The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-11-03
AnLittle MasbN Episode.

AH'Little Mas4T' Episode i.i'
In the year of c'Yt:r Lord 1865, it
ter to settle dowk I'm the beautiful
city of Now Bernc after having re-
ceived an honorable discharge from
the United States Army. In the
month of June, while engaged in the
multifarious duties of editing and
publishing the Now Berne Daily
Times, he was passing through
Craven Street, when his attention
was attracted by tapping on the
window of jowelry store. We
passed in and found hummer of
Sherman's army trying to put a set
of silver Lodge jewels into our
friend Charley We started for the
door TO call a guard for the purpose
of arresting the hummer, but the
fellow mistrusting our object,
picked mp tho jewels and began to
skedaddle with his booty. We found
that that game wouldn't work, and
so we invited him into the back room,
who're we made bargain with him,
and for the sum of SS25, became the
Isssessor of a beautiful set of Lodge
jewels. We Immediately advertised
The Grand Lodge Of North Carolina,
and by public advertisement in the
Daily Times, the public, of our
treasure. Soon every paper in North
and South Carolina copied our adj
vertisement Letters by the pouchful
began to arrive, describing those
jewels. We received some thirty
letters from as many different
Lodges who had lost similar arti-
cles. ....'.....-. ...~.....,..,.,--
At last one came from Col. James
II. Rion, Of Winnsboro, S. c., de
scribing them to our satisfaction.
We packed them up, gave them in
charge of the Southern Express
Company, who kindly undertook
their charge FREQ Of expense, and
away they went OH their journey
home.
In tho moan time we sickcned,
and sought for health in Now Jersey.
In the winter Of 1866, we received a
letter from Col. Rion, which had
been forwarded to us, stating that
tho jewels were not his, but that
they belonged to Flint Hill Lodge,
had been identified, but tho Lodge
had not money to redeem them.
We wrote him to the effect that they
did not belong to us, but give them
to the Lodge, and place tho debt to
the credit Of Masonry ...
Time rolled on. In Nov. 1869,
bro. Rion wrote to our worthy sue
cessor in Now Borne, (Col. Geo. w.
Mason, Jr.,) having mislaid our letter,
that the money was ready for us.
This letter was received by clerk
of our successor during his absence,
and filed away, where it rested until
Aug. 1875, when our SUCCESSOR, in
looking over his old letters, found
it, and mailed it to us from Rixford,
Florida. We received the old lettor
about the middle of September last.
We Immediately notified bro. Rion,
and six days from tho receipt of his
letter, (Which had been six years in
reaching us,) we received check
upon Now York, which was duly
honorcd.
1t was but small matter of itself,
but the curious circumstances which h
seemed to attend our efforts to
place these jewels in tho hands of
their lawful owners, and the fidelity
of our southern brother, Col. James
H. Rion, i'll nobly seconding our Of
forts, havo indclibly stamped that
transaction upon our minds 1t
proved q pleasant duty to us. In our
intercourse with southern masons,
we have ever found them honorable
and upright, scorning little things,
and cndeavoring to live up to their
masonic profession. Though many
Of those with whom we exchanged tho
mason's salutation, have passed over
the river, yet their memory is green
in our hearts. .--Ncao Jcrsey Courier
An interesting fact is mentioned
by the Cincinnati Gazette in con
nection with the loss and estimation
of fractional currency as ascortainod
from the Treasury Department
figures. It is we'll known that the
Government is really tho gamer by
large amount by the disappearance
of small notes and currency, but the
figures regarding the three and five
cent issues Of fractional currency,
when it is remembered how many of
them are required to make dollar,
are particularly interesting. The
issue of those notes by the Govern
ment ceased in April, 1869, at which
time there had beon issued SG02,000
of tho denomination of three cents,
and $5,700,000 of the five cent series,
aud although over six years havo
elapsed thero arc still outstanding
sS02, 900 in three cent notes and over
$1,87O,O0O Of the five cent issue.