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About The Columbia register. (Houlton, Columbia County, Or.) 1904-1906 | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1904)
I MASTER OF THE MINE By Robert COO! CHAPTER V. I wis awakened next momin by the eonnd of voices in tha chamber, and, lookiaf forth from my sleeping plsct, t saw my uncle, seated la his stained flannel clothes, devouring a aubatantial breakfast, waited ou by little Annie, who looked even cleaner and neater than she bad looked the night before. "Why! little woman," my uncle was ayiag, "who put that sart o aawnsenee Inte your head! Dawu't go dawn the mine naw more) Why, the mine's bread and butter, vlttlea and drink, to you and aner "Tom Penruddock says 'taint aafe, rather," returned Annie; "and Tom ought to know, for he'a worked there rar alnce he was born." "lie knaws do more than thla chunk break, little woman. He'a the idlest chap o' the gang, Tawm is. There, dawn't you worrit The Lawd'a undr the earth as well as sbove it and '11 take care of father, never fear!" I slipped on my clothes; but, by the time I had done so, my uncle had left the cottage. Annie took me to a little bed room up stairs, where I washed, and brushed my hair. Descending again to tne quaint old kitchen, I found my aunt. Just come in from feeding the poultry. She gare me a kindly nod; then drew me ajently to her,, and, pushing the hair off my forehead, looked thoughtfully into ny face. "Let me look at 'ea by daylight, lad! Ay, I was right you bo as like your poor rather aa one pea is like another. lie were too clever to settle down, lie rambled up and down like a moor pony, and neer made himself a home; and when he died, there was none of his kith and kin near him to close his eyes. Thar, lad. sit down and take your brak last, wen try to max a man or ee, for my poor sister's sake." The breakfast being over, my aunt and Annie busiod themselves with "set ting t ings to rights;" and, feeling sonie- wnat In the way, I took my cap and trolled out, to find out if I could what art of a country I had been landed in. The kitchen door opened directly into the "bask yard," am! here I found the poultry leisurely picking up grain and, too, a mongrel puppy, a sort of cross between a collie and a greyhound which the moment I made my appearance, came wriggling about my feet. I passed through the yard, the puppy following close at my heels. The front of the cottage was very trim and neat; and there was a very small gsrden here, tolerably well cultivated; I afterward learned it belonged to Annie. It was a curious illustration of the mingling in her of the useful and ornamental She was passionately fond of flowers, and two thirds of her little garden was de toted to them, while in the other third were beds of mustard and cress, radishes and celery, wit which she regularly sup piled "relishes" for the table. I strolled carelessly along the road, amusing myself from time to time by throwing a atick and trying to teach the puppy to retrieve. A couple of hun dred yards from the cottage I came to an Iron gate, surrounded by a plantation of fir-trees, and with a long avenue lead ing I knew not whither. Here I paused, and, without thinking, threw the stick as far as I could up the avenue. But the puppy crouched at my feet, and de clined to stir. So I opened the gate and went in. I had not gone many yards when a sharp voice arrested me. "Here, I say, you!" it cried. "What are you doing here?" I looked up, and aaw a boy of about my own age, dressed like a young gentle man. He had black hair, black eye brows that came close together, and a banging lip. I saw at once, by his dress and manner, that he was no miner's son. "Look here, you're trespassing, yon "know," he continued; then suddenly, "Why, yon don't belong to St Gurlott's. What's your name?" I told my name, and added that I was a stranger, having come to the village only last night to live with my Uncle and Aunt Pendragon. In a moment his face changed; a contemptuous sneer curled his lip as he said: "Old Pcndragon's boy, eh?" then, "What do you mean by wearing those dot beg? I thought you were a gentle man!" "I am as much a gentleman as you," said, "and I'm not afraid of you! Do you know what they'd you with you where I come from? They'd thrash you, end send you to bed, to learn better man ners." He clenched his fist, and advanced threateningly toward me. Then, look ing at me from head to foot, and finding that at all events I was his superior In point of physical strength, he chsnged bis mind. I whistled up the puppy, and walked away. When I reached the cottage again, I came face to face with Annie, who sug gested a walk. Her print frock had been exchanged for a stout gown. She wore a pair of silk gloves, and a hat which was evidently