The Summerville news. (Summerville, Chattooga County, Ga.) 1896-current, July 14, 1897, Image 2
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CHAPTER VI
“Do not let the voter in your l>lnod
whimper for mercy."
Monterey danced every night and all
night of that week either at Alvarado's
or at the custom house, and every fter
noon met at the races, the lm!4 fight, a
merienda or to climb the greased [>ole,
catch the greased pig by its tail as it
ran or exhibit skill in horsemanship
Chonita, at times an imperious coquette,
at others indifferent, perverse or coy,
was la favorita without appeal, and
the girls alternately worshiped her —she
was abstractedly kind to them—or heart
ily wished her back in Santa Barbara
Estenega rarely attended the socialities
being closeted with Alvarado and Castro
most of the time, and when he did she
avoided him if sho could.
#»***»
On the last night of the festivities
when the women, weary with the nun
sually late hours of the past week, had
left the ballroom early and sought their
beds, and the men, being at loss for
other amusement, had gone in a body to
a saloon, there to drink and gamble and
set fire to each other's curls and trousers
seats, tho departmental junta met in se
cret session. The night was warm, the
plaza deserted. All who were not in the
saloon at the other end of the town were
asleep, and after the preliminary words
in Alvarado's office the junta picked up
their chairs and went forth to hold con
clave where bulls and bears had fought
and the large indulgent moon gave
clearer light than adamantine candles.
They drew close together, and after
rolling the eigarito solemnly regarded
the shy for a few moments without
speaking. Their purpose was a grave
one. They met to try Pio Pico for con
tempt of government and annoying in
sistence in behalf of his pet project to
remove the capital from Monterey to
Los Angeles, Jose Antonio Carillo and
Reinaldo Iturbi y Moncada for conspir
acy, and General Vallejo for evil disposi
tion and unwarrantable comments upon
the policy of the administration. None
of the offenders was present.
With the exception of Alvarado, Cas
tro and Estenega, the members of the
junta were men of middle age and rep
resented the talent of California—Ji
meno, Gonzales, Arguello, Requena, Del
Valle—their dark, bearded faces, up
turned to tho stars, made a striking set
of profiles, the effect somewhat marred
by the silk handkerchiefs tied about
their heads.
Alvarado spoke finally, and after pre
senting the charges in due form con
tinued:
“The individual enemy to the govern
ment is like the fly to tho lion—it cannot
harm, but it can annoy. We must brush
away the fly as a vindication of our dig
nity and take precaution that he does
not return, even if we have to bond our
heads to tie his little legs. Ido not pur
pose to bo annoyed by these blistering
midgets wo are met to consider, nor to
have my term of administration spotted
with their gall. I leave it to yon, my
compatriots and friends, to advise me
what is best to do.”
Jirneno put his feet on tho side rung
of Castro’s chair, puffed a large gray
cloud and half closed his eyes. He then
for three-quarters of an hour, in a low
musical voice, discoursed upon the dig
nity of the administration and the de
pravity of the offenders. When his
brethren were beginning to drop their
heads and breathe heavily Alvarado po
litely interrupted him and referred the
matter to Ciistro.
“Imprison them!" exclaimed the im
petuous general, suddenly alert. “With
such a governor and such a people this
should boa land white as tho mountain
tops, unblemished by tho tracks of mean
ambitions and sinful revolutions. Let
us be summary, although not cruel.
Let no man's blood flow while there are
prisons in the Californios; but wo must
pluck up the roots of conspiracy and
disquiet, lest a thousand suckers grow
about them, as about the half cut trunks
of our redwood trees, and our Califor
nias be uo better than any degenerate
country of the Old World. Let us cast
them iuto prison without further de
bate."
“The law, my dear Jose, gives them a
trial,” drawled Gonzales. And then
for a half hour he quoted such law as
was known in the country. When he
finished the impatient and suppressed
members of tho junta delivered their
opinions simultaneously; only Estenega
liad nothing to say. They argued and
suggested, cited evidence, defended and
denounced, lashing themselves into a
mighty excitement At length they
were all on their feet gesticulating and
prancing
“Mother of God!" cried Requena.
