Lincoln County leader., August 19, 1897, Image 2

"l
i' n
Thirty-one years ago the town of
iMckson, Ti'im., was u village of elev
en houses, with a population of thlrty
sevcn whites and fourteen negroes. It
was Just such n hamlet as can yet lie
found along the rapidly extending
branch lines of t lie Louisville and
Nashville Knilroad system; rough
board houses, rail fences around small
garden spots, nu NxlL dcwt and post
office and tin- inevitable tavern a lug
structure containing two rooms mid
an atiii-. presided over by Old Squire
Jim Iickson, whose wife furnished ac
commodations to the few travelers who
by chance ciiine that way. "Squire
.fini." as he Is yet called, was the origi
nal settler, the lending man of the set
tlemeiit, and dealt out such Justice and
legal opinions as were necessary for
the maintenance of the pence of the
village he had founded and which was
named lor him.
Three times a week n train would
'ome out from Nashville, forty miles
east of Dickson, and go down tin1
crooked tracks of the Nashville, Clint.
lanooga and St. I.ouis Itnilroud to
.lolinsonville, on the Tennessee Uiver.
The arrival of a train (by no means n
certainty on any particular day) was
11 signal for Dickson's entire popula
tion to gather at the little depot and
postotlice to await the opening of the
nia II. The train usually consisted of
three freight cars and the still familiar
cnlmose, with its rough wooden seats,
inok stove and bunks for the crew. In
tills passengers were hauled, and many
were the Jars they received.
It was seldom that a stranger stop,
ped in Dickson, and the advent of one
always created excitement. Hut one
day a man stepped oil' the Nashville
train and Imiuircil for n tavern. He
appeared to be about -1(1 years of age,
was neatly dressed and was peculiar
In that he talked only when It was un
avoidable, brought with him no bag
gage and carried a cane nearly two
Indies in diameter and apparently very
heavy. "Squire .Mm" answered the
stranger's query anil led him to the
ji-ir.i. AliiTM THE IMSTOX, 11 IS HANI. STILL (iKASPlXU THE
VALVE."
tavern, where he gave his name as
I'rauk King, paid in advance for a stay
of three months, and requested that he
lie left to his own devices and not ask
ed to Join In any of the convivial af
raid for which the Squire's hostelry
was deservedly ruinous,
Dowu la what Is now n thickly pop.
Hinted residence district there Is n
spring that furnishes water for half a
do.eu factories and their employes. At
thai time It was surrounded by n dense
growth of underbrush, and was n fa
vorite spot for hunters, game of nil
kinds alKiunding. To this spring Frank
King would go every morning, rarely
returning for dinner, ami frequently
staying there all night. lie carried
villi him nothing except his cane,
which. Indeed, was never out or his
reach. Squire Dickson spent many
hours guessing what might be the busi
ness or Ids reticent guest. At last, con
vlnced that It was his duty to invest),
gate, he said one evening:
"Mr. King, we want to know what
brings you to Dickson and why you go
bo rrcquently to McKarland's Ri'irlng."
"Well, sir," replied King. "I'm go.
lug to build the biggest Hour mill this
side or New York.
He said no more, but began writing
letters in lumber and lnnchlticry houses
In tlie East, the destination of which
"Squire Jim" shrewdly guessed at the
posiolllce. In a few days workmeu up.
Hared from Nashville nnd hegau the
laying of ii foundation that covered
Imlf nn acre. King directed operations,
knew Just what he wanted and how he
wanted It done. Car loads or lumber
nnd machinery begnu to arrive, and
every mail and team for miles around
was engaged to help build the main,
moth mill. Eveu "Squire Jim" left his
tavern to the care of Mrs. Jim aud uc
cepted a situation as boss carpenter
on the new mill. It was a big under
taking, and attracted attention from
all the papers of the State. Men be
gan flocking to Dickson, and other
smaller Industries were commenced
Meanwhile King remained uou-coni-
inlttal. He had no friends, no visitors.
told his business to no one and said
nothing of Ills former life. His work
men were paid weekly, and his supply
of money seemed Inexhaustible. No
one could tell where It came from, and
finally It was accepted as a matter of
course, though one or two detectives
came from the city to take a look at
the man whose past was so well con
cealed. In December. LSI!", the mill
was completed. By this time Dickson
could boast of a population of nearly
3(Ki, with a brick church and school,
all the result of King's mill. No sooner
was tlie final touch of the painter's
brush applied to the huge sign that
covered the entire four-story front of
the building than King gave up his
room at the Dickson inn and moved
into liis big creation. It was not known
when the mill would start. Everything
was in readiness with the exception
of engaging lielp and obtaining pro
duct to grind. Men had asked King
for work and had been told that he had
sufficient help. One venturesome far
mer offered to sell him wheat, and was
told that none was required.