intended for Sun days only. As my eye wandered over these things, she blushed and tried to appear unconscious. We accordingly started oS across the moorland toward the- sea, and after a mile's walk reached the cliffs. Wild and desolate, they overhung the ocean. A narrow path through the rocks led down to the water's edge. Descend ing, we reached the shore, and found there a aandy creek and a solitary wood en house. We looked up; the crsgs rose above our heads right up Into the blue heaven. "It isn't like the sea, is It?" I asked, aa wa stood side by side; "it looks like a big broad river." "Now." she assented; "but It Isn't al ways like this. The waves are some times as high aa houses, and they roar Ilka wild beasts. Then there's been ships big ships that go to India, broken up here on the rocks, and drowned men and women hare been cast ashore. When the winds are blowing like that, and the wrecks come, mother and ma atop In the house to pray for father!" "My uncle? Why, he's a miner." "Tea; but he's one o' the lift-boat men, too, 'causa he's so strong. Look at tint wooden bouse; that's when they Buchanan. keep the life-boat" In following the direction Indicated by her pointing finger, my eye fell upon something else beaiJee the house: a rude coble lay floating in the water a few yards from where we stood. It wss at tached to an Iron ring driven Into the rocks. "Whose boat Is thstr I asked. "Oh, that belongs to John Kudl the carrier; him. that brought you to our House, lie found it drifting In from ue sea. "And what does he do with. It now?" "lie goes out fishing sometimes. Ut took me out in K once." "Suppose wo tske the boat and pull out for a bit; It would bo good fun Dctter tnan staying here." She hesitsted, but yielded finslly. We pufiied out the boat together, and I pulled away out on to the dead calm aea. How pleassnt it wss there, with the sun pouring its golden beams upon us, and the water smiling around and gently lapping the boat's side! Annie took off her gloves, and trailed her fina era in the water; then she leaned over and looked down into the emerald depths below, while my eyes again swept the prospect Inland. Everything waa distinguishable from the sea, the low-lying flats stretching black and desolate beneath the warm summer sky the villsge, a handful of houses thrown in a hollow, just beyond the cottage where destiny had placed me. I also perceived now that there were numerous other cottages scattered about the morass, and finally, that there was one Urge turretted mansion rising np from a belt of greenwood. "What house ia that?" I asked. "That? Oh. Chat is the master's house." Mr. Redruth, the master of the mine. Besides that," she added, "he's the mss- ter o' the whole place." Does he live there r Yes; a good part of the year. Al ways at holiday times, when the young master comes home from school. He's home now." naving a suspicion In my mind. I asked her whst the young master waa like, and she gave me an accurate de scription of the boy I had encountered a few hours before. Suddenly my eye was attracted to a huge black mass, which rose like an ominous shadow be tween me and the horizon. I asked An nie what it waa; and she replied. iTie mlne "The mine!" I said. "I never thought about the mine before, or we might have gone to set it We'll pull in and go now; shall we?" .. To my amasement she half rose from her Mat, and put out her hands, aa if to atop me. No, nor ahe cried, "we won't go there not to the mine!" Her face was white, and she was trembling, though she was wrapt in the aun'a rays aa in a warm mantle of gold. -Wnat'a the matter, Annie?" I asked. 'Are you afraid?" "Tea," she ssld, "I am afraid of It because it is cruel. It is like a crest black mouth; it seems to ask you to come down, and then it crushes you and you die. I have aeen strong me like my father go down into it happy and laughing, and then afterward 1 have seen them brought np desd, all so black and changed and dreadful. Oh, don't talk about it; I can't bear it!" This conversation, sad as it was, had its fascination for me. It made me want to know more about the mystery of the mine. What I aaw, indeed, waa not the mint itself, but only its outer' machinery. The main shaft, Annie told me, opened down into the solid earth, from the body of the cliff, and was covered by a trap door, from which dizzy ladders led down into tha subterranean darkness. CHAPTER VI. It must not be supposed that my ancle and aunt although they had adopted me, could afford to allow me to eat for very long the bread of idleness. Had it been necessary, they would willingly have shared with me their slender means; but I wss fourteen years of age, I had received a good education, and I was in every wsy fitted to earn my living. My inclination was for