“Let ns give V allejo a taste of his own
cruelty. Let ns put him in a temascal
and set those of his Indian victims who
are still alive to roast him ont"
“No, no! Vallejo is maligned. He
had no hand in that massacre. His
heart is whiter than an angel's"
“It is his liver that is white. His heart
is as black as a blacksnake’s. To the
devil with him!"
“Make a law’ that Pio Pico can never
put foot out of Los Angeles again, since
he loves it so well”
“His ugly face would spoil the next
generation”
“Death to Carillo and Iturbi y Mon
cada! Death to all! Let the poison out
oi the veins of California!”
"No, no! As little blood in California
as possible. Put them in prison and
keep them on frijoles and w’ater for a
year. That will cure rebellion —no
chickens, no dulces, no aguardiente”
Alvarado brought his staff of office
down sharply upon a board he had pro
vided for tho purpose.
“Gentlemen,” he said, "w’ill yon not sit
down and smoke another eigarito? We
must be calm.”
The junta took to its chairs at once.
Alvarado never failed to command re
spect.
“Don Diego Estenega,” said the gov
ernor, "will you tell us what j t ou have
thought while the others have talked?”
Estenega. who had been star gazing,
turned to Alvarado, ignoring the junta.
His keen, brilliant eyes gave the gov
ernor a thrill of relief; his mouth ex
pressed a mind made up and intolerant
of argument.
“Vallejo,” he said, "is like a horse
that will neither run nor back into his
stall; he merely stands still and kicks.
His kicking makes a noise and raises a
dust, but does no harm. In other words,
he will irritate, but never take a re
sponsibility. Send him an official notice
that if he does not keep quiet an armed
force will march upon Sonoma and im
prison him in his own house, humili
ating him before tho eyes of his soldiers
and retainers.
"As for Pio Pico, threaten to fine and
punish him. He will apologize at once
and be quiet for six months, when you
can call another secret session and issue
another threat. It would prolong the
term of his submission to order him to
appear before the junta and make it an
apology with due humility.
"Now for Carillo and Reinaldo Iturbi
y Moncada.” He paused a moment and
glanced at Chonita’s grating. He had
the proofs of her brother’s rascality in
his pocket; no one but himself had seen
them. He hesitated the fraction of an
other moment, then smiled grimly. “Oh,
Helen!” he thought, “the same old story.”
“That Carillo is guilty,” he said aloud,
“is proved to us beyond doubt. He has
incited rebellion against the government
in behalf of Carlos Carillo. He is dan
gerous to the peace of the country.
Iturbi y Moncada is young and heedless;
hardly to bo considered seriously. Fur
thermore, it is impossible to obtain proof
of his complicity. His intimacy with
Carillo gives him the appearance of guilt.
It would be w T ell to frighten him a little
by a short term of imprisonment. He
is restless and easily led; a lesson in
time may save his honored house from
disaster. But to Carillo no quarter I”
He rose and stood over them. “The
best thing in Machiavelli’s ‘Prince,’ ” he
said, “is the author’s advice to Caesar
Borgia to exterminate every member of
the reigning house of a conquered coun
try, in order to avoid future revolutions
and their infinitely greater number of
dead. Do not let the water in your
blood w’him per for mercy. You are not
here to protect an individual, but a coun
try."
“You are right,” 6aid Alvarado.
The others looked at the young man
who had merely given the practical ad
vice of statecraft as if he had opened his
chest and displayed the lamp of wisdom
burning. His absence of excitement in
all ordeals which animated them to mad
ness had long ago inspired the suspicion
that he was rather more than human.
They uttered not a protest. Alvarado’s
one eyed secretary made notes of their
approval, and the junta, after another
friendly smoke, adjourned, well pleased
with itself.
"Would I sacrifice my country for her
a year hence?” thought Estenega as he
sauntered home. "But after all, little
harm is done. He is not worth killing,
and fright and discomfort will probably
cure him.”
CHAPTER Vn.