It was three days before Christmns,
18ii7, that King moved Into his mill.
He barred the doors and until New
Year's eve was not seen or heard. At
just 12 o'clock New Year's the towu
was startled by prolonged whistling
from tlie mill. Running to the scene
the astonished natives saw great vol
umes of smoke pouring from the clilin
neys and heard the rumble of machin
ery, although not a light appeared. The
great mass of machinery continued to
run until morning. This was repeated
every night for n week, and still no
door was opened.
Then one night nil was quiet. Tlie
next day "Squire Jim" got together a
crowd of men and broke dowu the
door of tlie mill. In the engine room
they found the lifeless luidy of poor
King, twisted around the piston, torn
and maimed, his haud still grasping
mo valve, where he had bravely shut
off steam after being cnnirhi. i"in tim
floor lay the familiar enne. In his
pocket no letters were found, ami In
the mill he had created he had died, a
mystery to the world, perhaps n mys
tery to himself. At the Inquest the
cane was examined. It was hollow,
and in It was found $!),(HH) in I'ulted
States government bonds. This was
evidently where his money had been
taken from to erect the mill. The Jury
gave a verdict of accidental death, anil
at the head or his grave yet stands a
rough stone, upon which are cut these
words:
'THANK KING.
A mystery In life;
.
Itrnve in death."
.
Vnder direction of "Squire Jim" the
mill was closed and the money retain
ed to pay taxes until some heir came
to claim It.
Iast week a pale-faced woman,
whose every movement spoke of loug.
endured ami groat sorrow, registered
at the now metropolitan Anderson
Mouse, w hich stands on the same spot
once occupied by "Squire Jim's" nrlml.
tlve tavern. She is perhaps I0 years
old, though her silvery hair and care
worn expression gave the Impression
or "0. On the register she inscribed:
Mrs, Annie Wetland. Northampton
.mhss. y, uilo curiously euougli t'e
old mill sign is plain: "Annie Welland
Mills." Mis. Wellaud tells her story
this way:
"Just after tlie close of the war,
while living in Boston, I met nnd was
married to Frank Wetland, n Lleuten.
ant In the Federal army. His home
was at Northampton, where we at
i e moved. He had been wounded
during the war. and had just recovered
after a long attack of brain fever. He
was heir to a large fortune, a portion
of which lie insisted upon making over
to me. The rest he converted Into gov
ernment bonds and carried In a large
cane made for that purpose. We had
lived together hut a few months when
Frank was again atliictcd with brain
trouble. One of his hallucinations was
that he had charge of a large mill
which he must run without help. One
day he disappeared, and though I have
spent thousands of dollars aud travel,
ed all over the country. I could find no
trace of him. In June of this year I
came to the Tennessee centennial.
While in machinery hall one day I
heard two men who were looking at
tlie milling machinery exhibits talking
of the old Annie Welland mill. I ask
ed them where the mill was located,
iliid they loiu ine i he siory ol its build
ing. I hastened to Dickson, and am
now satisfied that my husband and
Fiiiuk King are one and the same.
How he got to Dickson I will, perhaps
never know. 1 shall not do anything
with the in ill. He must have named It
from the memory of his love for me,
and It shall stand ns he left it until
time or accident has worked its de
struction." Mrs. Welland has gone home, nftet
ordering a monument placed at the
head of her husband's grave. Mean
while, the old mill stands bleak aud
bare, Its timbers falling away. Its doors
and windows gone, a habitation for
rats and mice, bats and owls, a ghost.
l.v, weird skeleton, rising high in the
midst of progress. Itself an echo of the
mysterious man who bullded to Ills
own death, and the life-long heart sick
ness of a loving woman.
How a ltich Man Started in Business
"I made most of mv nionev bv hard
knocks," declared the old resident who
has no financial troubles eveu In these
dubious times, "but I once made some
very easy money just when I was sore
ly In need of It.
'I had lira tinged to buy a little
stretch or lake shore with tlie idea of
disposing or it ns a summer resort. No
one was looking for that kind of an In
vestment and I had a dead duck on my
lunula, I liaiiiieucd dowu there iust at
the breaking up of winter, when I had
nothing else to do nnd no money to du
It with ir I had. There was n blir raft
of logs tied up at my liench aud It had
neon there since the late rail; at least,
that is tlie view I took or the situation.