the sea; not be cause I had any particular love for ships, but because I had some wild idea that it might ultimately be the means of bringing me to Madeline. I must own that I was not exactly proud of a home which was so different to Munster's. Sometimes at night when I sat furtively watching my aunt darning the stockings, I fell to wondering what the boys would say if they saw them, and my cheeks burned with shame. It was on one of these evenings that I ventured to ex press my wish to go to sea. My aunt threw np her hands in horror. "Why!" she Cried; "if he be'ant like his father a'ready! You'd like to gaw to say? to wander over the face of the earth and die, like your father did, with out a roof to cawver your head? A sailorr . I stammered something about wishing to work for my living, when my uncle cut my explanation short by patting me on the head and saying, "Tou'm a good lad, I'm glad to hear 'ee talk saw; but there's no cause for 'ee to gaw to say. Tou'm a comin' to wark wi' me,' Hugh!" "In the mine!" I exclaimed in delight, for my strong desire to. go down the shaft was growing; but my uncle shook bis head. "Naw, naw, lad; the mine be only for big coarse men like me; a slip of a lad like yon will be better whar yon'm gawing Inta the awfice. I fixed it wi the maater this fawrenoon." Thus It will ba seen that my destiny was mapped out for me. On Monday I began my duties as under-clerk. At first I chafed somewhat; but Time, the healer of all things, brought solace to me. As months rolled on, the memory of Man star's began to grow dim; and when I thought of Madeline it was of some love ly vision seen in a dream. Tha ona great fascination for mt was tha mint. It waa becoming a sort of "Frankenstein," haunting ma by night and day; I aaw it before ma aa I ant writing In tha office, and when I was asleep at night I aaw it in my dreams, opening fts hog black Jaws and prepar ing to crush away soma hapless fifa, The mort I heard t It, tht strongrr , grew my us. to explore for myself those , dark bowels of tht earth. Again and . again 1 had bested my uncle to takt at down, but ht refused. At last howtver, ont Sunday morning, he camt to ma and j to my Intense delight aald. "Yon can gaw dawn tht mint t-day, IlugX I be gawn' dawn. I'll tak' wi' mt." Tht tint thing to bt dont waa to at tlrt myself in ont of my uncle's mining suits of flannel, and possess myself of ont of his broad felt hats. My nnclt handed mt half a dusen candles, which he told mo to put into my pocket; then, with a merry nod to tht women folk, wt started. It waa no easy matter to get to tht entrance of the mine, not bWug ablt to go straight to tht shafts as in tht can of mines on level ground. Tht way was long and difficult to travel, on account of tht accumulation of mining gear wt had to pass; long chsins stretched out over bell cranks, wooden platforms look ing liko battered remnants of wrecks, yet supporting large beams of timber and heavy coils of rope. Here there wss a little creaking shed, there a broken-down post or two, and there again wt had to wind round by tht rocky path amidst chaina and cablea and ascending loads. When wt gained tht trap-door entrance to tht mine, my heart began to beat with anticipation. My unclt Ut a candle and stuck It into my hat then he lit another for himself; after this ht begsn to descend the first Isdder, and I followed him. The fir object I was conscious of waa the hug beam of a steam-englnt, which . worked on my right alternately bowing and rialng, and heavily straining at the deluge of water which It lifted. On the other aide, I ssw the loaded tub bit or bucket, rushing past Its descend ing companion. Wt were now between two shafts, descending from stags to stage; the daylight waa completely gone. Wt landed, to traverse ont of those aids gslleries in which tht pit abounded. It waa about aeven feet high, but ao nar row that two persona could just squeese past ont another. Tht only light now waa that afforded by our candles, which flickered In tht hot sickly, damp vapor which floated about us. Tht fetid sir of the place waa begin ning to tell upon me, my breath became labored, the perspiration streamed down my fact, while mud and tallow and iron drippings were visible on my clothes. I sat down on tht floor. In tht stillness, I became conscious of a strange moaning and soughing sound. After listening In tently, I ssked my uncle what it was. "It's the Sae." he returned w "it be rolling up thar above our heads." (To bo continued.) SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS. Tntlr Oat-Boom Cabins Llchted by Door or Hearth. The strange and queer are typical of the Tennessee Mountains. It la the country of the one-roomed log cabin. Archaeologists are continually digging up new and fearful discoveries