“Let me qoP’ she said. “ Let me go! T
fear you," -
Chonita und Estenega faced each other
among the Cartilmn rosea of the gnrden
behind the governor’s house. The duena
was nodding in a corner; the firstborn
of the Alvgrndou screaming within ab
sorbed the attention of every member of
the household, from the frantic young
mother to the practical nurse.
“My brother is to l»e arrested, you say?”
“Yes."
“And at your suggestion?”
"Yes.”
"And he may die?”
"Possibly.”
"Nothing would have been done if it
had not l>een for you?’
"Nothing.”
"God of my life! mother of God! how
1 hate you!“
“It is war then?”
“1 would kill you if I were not a Cath
olic."
"I will make you forget that you are a
Catholic."
"You have made me remember it to
my bitterest sorrow. I hate you so mor
tally that I cannot go to confession; I
cannot forgive.”
“I hojie you will continue to hate for a
time. Now listen to me. You have sev
eral reasons for hating me. My house is
the enemy of yours. lam to all intents
and purposes an American; you can con
sider me as such. I have that indiffer
ence for religious superstition and in
tolerance for religion’s thraldom which
all minds larger of circumference than a
napkin ring must come to in time. I
have endangered the life of your brother,
and I have opposed and shall oppose him
in his political aspirations; he has my
unequivocal contempt. Nevertheless I
tell you here that I should marry you
were there five hundred reasons for your
hatred of me instead of a paltry five. I
shall take pleasure in demonstrating to
you that there is a force in the universe
a good deal stronger than traditions, re
ligion or even family ties.”
His eyes were not those of a lover—
they shone like steel. His mouth was
forbidding. She drew back from him in
terror, then struck her hands together
passionately.
“I marry you!” she cried. "An Este
nega! A renegade! May God cast me
out of heaven if l do! There, 1 have
sworn! I have sworn! Do you think a
Catholic would break that vow? I swear
it by the church —and I put the whole
church between us!”
“I told you just now that 1 would make
you forget your church.” He caught her
hand and held it firmly. “A last word,”
he said. "Your brother’s life is safe—l
promise you that. ”
“Let me go!” she said. “Let me go! 1
fear you." She was trembling; his
warmth and magnetism had sprung to
her shoulder. He gave her back her hand.
“Go,” he said; “so ends the first chap
ter ”
CHAPTER VHI.
"Dost thou think I am made of doub
loonst”
Casa Grande, the mansion of tho
Iturbi y Moncadas in Santa Barbara,
stood at the right of the presidio, facing
the channel. A mile behind, under the
shadow of the gaunt rocky hills curving
about the valley, was the long white
mission, with its double towers, corridor
of many arches, and sloping roof cov
ered with red tiles. Between was the
wild valley where cattle grazed among
the trees and the massive bowlders. The
red tiled white abode houses of the
presidio and of the little town clustered
under its wing, the brown mud huts of
the Indians, were grouped in the fore
ground of the deep valley.
The great house of the Iturbi y Mon
cadas, erected in the first years of the
century, was built about three sides of a
court, measuring one hundred feet each
way. Like most of the adobes of its
time it had but one story, and a wide
pillared corridor, protected by a sloping
roof, faced tho court, which w r as as bare
and hard as the floor of a ballroom. Be
hind the dw’elling were the manufac
tories and huts of the Indian retainers.
Don Guillermo Iturbi y Moncada was
the magnate of the south. His ranchos
covered four hundred thousand acres;
his horses and cattle w’ere nnnumbered.
His Indians, carpenters, coopers, sad
dlers, shoemakers, weavers, manufac
turers of household staples, supplied the
garrison and town with the necessaries
of life. He also did a large trading busi
ness in hides and tallow.
Rumor had it that in the wooden
tower bnilt against the back of the house
he kept gold by the bushel basketful,
but no one called him a miser, for he
gave the poor of the town all they ate
and wore and kept a supply of drugs for
their sick. So beloved and revered was
he that when earthquakes shook the
town or fires threatened it from the hills
the poor ran in a body to the courtyard
of Casa Grande and besought his pro
tection. They never passed him without
saluting to the ground, nor Ms house
without bending their heads. And yet
they feared him, for he was an irascible
old gentleman at times, and thumped
unmercifully when in a temper. Chonita
alone could manage him always.
