San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-23

but look me in the eyes, boy. This
thing means thousands of dollars TO
Riley Vaughn If you've got your an
swer right. kin understand that much ;
an Of you worked ont this big SUM
right for me, I'll choke the next man
that says you're Ounce, jest kase You
don't take kindly to old Penruddock's
chatterin' sort o. learnin'. I'll do il, or
my name amt Riley Vaughn, an that
what I've been called for nigh onto 90
years now"
Old Riley was visibly excited. He
called all his men to the place selected
and set them at work building the
dam, while Hamp looked on and occa-
sionally made suggestion for simpli-
flying the work. The dam was finished
ut 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and Mt six
o'clock the water had risen two feet six
inches, while the back water had passed
the quarry.
"1here," said Hamp, shat proved
my work. The water is level, of course,
as far up as back water shows itself,
and we have six inches of back water
ut the dam, so the fall is the two
feet"
1T looks So" said Riley, who was al
so eagerly watching the rise of the
water. The workmen had gone home,
all of them, convinced that this attempt
to back the water mile up the creek
was the widest foolishness, but old
Riley and Hamp waited and watched.
at doesn't rise so fast now," said
Riley.
"That's because it has a larger sur
face; but it still rises, and the surface
won't increase much now, as there's a
steep place just above the quarry, and
it can't back any further up"
The two waited and watched. Mid
night came, and the measurement
showed three fe,t six inches depth at
the dam. Still they waited and watch
ed. At o'clock in the morning the
depth was four feet two inches. Then
Riley sent negro boy to his house
with orders to bring back "a big break
fast for two" At 7 o'clock the break
fast arrived, and the measurement
showed four feet three inches and a
half.
"It's risin' faster again." said Riley.
Eyes; the level is climbing straight
up the bluff bank, and not spreading
out as it RISES" said Hamp.
At 9 o'clock the depth was four feet,
eight and O half inches, and the men
at the quarry had raft ready, land were
beginning to load it. Ten o'clock
brought four feet eleven inches of
water and at noon there were five feet
and four inches.
"I've missed it little" said Hamp.
IT said the water would run over the
dam by noon, and it has still eight in
ches to rise before dOin' that"
swell, that sort of miss don't
count" said Riley. you've worked
the sum out right, anyhow, an the
waters deep enough for raftin', and
still arisin. It'll go over the dam in
two OF three hours more, and I'll do
what I said I'll choke any man at says
John Hampton Sees Ounce or any
thing like it,"
"An' that amt ALL" said the old man
rising and striking his fist in the palm
of his hand. They've been a sayin'
that ole Riley Vaughn didn't vally edi-
cation; now I'll show them. I'm a-goin
to build Vaughn & Sees foundry an
agricultooral implement factory right
down the creek their, an put big lot
O. improved machinery in it; an I'm
a-going to send my pardner, John
Hampton See, off next week to get the
rest O. his edication where they sell the
sort of edication as is good fer him
not lot O. words, but principles an
facts.
"You tell your mother you're agoin'
to New York right away, boy and at
old Riley Vaughn's agoin to foot all
the bills outer your interest in the
comm factory. You'll study all sorts
of figurin' work and machine princi-
pies in the big school in New York.
what's called the school of mines, an
then you'll go to all the big factories
an things"
This scheme was carried out. Hamp
spent three years in study, and return
ed an accomplished mechanical engi-
neer. He went into the factory as old
Riley's partner, and his work has been
to improve machinery and processes.
The firm own many patents now on
things of his own invention, and the
factory is the center of prosperous
rigion, in which Hampden See is an
especially respected eitizen.-Harper's
Young People.
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