from Che bowels of the mountains. It waa once the home of the cliff dwellers, and the clay eaters thrive there now. Much of the money given by Southern churches for home missions goes to the Tennessee Mountains. A Baptist mis sionary made the startling statement that there were a half-mllllon people living in the Appalachian belt who had no Bibles. Some of them never saw a Bible. The home mission societies have es tablished four schools within a short time. These are well-equipped cen tral schools, designed as feeders for denominational colleges. Small day schools, taught in log cabins, are lo cated In the remote and isolated val leys and coves of the mountains. Id county after county, extending ovei great stretches of country, the one- room cabin home, lighted by the open door, where men, women and children cook, eat and sleep. Is the rule; and such living does not produce the best, class of citizens. Six thousand of the children of the Southern highlanders are In school, while over 400,000 of them have no chance of securing an education. There are 2,000,000 Southern highlanders in the mountains of Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia and Vir ginia. They occupy 194 counties. Be tween 1730 and 1750, 240,000 people came from Ulster County, Ireland, to the Carolina shores. They formed the first republican government In Amer ica, in 1709, calling It the "Wautauga Association." To-day the highlanders are poor, neglected, outcast They lost their books In the early wars. They were driven to the mountains, away from educational and business centers, because they protested against slav ery. There are no Infidels among them, although lawlessness abounds. The lowest forms of civilization In the mountains are the clay-eaters. These people eat clay with a relish, and the only bad effect seems to be the pale, death-colored skin and stunt ed growth that result. The children who eat clay grow old prematurely, and the glow of youth leaves them. They are utterly without ambition, listless and Indifferent of all condi tions, present or future. The clay Is found along the banks of the mountain streams in inexhaust ible quantities, and is of a dirty white and yellow color. . It has a peculiar, oily appearance, and the oil keeps it from sticking to the hands or mouth. When dry It does not crumble, and a little water softens It until It can be rolled Into any shape. The clay la tasteless, but It must possess some nourishment, as these people claim they can subsist on it for days with out other food. They place a small piece of It In the mouth and keep tt there until it dissolves and alowly trickles down their throats. It Is eat en in small lamps. The appetite once fully developed for clay means that the Tictim Is a clay-fiend for life, Its Insidious hold equaling the opium hab itIndependent. ' A PAIR OF MUSICAL WONDERS. r...iirM. a .i as . m s I i HUT i iii J. A. WILCOX or Dl'lUND, MICH. C1IAS. O. HOSCU OF BISMARCK, H. D. J. A. Wilcox, of Durand, Mich., la known as the "Ona Man Orchestra." nays first and second Tlolln, piano, drum, harmonica, bells and triangle, all at the same time. When appearing In public he generally performs the fol lowing program: Overture, violin, piano and harmonica. 2. Light-foot pian ist playing piano, harmonica, drum, triangle, tunes violin, rosins bow, all these at the same time. 3. Tlays aecond violin with one hand and in five different positions, imitating dulcimer on Tlolln and harmonica. 4. Full com bination two violins, piano, Mangle, drum, harmonica and bolls. Reper toireWalts, quadrilles. Jigs, polkss, qulck-stepa. Many apeclal features the musical world never dreamed of. A novelty and a musical treat to all. Charles C. Hoach performs aimulta ncoualy upon harmonica, guitar, base Tlol and bolls. As will be seen In the picture, Mr. Hosch plays the bass In strument with his right foot With left foot he plays two bolls. The guitar and harmonica he plays with handa and month. Mr. notch loves music and studied the four-Instrument combination for his own amusement WEALTH OF THE CZAR, Nicholas II Hat an Income tf $50,000, OOO a Tear-World's Richest Man. It was reported from St Petersburg the other day, on semi-official author ity, that the Ciar had given the equiv alent of $100,000,000, from his private treasury to Russia's war fund. If cor rect this Is the largest single gift ever made by an Individual donor to any cause. But the Czar can well afford It, for he Is aald to be the richest man on earth. No living man ran tell the full ex tent of his wealth, not even Baron Frledertchs, the Comptroller of the Im perial Household. The official revenue of the Czar is nearly $10,000,000 per annum. It Is difficult to arrive at it exactly, for It Is paid in various ways and under many heads, and the