When I returned to Santa Barbara
with Chonita after her visit to Monterey
the yellow’ fruit hung in the padre's or
chard; the grass was burning browm; sky
and water were the hard blue of metal.
The afternoon of our arrival Don Guil
lermo, Chonita and 1 were on the long
middle corridor of the house—in Santa
Barbara one lived in the air. The old don
sat on the long green bench by the sala
door. His heavy, flabby, leathery f^ce
had no wrinkles but those which curved
from the comer* of the mouth to the
chin. The thin upi**r lip was habitu
ally pressed hard agaiust the small pro
truding under one, the mouth ending iu
straight lines which seemed no part of
the lips. His small, slanting eyes, usually
stem, conld snap with anger, as they
did today. The nose rose suddenly from
the middle of his face; it might have
been applied by a child sculpturing with
putty: the flat bridge was crossed by
erratic lines. A bang of grizzled hair
escaped from the black silk handker
chief wound as tightly as a turban about
his head. He woie short clothes of dark
brown cloth, the jacket decorated with
large silver buttons, a red damask vest,
shoes of embroidered deerskin and a cra
vat of fine linen.
Chonita, in a white gown, a pale green
reboso about her shoulders, her arms
crossed, her head thoughtfully bent for
ward, walked slowly up and down lie
fore him.
"Holy God!” cried the old man, pound
ing the floor with his stick. "That they
have dared to arrest my son—tho son of
Guillermo Iturbi y Moncada! That Al
varado, my friend and thy host, should
have permitted it!”
"Do not blame Alvarado, my father.
Remember, he must listen to the de
partmental junta, and this is their
work." "Fool that I am!” she added to
herself, “why do I not tell who alone is
to blame? But I need no one to help dm
hate him!"
“Is it true that this Estenega of whom
I hear so much is a member of the
junta?”
“It may be.”
“If so, it is he, he alone, who has
brought dishonor upon my house. Again
they have conquered!”
“This Estenega I met —and who was
compadre with me for the baby—i 3 very
young, my father. If it be he who is a
member of the junta, he could hardly
rule such men as Alvarado, Jirneno and
Castro. I saw no other Estenega.”
“True! I must have other enemies in
the north; but I had not known of it.
But they shall learn of my power in the
south. Don Juan de la Borrasca went
today to Los Angeles with a bushel of
gold to bail my son, and both will be
with us the day after tomorrow. A
curse upon Carillo—but 1 will speak of
it no more. Tell me, my daughter—God
of my soul, but I am glad to have thee
back!—what thoughtest thou of this son
of the Estenegas? Is it Ramon, Este
ban or Diego? I have seen none of them
since they were little ones.
“I remember Diego well. He had light
ning in his little tonguo and the devil in
his brain. I liked him, although’he was
tho son of my enemy, and if ho had been
an Iturbi y Moncada 1 would have made
a great man of him. Aye, but ho was
quick. One day in Monterey he got
under my feet and I fell flat, much im
periling my dignity, for it was on Al
varado street, and I was a member of
the territorial deputation. I could have
beaten him, 1 was so angry, but lie
scrambled to bis little feet, and helping
me to mine, he said, whilst dodging my
stick, ’Be not angry, senor. I gave my
promise to the earth that thou shouldst
l«iss her. for all the world has prayed
that she should not embrace thee for
ninety years to come.’ What could I
do? I gave him a cake. Thou smilest.
my daughter; but thou wilt not com
mend the enemy of thy house. No? All,
well, we grow less bitter as we grow old,
and although I hated his father I liked
Diego.
“Again I remember I was in Monterey,
and he was there; his father and 1 were
both members of the deputation. Caram
ba! what hot words passed between us!
