem of his "Prodigal Son," as yet there has been said not a word of the novelist's praise of Icelandic customs and* morals. The Anglo-Saxon world knows nothing of such primitive honesty as is known in that northern land, nor does Europe. Stephen Marshall, the "factor" of a great London trading-house, stationed now at Reykjavik, who knows the island better than any other European, declares that scarcely would It be possible to exaggerate upon the native's respect for any least outward expression of the law. Marshall says he was crossing the wild country that lies between Reykjavik and Akureyrl, the chief among the northern trading stations, about two years ago, when he met a man riding his pony toward the capital. "What is your name?" asked the factor. "Stefan." "Whose son?" "Thorsteinsson." "Where are you going?" "To prison." "What for?" "Stealing sheep." "No one taking you?" "Not the sheriff was busy, bo he gave me his warrant and sent me on by myself." Whereupon the two exchanged snuff and parted. . :<> ' Four days later, as Marshall was ??" returning, he again met thla fellow, evidently on the way back to hla home. "What?" he exclaimed, naturally surprised. "Stefan Thorsteinsaon ? Why, you said you were going to prison." "So I was, and I went; but they would not let me In." "Why not?" "I somewhere lost the warrant, and the sheriff at Reykjavik said he could not receive me without It." "But why then are you not already at home. Tou should have made the Journey In two days." To this, the answer may sound with a comic-opera note to American readers, but in It, says Marshall, lies the core of the whole Icelandic reverence for the machinery of the law: Stefan had lost two days' time looking for the warrant which would have locked him up.?Chicago Record-Herald. T CWR.M A# Ta?4?Vi ikioh otumbo.*~~vl divi ico vi. as idii hospitality Mr. Macready had a full supply; also of hotel attendants and the peasantry. On one occasion he asked the girl In attendance for poached eggs. She looked a bit nonplused at first, but after a little hesitation replied, "There are no poached eggs In the place, sir, but I think I could get you some poached salmon." In a poor little cottage of two rooms he saw a married couple and seven children.* Hearing a baby cry, he asked to see It and explained that he took an interest In babies, having one at home. The Infant was produced for Inspection, and the mother asked proudly, "Is yours as big as that sir?" To which he replied, "I think it Is a little bigger." Instantly the Instincts of the mother were roused and. tossing her head, she said; "So well It might be. That's only half of ours; the other half Is with God. We had twins." At a hotel one of the party asked, "Have you got any celery, waiter?" "No, sir," was the significant answer. "I relies on me chances." That man deserved an extra tip. On another occasion the dinner was especially good and well served. At the conclusion one of the party remarked, "You're an angel. Pat." "I am, sir," assented Pat, "but I fly low."?London Telegraph. Statk Mbdicaj, Association.?The doctors had a most enjoyable meeting In Greenville. Many interesting papers were read and the discussions were full of suggestions. The Dally News says: "By a vote of nearly two to one over that of his opponent, Dr. Davis Furman of this city was chosen president of the South Carolina Medical association at a meeting of the house of delegates yesterday at 1 p. m. S. W. Pryor of Chester, who was nominated In opposition to Dr. Furman. was chosen first vice president. Crown Torrence of Union was elected second vice president; D. D. Frontls of Ridge Springs, third vice president, and Dr. T. P. Whaley and Dr. C. P. Almar were re-elected to serve as secretary and treasurer, respectively. The following councilors were elected; Edward F. Parker, Charleston, first district; T. G. Croft, Aiken second district: O. B. Mayer, Newberry, third district; J. W. Jervey, Greenville, fourth district; R. A. Brat ton, Yorkville, fifth district; F. H. McLeod, Florence, sixth district; and W. P. Moorer, Georgetown, seventh district Dr. Moorer Is the only new councilor, all the others being elected for second terms." / t J