sum total fluc tuates from year to year. But $10,000,- 000 may be taken as a fair average. It Is only a small part of his wealth, however, and the expense of maintain ing bis royal state more than accounts for this rait sum. If be depended upon bis official Income he would find U hard to make both ends meet Ills expenditures are almost lncredl- '1 . ,.1 : '1 CZAB NICHOLAS IL ble. It Is estimated that the magnifi cent state ball which was given Just as the war with Japan broke out cost over $1,000,000. The Czar's gifts to the Orthodox Church In the course of the year aver age over $2,500,000. On the other hand, the church turns over large revenues to him, estimated to exceed the amount which It receives. With the exception of the Shah of Persia, the Czar owns a greater for tune In diamonds and precious stones than any man in the world. When Nicholas II. was crowned a few years ago, the Emir of Bokhara and the Khan of Khiva, his two prin cipal vassal princes, vied with one an other In making him the richest gifts within their power. The Khan gave him a priceless rope of pearls, which Is said to be the fin est In the world, besides diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. His presents are estimated to have been worth at the lowest computation, $2,600,000; but no price could really be put upon them. His rival, the Emir, was not far be hind him; and the Hetmon of the Don Cossacks, Prince Srlatopolsk Mirskl II., came forward with some hand some contributions, as did all the lead ing nobles and princes of the Empire, to say nothing of foreign potentates. The Czar is the luckiest man on earth in the matter of "windfalls." His loyal subjects are constantly leaving him large sums of money by will, which are not always accepted. Deli cate diplomacy Is required to Induce the Czar to accept a legacy. These legacies, wben accepted, are never nsed'by the Czar fos his private grati fication. He regards them as a trust fund, and they have been so regarded by most of bis ancestors. This fund Is drawn upon for charitable and re ligious purposes. - Two and a half million dollars were given from it to relieve the starring peasants during the last terrible fam ine In Bessarabia. But It Is not con fined to Russian objects alone. The Czar made liberal donations from It to the laat Indian famine relief fund and in aid of the negro peasanta of Martinique who suffered by the erup tions of Mont Pelee. "It la impossible to arrive at any exact estimate of the wealth of Ilia Imperial Majesty," said a high dlplo matlst, "but I should think that, on the most conservative estimate, he must be worth, from all sources, far more thnn $50,000,000 a yenr. Thla la actual revenue, and docs not take Into account the hnge treasures In specie, million, and diamonds which are stored in the vaulta of the Teterhof Palace, In the citadel at Kronstudt and else where." WHEN HARRY UNDERSTOOD. Interesting Incident of tht Days of Iltd UoIuk for Hortc. With the bad going in the city's streeta in the last few days the horses have had about all they could do, some of them more; and It has been, gener ally, a time to try both horses and drivers, says the New Tork Sun. About as hard a crosstown block as any you would find In Its neighborhood for teams bound up grade is In Fulton street between Church street and Broadway. Many a team baa failed on this grade, and many a good team, with the going bad, haa had all It could do to negotiate It Coming up here In the usual crush at about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon was a great big team of three horses, a team that looked as though It could haul anything. Halfway up the block it began to move slowly. The giant middle horse wasn't pull ing his weight He wasn't hanging back, ho was not even loafing; but bis head was now back two or three Inch es from the heads of the other two. The driver looked down at the big horse In a sort of mild astonishment And then he didn't touch him with the whip, nor do a thing to him at all, but Just spoke to him. He called the horse by name In a low tone, Intended to be heard by the horse alone, but In a tone that ex pressed surprise, pain, friendly re proach and Interrogation. It Isn't pos sible to put down in type as he said It "narry?" And Harry heard and understood; and bis nose went out two or three Inches beyond the other horses' heads and he pulled his share of the load and more, and the big outfit took a fresh and sure start on toward Broad way. Isabella's Crown. When Jay Gould as a young man was wandering about the country try ing to sell books the Queen of Spain! was wearing as her crown the valu able possession which' now often graces the head of the book canvass er's daughter. When Queen Isabella was exiled she carried with her most of her