But I was thinking of Diego. I took a
volume of Shakespeare from him one
day. ’Thou art too young to read such
books,’ I said. ‘A baby reading what
the good priests allow not men to
read! I have not read this heretic book
of plays, and yet thou dost lie there on
thy stomach and drink in its wicked
ness.’ 'lt is true,’ he said, and how his
steel eyes did flash, ‘but when I am as
old as yon, senor, my stomach will be
flat and my head will be big. Thou art
the enemy of my father, but —hast thou
noticed?—thy stomach is bigger than his,
and he has conquered thee in speech and
in politics more times than thou hast
found vengeance for. Aye—and thy
ranchos have richer soil and many more
cattle, but he has a library, Don Guil
lermo, and thou hast not.’ I spanked
him then and there, but I never forgot
what he said, and thou hast read what
thou listed. I would not that the chil
dren of Alejandro Estenega should know
more than those of Guillermo Iturbi y
Moncada.”
“Thou hast cause to be proud of Rei
naldo. for he sparkles like the spray of a
fountain, and words to him are like a
shower of leaves in autumn. And yet—
and yet,” she added with angry candor,
“he has not a brain like Diego Estenega.
He is not a man, but a devil.”
“A good brain has always a devil at
the wheel; sharp eyes have sharper nerves
behind, and lightning from a big soul
flashes fear into a little one. Diego is
not a devil. 1 remember once 1 had a
headache and lie bathed my head, and
the water ran down my neck and gave
me a cold which put me to bed for a
week, but he is the devil's godson, and
were he not the son of my enemy I should
love him. His father was cruel and
vicious, but smart, holy Mary! Diego
has his brain, but he has, too, the kind
heart and gentle manner—aye, holy God!
But come, come; here are the horses.
Call Prudencia, and we will go to the
, bark and see what the good captain iiae
brought to tempt us.”
Four horses led by vaqueros had en
tered the courtyard.
"Prudencia.” called Chonita.
A door opened, and a girl of small fig
ure. with solemn dark eyes and cream
like skiu. her hair hanging in heavy
'braids to her feet, stepped into the cor
ridor. draping a pink reboso about her
head.
“1 am here, my cousin,” she said, walk
ing with all the dignity of the Spanish
woman, despite her plump and inconsid
erable person. "Thou art rested, Dona
Eustaquia? Do we go to the ship, my
uncle,_aud shall we buy this afternoon?
God of inv life! 1 waucier has he a high
comb to make me look tall, anrl flesh
colored stockings? My own are gone
with holes. Ido not like white”—-
“Hush thy chatter." said her uncle.
“How can I tell what the captain has
until I see? Come, my children.”
We sprang to onr saddles: Don Guil
lermo mounted heavily, and we cantered
to the beach, followed by the ox cart
which would carry the fragile ear.,o
home. A boat took us to the bark,
winch sat motionless on the placid chan
nel. The captain greeted us with the
lively welcome due to eager and frequent
purchasers.
“Now curb thy greed." cried Don
Guillermo as the girls dropped down the
companionway. "for thou hast more now
than thou caust wear in five years. God
of my soul! If a bark came every day
they would want every shred on board.
My daughter could tapestry the old house
with the shawls she has.”
When I reached the cabin 1 found tho
table covered with silks, salins, crape
shawls, combs, articles of laequerwarc,
jewels, silk stockings, slippers, spangled
tulle, handkerchiefs, lace. fans. The
girls' eyes were sparkling. Chonita
clapped her hands and ran around the
table, pressing to her lips the beautiful
white things she quickly segregated,
running her hand eagerly over tho little
slippers, hanging iho lace about her
shoulders, twisting a rope of garnets in
her yellow hair.
“Never have they been so beautiful,
Eustaquia! Is it not so, my Prudencia?”
she cried to tho girl who was curled on
one corner of tho tablo, gloating over
the treasures she knew her uncle's gen
erosity would make her own. “Look
how these little diamonds flash! And
the embroidery on this crape!—a dozen
eyes went out, aye! yi! This satin is liko
a tile! These fans were made i:i Spain!