It was a bold violation or private
rights. How had they dared to thus
Invade my premises without nerhiis-
slonV I learned who the owners were
in the East ami sent them a bill or $:W
for dockage. Their reply came through
a representative, who wanted me to
settle for a trifle, but I would hear to
nothing but the full amount. There
was a principle Involved that I would
not sacrifice. He left with the threat
that I would never get a dollar.
"I bribed the man in charge of the
raft to notify me when It was to bp
moved ami as soon as I heard from
him I had the sheriff there to make a
levy. I had a check for ?::o as soon as
It could be got to mo. It proved the
thin edge or the wedge with which I
entered Into the business that made me
rich. Six weeks later I discovered that
the raft had not been on my land at all.
It was forty feet beyond my Hue. Hut
what could I do, with my money tied
up In an investment? So I said noth
ing." Detroit Eree Tress.
Cases of Fire In Theaters.
Mr. Snobs details the causes or fire
In T.Kt cases which have broken out at
the back or theaters. Forty-four have
been due to defects In the gas Installa
tion. 117 to open lights, 32 to defects til
heating apparatus, 31 to fireworks. 18
to lumps, 17 to explosions, 7 to derects
In the elecirie installation and a simi
lar number to gas. In the case of
7(! the time or outbreak is reported.
Forty-two per cent, occurred In the
night, 24 per cent, in the daytime, 17
per cent, within two hours after a per
forma nee and 13.5 per cent, during the
progress of an entertainment, or the
total number of outbreaks chronicled
5S4 have occurred in Europe (l.'tl) In
Great Hrltalnl nnd B31 In the I'nlted
States. New York lias the largest pro
portion 11 tires at L'7 different estab.
llshmeiits and London comes second
with IS.", at 27 establishments and FarU
third with 31 nt 28 estiibllshinetits.
Loudou Saturday Heview.
His Brotherly I.ove.
An apostle or brotherly love or Wlch.
lta. Kan., went to Topeka to lecture
aud this is the way lie talked: "Whv
if a hare-brained, silly, iniinUklug
foolish, slHik, well-groomed dnuelug
man should waltz around a ballroom
with his wife, I would hunt lilni up the
next morning and kick him around the
public square, If 1 could do It If l
couldn't do It I would hire the biggest
darky In town to do It for me. It would
bo done."
Our Iden or a good time would l to
have so little to do that we could never
reiuenilHr what dav of the week U U.
HINTS ABOUT DIVING.
HOW TO ACQUIRE ABILITY IN
THIS RECREATION.
Rules to Be Followed When Keoctiinir
One Who Cannot t wim A Knowl
edge of This Art Is Kssential to
Life Saving.
Snvlnir Persons from T'rownlnnr,
The whole secret or making a dive nt
the first attempt is to have plenty of
confidence. Beginners, ns a rule, are so
nervous that they start to make a dive,
but change their mind before reaching
the water and turn It Into an awkward
tumble. It has often been round a
good plan for two persons to hold a
HIVING.
towel out In rrout or the diver to show
how high he must throw his legs
lu order to make a clean dive.
The low dive Is aliout three reet rrom
the surface. With the hands over the
head take n deep respiration, nnd In
leaving the solid surface throw the feet
above the level or the head. In enter
lug the water turn the hands upward
and you come to the surface. The
prettiest high dive is made when you
spring far out, the body almost In n
horizontal level, nnd allow the head
and arms to decline toward the water.
In nmklug a very high dive the per
former changes the position of his
body by giving a peculiar quirk to Ids
legs, which has the effect of shouting
him into tlie water hind first.
Headers are taken by running and
jumping off a springboard. The body
is straight eiied out as in a high dive,
and there Is but little splash on enter
ing the water. Diving feet first and
the sitting jump, with hands clasped
over knees, are also sometimes prac
ticed. Flippers nre single or double
somersaults make backwards or for
wards from n board or solid surface.
The plunge differs from the dive in
that the former is made head first rrom
a firm take-off, the body being entire,
ly free from spring. You simply plunge
Into the water and rise to the surface
R18I.NO to the surface.
by the guiding of the hands, which nre
held out in front as lu a dive. While
In the water the body Is perfectly mo
tionless. Good plungers can glide sev-enty-five
feet lu this way with little
difficulty.