Jewels. One of these was a crown set with some of the finest dia monds, emeralds, rubles and sapphires In the world. A few years ago a Span ish grandee, known to the Prince del Drago, came to America, nis sole fortune consisted of the gorgeous crown which bad belonged to bis grandaunt The Imperial bauble was offered for sale and was eventualy bought by the Goulds for $125,000. It is now worn by the Countess Castel lane. Most Work Harder Than Ever. "So I hear you hare taken a farm fifteen miles from the city. When do you retire from business?" "Who said anything about retiring from business ?" "It stands to reason you can't farm and attend to business here at the same time." "Who's going to support the farm If I quit business T" New Tork Press. A Mighty Nimrodu Bard Hunter Had great lack to day. Archie Gunter Bag anything? Burd Hunter No, but I brought all the dogs back alive Pennsylvania Punch Bowl. Vic. The letter of Miss Mcrkley,' whose picture is printed above, proves beyond question that thousands of coses of Inflamma tlon of the ovaries and womb are annually cured by the use ot Lydla E Pinkham's Vegetable Compound. "Dia Mrs. Pnvxn ami Gradual loss of strength and nerve force told me something waa radically wrong" with me. 1 bad severe shooting palna through the pelvlo organs, cramps and extreme Irritation compelled me to seek medical advice. The doctor aald that I bad ovarian trouble and ulcera tion, and advised an operation. I trongly objected to this and decided to try Lyaia is. l'inknam'g vege table Compound. I soon found thai my judgment waa correct, and that all tha good things said about this medi cine were true, and day by day I fell less pain and Increased appetite. The ulceration soon healed, and the other oompllcatlona disappeared, and la eleven weeks l was once more strong; and vigorous and perfectly welL "My heartiest thanka are sent to yon for the great good you have done me." Sincerely yours, Miss Maroarkt Mcrkuet, 278 Third St, Milwaukee, Wis. $$000 ftrftH If trlflmU tf aWst MM EACH COLOR TO ITSELF. How the Cherokee Nation Octa Over tbt Kace Problem, The race problem In the Cherokee nation Is solved to the general satis faction of the three rnnra concerned and the Intermediary mixed bloods. In the location of homes the Cherokee fullbloods and negroes are mostly la settlements. The Intermarried whites largely are In towns and territory con tiguous to each other. The Cherokee speaking citizens much prefer to asso ciate together. In the nation there are thirty school! attended by fullblood Cherokee chil dren and seventeen by negro children. The negro blood schools are not so by legal requirement, but as a corollary of their preference to live near eacb other. The Cherokee and negro do not Intermarry or socially mingle. Two seminaries and an orphan asylum are attended by fullbloods and mixed bloods only, the colored high school by negroes only. In the Incorporated school districts whites and Indians attend the same schools, and race prejudice and undue feeling on either side aro being lost la fellowship and friendship cultivated In the class room and on the playground. Both sides are better satisfied In the combined schools than they were when they were kept separate Fullbloods secin to mingle as freely with white renters and their families of good char acted as they do with mixed bloods. Of the 33.S00 citizens of the Chero kee nation the best statistical Informa tion gives about 8,500 fullbloods, 3.200 Intermarried whites, 22,800 mixed bloods and 4,000 frecdmen. Kansas City Journal. Women Can't Remarry. Good society In Korea has many curious customs. One of these Is that widows must not remarry. No widow In the really "smart set" would ever dream of remarrying, however young sho mny be or however soon the death of her husband may have followed her wedding. Married life in Korea Is by no means an unmixed blessing to the woman, so perhaps perpetual wid owhood might not bo objectionable If It were not for the necessity of per petually wearing mourning for the de parted. Tbls means that during the whole of her life she is limited to blue, black, and green as colors for her cos tumes. Great minds must be ready not only to take opportunities, but to make them. Colton. Ayers To be sure, you are crowing old. But why let everybody see It, in your gray hair? Keep your hair dark and rich and postpone age. If you will Hair Vigor only use Ayer's Hair Vigor, your gray hair will soon have all the deep, rich color of youth. Sold for 60 years. "I im now ortr SO yssr eld, snd I bars S thick, flour bud of Ions hair which 1 s wonder to ovary on who imi It, And not a gtsy bate ln It, all duo to Avar's Hair Visor." mm, a. . jvujTMo, uwviuM, jama. fl1.S a bottlt. t. o. Arts oo., I.ownlt, Mum. ail ornimiia, for White Hair