This is as big as a windmill. God of my
soul!” —she threw a handful of yellow
sewing silk upon a piece of white satin —
“Ana shall embroider this gown—the
golden poppies of California on a bank
of mountain snow.” She suddenly seized
a case of topaz and a piece of scarlet
silk and ran over to me—l being a Mon
terena, etiquette forbade me to purchase
in Santa Barbara. "Thou must have
these, my Eustaquia. They will become
thee well. And wouldst thou like any
of my whito things? Mary! but I am
selfish. Take what thou wilt, my friend.”
To refuse would bo to spoil her pleas
ure and insult her hospitality, so I ac
cepted the topaz—of which I had six sets
already—and the silk, whose color pre
vailed in my wardrobe, and told her that
I detested whitys, which did not suit my
weather dark skin, and she was as blind
and pleased as a child.
“But come, come,” she cried. “My
father is not so generous when lie has to
wait too long.”
She gathered the mass of stuff in her
arms and staggered up tho companion
way. I followed, leaving Prudencia
raking tho trovo her short arms "would
not hold.
“Aye, my Clionita!” she wailed, “I can
not carry that Lig piece of pink satin and
that vase. And I have only two pairs
of slippers and one fan. Aye, Cho-n-i-i-ta,
look at those shawls! Mother of God,
suppose Valencia Mendendez comes”
“Do not weep on the silk and spoil
what tlion hast,” called down Chonita
from the top step. “Thou slialt have all
thou canst wear for a year.”
She reached the deck and stood pant
ing and imperious before her father.
“All! All! I must have all!” she ciied.
“Never have they been so fine, so rich.”
“Holy Mary!” shrieked Don Guillermo.
“Dost thou think I am made of doub
loons, that thou wouldst buy a whole
ship’s cargo? Thou shalt have a quarter;
no more—not a yard!”
“I shall have all!” And tho stately
daughter of the Iturbi y Moncadas
stamped her little foot upon the deck.
“A third—not a yard more. And dia
monds! Holy heaven! There is not gold
enough in the Californias to feed the ex
travagance of tho Senorita Dona Chonita
Iturbi y Moncada.”
She managed to bend her body in spite
of her burden, her eyes flashing saucily
above the mass of tulle which covered
the rest of her face.
“And not fine raiment enough in the
world to accord with tho state of the
only daughter of the Senor Don Guil
lermo Iturbi y Moncada, the delight and
the pride of his old age. Wilt thou send
these things to the north to be worn by
an Estenega? Thy Chonita will cry her
eyes so red that she will be known as the
ugly witch of Santa Barbara, and Casa
Grande will be like a tomb.”
“Oh, thou spoilt baby! Thou wilt
have thy way"— At this moment
Prudencia appeared. Nothing whatever
could be seen of her small person but
her feet; she looked like an exploded
bale of goods. “What! what!” gasped
Don Guillermo. “Thou little rat! Thou
wouldst make a Christmas doll of thy
self with satin that is too heavy for thy
grandmother, and eke out thy dumpy
inches with a train? Oh, mother of
God!” He turned to the captain, who
was smoking complacently, assured of
the issue. “I will let them carry these
things home; but tomorrow one-half, at
least, comes back.” And he stamped
wrathfully down the deck.
“Send the rest,” said Chonita to the
captain, “and thou shalt have a bag of
crnlrl tnnioJ-t-”
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
- “ ‘ ~ *'~i -m- —»>■■■*• ■- .v!
How It Caine to Fan*
“Old Shilark says he is the man
who started you on the road to for
tune.”
“The old villain tells the truth.
All I had when I was a young man
was a five acre farm, and he cheated
me out of that. Then I had to come
to town to get something to do and
got into business and got rich.”—
Indianapolis Journal.
Mr. Gratebar to Philip.
“It is unquestionably true, Phil
ip,” said Mr. Gratebar, “that it is
better to be a live dog than a dead
lion, but that doesn’t mean, Philip,
that you should be satisfied to re
main a dog.”-—New York Sun.
OUTWITTING THEM.
Haw • Sharp Railroad Man Got tho
. tor of ft Lot of Competitor*.
