The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-01-23


rich IL bullion and plate, which lie
scattered here and there, strewed around
purposely waiting for us. Think Of it,
now; all those fat old galleons, sunk by
Drake and Hawkins, which have been
waiting the William Phippses of the
nineteenth century Do not talk to
me about Capt Kidd and such trash. !
tell you | never was innore sober edrn-
est in my life, ard am ready to risk my
all in it, 1t is simply a matter of dol
lars and cents. Here are my figures" !"
and with this he drew out of his cigar
case a card, on which was written in a
bold, clear hand, a whole row of figures.
Handing me cigar, and taking one
himself, he went on. "Now, you shall
Judge for yourself whether nm much
out of the way. Patent on the subma-
rine machine, with total and exclusive
right to use it, in fact, the absolute
cession of it, $4,000. They wanted
5000, 1000, and participation in the
profits, for the United States alone, but
L atlast got their price, and have the
refusal of it for ten days Cost of build
ing the vessel iron throughout, with
engine and apparatus complete, $685.
S75 60. Every item down on the con-
tract, with specifications, and the wCrk-
ing drawings now in the hands of the
first machine-shop in the county.
Chemists patent, 100000 That is
steep, | must admit"
"Quite so, I said.
+ $50 it seems to me still. But the
confounded fellow has the secret, and
laughs at me when 1 mention even n
penny less, did try ever so hard to
make him take portion of the price in
shares, but he has refused. All L can
get out of him is his promise to be sat-
isfed with his money by instalments.
Item third; Cost of material for making
air of the primest quality, fifty pounds
capable of producing 1882, 500 cubic
/ feet of A / air, at thirty cents a pound,
/ is S15. But [ have no Goubt, from in
| quires have made among the whole
sale people, it could be bought in guam
/ tity for twenty-five cents, and we might
import it ourselves on a margin; and
what saving that would be, for we
shall certainly want tons of it. Well,
you must confess that S15 is cheap
enough.
"Quite so" 1 replied.
"Then comes the pick-axes, crow
bars, and implements necessary for
digging out the shells from their beds.
/ 1 figured that out at $50, and may
/ be under or over the mark. Now, to
/ transport our craft to San Francisco, the
future centre of our operations, we will
have to build her in sections and put
her together there. That will cost, by
| the Pacific Railroad, exactly $1S, ,639
have seen the freight agent aud con-
suited the tariff. 1t would be much
cheaper round the Horn, but then the
delay, and the months that must elapse
before we could set it there. 1t is too
/ good thing to DE slow about. One
thing more: Crew OF ten men and cap
| tain, with stores and food, ct cetera, say
| a matter of $3.50 month and now you
| have it ALL which makes total of 1902,
429. 65-call it, if you please, round
1915, 600, and add $25, 600 for contingent
expenses-I never omit contingert ex-
penses many good thing has been
spoiled for want of that calculation-and
you have $500, 900, and that is an out
side figure. Now" and here he paused
for a moment, and again taking out the
box of pearls, selected one or two of the
smaller sizes, "have you," he said, "any
/ idea of the worth OF string of these
/ things when they come from Ceylon
/ Aquadruple string some ten inches long,
of good quality, will bring from 81 ,00C
/ to $1,000. They would go in gill
measure. If gill is worth that much,
what is Il quart or peck worth ? Then,
as big as a hazel-nut, for its perfectly
j la Ill l.
ters have never been obtained at all -.
What's The use of speculating? It's
fabulous - undivined = untold wealth
within our grasp, i'll pearls alone, not
speaking of the flyers i'll sunken ships.
All the rest of the world will have to
, come 20 us for the right to use our pro-
cess. 1 have omitted entirely the mo,
ther-of-pearl, worth at least $500 ton,
which would more than pay the working
| expenses. Now what say you? Here,
take this pearl it will Just grace youl
wife's style of beauty. 1t is 5000 shares
We shall start with. We have put them
at 500; that will make capital OF
| $500, 600, not anything like as much as
| is put up every day 10 make the mean.
est ring in Wall street. At ten per cent
interest, we have to give $780, Why
one dip into the sea will pay more than
that; we are morally certain to pay back
the whole capital with six weeks labor
Now do not want you to be the least
bit dazzled by what 1 have told you
| know you are timid,. and applaud you
for it. Take your time about it, do not
be hasty. Here, take this pearl adj
mire your delicacy; c, course 1 can't be
giving such things to your wife-only
keep it awhile, and if you do go in with
us, then only accept il; it's tritle any
how, and you may pay me for it out o.
your first dividend :" and, saying this
selecting a very pretty pearl, with del
icate, warm, golden tint, lustrous, how
ever, as globule of quicksilver, he
dropped it into my watch-pocket. "Ahn
he said, 81 must go. Sorry L haven
my double wagon out to-day, or might
give you lift" Here drove up his
stylish equipage, and taking the rein'
from his servant, in moment more
my friend, Won Trap, was gone.
As 1 ascended the steps of my pleas
ant little house, my wife opened the
door for me. "It is rather late; wha
has kept you away from us so long 2
she asked.
cit is not late, think, 1 replied, ant
drew out my watch, when out tulnblet
the pearl, which had forgotten. Th'
oil-cloth in the entry was of a dark
black ground, and over and over rolled
the pearl, flashing and shining.
~, ,Ir ra1