Diving is absolutely essential In lire
snvlng, It being necessary frequently
to dive for a drowning person. It Is
nlso essential to know Just how to np
proach and grip a drowning person and
how to release oneseir from their oft
tlmeg fatal clutch. The following meth-
IN STATES SHOWN BLACK BICYCLES ARE CARRIED AS BAGGAOf
V--tv r"'KSlJ ''
-New York World. "B
od Is nearly about iiwt
ine me-sjiving servie,. .., .
the Vliited States. Vx,Z,Y
proved It tobe.nos.ejr;,',',
to lie regretted ih, t ' . 1,1
not more generally know,, tin 7
areas follows: ,u'unmf,:
" , arms sin,
neottsly against tlie drowiilu, '
llllltlilia fiiittt'.i..,1 ..... B
'"tHtlHIttOt
your arms at right amrl,. J...
body. This will disclate i T
ii mi compel linn to let g(), i. ,,
around the neck, bring the knl
Iween tin 1....11
agn 11st the lower part of yoijl
TO, men giVc . 1
sudden intuit c,t....t..t. ....... 1
legs at the same time, and ,1 Ji Vft.
. ... K"r .,om' lHW blithe
mm ... p.css ine atr out of hl8(J J,ircn
flu fnll iu ttnol. 1.1 a. . I I1 '
as well as push him off. n0 matted
..J41II..1 lie mny up Holding,
If clutched' around tli in
jiiiraHi
It pro
U I:
Jwevf
arms, lean well over youroppownii
iuio one arm in nn upward dine,
... ..Kin ...igies to tlie huily, or M
! orM Jl
is mil j
Jl otli
.uc 11 mi up oeiweeti your lody and
"en. with tnuiniiand forefinger,
Ids nose 11 nil i.lneli tin. .1n
,111111
the same time nlaeimr ilm iJmjTT
trie
hand on his chin and push outn
Tliis will cause him to open his up
ror breathing purposes, and he.k
under, will swallow water. cW
ensues, and not only is the rescuer
im lllll tlw. ..4 1........ 1. .
tllllfl
we
!K'trii
ke, s
(lie 0
tOOH
e,li
p.", ...... ...1- uuivi 10 irii su neipipsn:j
ne is completely under control,
clutched high around the Nyi:
arms, lean well over and turn oner
lu an outward and upward dirm,
which move will free tlie nnu. i
then proceed ns lu the other ('1KB
iillllll
wlli
iile,
1
An 1
Alsmt the easiest way of tmriu
Aunt
person to shore Is to grasp bini bjil
; moi
1 ifnei
iliari
the
the
.at a
me
vied
iniei
11 ol
(ionics or uiKier the arm nnd swim
your back with a fast side stmi.
you swim better witli the broad Mint
turn over on your face nnd l
drowning one He on his lack and
his arms about your neck. Or, If y;
.. : 1,.
3l. -
.It I
neo1
10 dl
uaki
it
Jet t
fc'tw
ItKOl'l'INO.
trai
nre very strong, hold him up with J
arm and swim with the other.
A Tlmolv TtAtinlcp.
A lady, riding 011 a car on the Xfl
lork Central Kail way. was dwuri
In her reading by the conversation
two gentlemen, occunving the seat J
before her. One of them seemed to
n student of some college, on hist'
I at
Ive
home ror a vacation. He used m
profane language, greatly to the M
n ii.iiivn nnu
She thought she would rebuke biJ
and, on begging pardon for interni
Ing. asked the young student If nek
studied the laugunges.
"Yes, madam, I have mastered f
languages quite well."
"Do you read and speak Hebrew
"HnttO flllUlltll-
"Will you be so kind as to do 0
small favor?"
"With great pleasure. I ui atH
servti '
"Will you be so kind as to do J
ftiU'Dnpltiir in 1 1..l.i.uii'V"
The lady was not annoyed any no"
. .
oy tlie uugentleuiiiniy language
wouiu-oe gentleman.
A Congressman's Horseshoe
congressman Hussell, 01 Luut-j
cut, has something like a bushel I
horseshoes which lie lias pieKeu r
a.v ..1 ..1. . t nn....Ano nrnqmf'.
k-M. Ul 17. Kill UUC ItmilUCUn v.-
in 1.1 j. . thallir
n u.n.iu.ire 1..B HOU. IUU'U.8 tit
. . . ... i-A
nton in Washington, nnd the rema
or me uuhuoi, except a lew, ov"
Knv o l.la hmi In KllllD!
Tlie few which are especially rrser
from the collection lu the W
hanging on the port waist oar
t.. 11 . 1 a- i . tntt ctrol
vusneii nseu 10 pun a w mums
with in the old six-onred crew of W
College in 7.'l.
c s
nvei
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