' He was a large and rotund rail
, road man, whom the fellows called
Sam and whom they seemed to like
to listen to as he rat back smoking
a cigar and telling stories after tho
I work far into the night was done.
I “One of the victories of iny life,”
he said, after narrating several inci
j dents which were not so altogether
victorious, “took place when I was
with the L. and N., with my head
quarters at Cincinnati. It so fell out
once upon a time that 125 people
wanted to make an excursion into
the west via Cincinnati and St,
Loui.- from Berea, in Madison coun
ty, Ky. As I remember, it meant
i about §25 a head to the railroad get
ting the party, and the competition
among the boys was lively enough,
I tell you. Negotiations had been
going on vigorously for some time,
and on a certain day the excursion
ists were to be at the Berea station,
and all the railroad men were to
meet them there.
“We came down from Cincinnati
on a special train, and 1 was study
ing up every possible plan how I
was going to get that business for
my road, but noway appeared until
we were within a dozen miles of
Berea. There it came to me, and I
slipped around and had a little talk
with the engineer, who was quite
willing to help mo out by letting
his engine drop a cog or do some
other peculiar and unexpected thing,
as locomotives have away of doing.
This she did about six miles out and
near a siding, where the one « ’er
pulled in and proceeded to repair
the damage, the men, who were in
a hurry to get to Berea, putting in
their time cussing the engine, the
road and me.
“As for myself, when I had fixed
it with the engineer, I dropped off
the train as it was leaving the sta
tion, and the men on board didn’t
more than discover that I had disap
peared until the accident happened
that delayed them two hours or
more on that siding. In the mean
time I wired my agent at Berea—
you see, this all took place ou my
own line of road, so it was a good
deal easier—to make a x’atc to tho
excursionists §2.50 lower than any
figure yet given them, and let them
have half an hour to decide in, or
the whole rate would go up to the
regular price. Os course the excur
sionists didn’t know that I had the
agents corraled on a siding. They
didn’t know anything except that it
was the lowest offer they had re
ceived, and after chewing awhile on
it my man wired mo that my offer
was accepted.
“What would be the result when
they found out about the other
agents and what kind of crazy offers
those fellows might make to beat
me out of tho business unless I had
some kind of a clincher, I didn’t
know, so I sent word to my agent to
collect §lO ou each ticket, or the rate
would go up to regular. This was
easy enough, for they knew they
had a good thing, and the money
came in with a rush. Then my man
telegraphed that he had collected
over $1,200 and had it locked up in
the safe, and ho would like to know
what to do next. I wired back tlie
short word “Escape,” and half an
hour later my engineer, having re
paired the break to his machinery,
pulled inte the station at Berea with
his profane load of railroad men.
“What happened then utterly
passes description, and I fancy if I
had been there I would have been
lynched, but they got over it after a
time, and they went back to Cincin
nati with no other feeling against
me except an unalterable determina
tion to get even at the first oppor
tunity. Os course I had to pay for a
supper for the crowd and a few lit
tle things like that, but those didn’t
count.”—Washington Star.
Slielby f»n<l the Negro.
The late Confederate General Shel
by stood up for the rights of the ne
gro on one occasion in away that
entitles him to high praise. When
he was appointed a United States
marshal, he selected Lee Jackson, a
negro, as one of his deputies. He was
! severely criticised for this by some
southern papers, but he refused to
weaken and justified his act in the
following reply: “Tho young man
is competent to render effective serv
ice in lines where white men cannot
do as well, perhaps, as he will do.
I appointed him for efficiency and
have no patience with thUt senti
ment that gropes always among tho
tombstones instead of coming out
into the bright light of existing life
| and conditions. The negro was al
ways faithful to his people when a
; slave. He has been no less faithful
I to his friends since he lias become a
J freeman. He is becoming useful in
ways never dreamed of before the
i war, and it is unmanly to deny him
i the right to do for himself every
i thing that will improve and better
j his condition. I trust that this is the
| last I shall have to say in defense
jof my official action. 1 am right in
j what I have done, and by the right
I pro]x>se to stand.” —New York
Tribune.