The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-01-27

We found Monsieur Simon a. Che house
of his aunt. The house was very small
one, with the front door opening directly
into the parlor. Monsieur Simon was
seated at back window reading very
old copy of a French newspaper. He
was q small man with bald head, .
shining, animated face, and rusty coat
of bombazine. We were duly introduced.
and after few preliminaries and injunc-
tons 1 told him my plans and desires. As
I spoke the eyes of Monsieur Simon
to his feet.
'.Archaolo-gie, my friend, is that
which possesses me. It fills me up. 1t
floats me into thin air abuf the misaries
of life." He spoke better English than
his aunt, merely peppering his sentences
with French accents and peculiarities
sufficiently to give them a foreign flavor.
II follow in my soul those great leaders
Belzoni, Layard, and even that execra-
BILE Schliemann. Gif me the money and
the men, sir
Ihastened to stop him at this point,
endeavOring to make him understand
my real intentions. had no money-at
least none of any importance-and
wanted no men. intended to make no
archaeological researches. merely
wished to dig into comparatively
modern structure, not quite three hum
dred years old. l told him in fact 1 was
afraid had made a mistake. did not
wish man of science. I was merely
1c<>I;no foy N <,,,c<,ror<bxy ,,oxoor xybn
could dig. Monsieur Simon looked dis
appointed; then his face sparkled again.
II will be that man. Twill work for
ou-for-for-for three dollars day.
And when the discoveries are made,
shall share with you the glory"
/ told him that after / had entered and
examined the chamber in the southeast
bastion, he might have three-guarters of
the glory, or all of it if he chose. As for
the three dollars day, thought it pref
ty high pay for man who had not the
strength and ability of regular laborer;
but felt sure the work could not con-
tinue very long, and 1 agreed to pay it.
After all, the element of intelligence
should not be disregarded. Monsieur ST.
mon was therefore engaged for the work
of exploration. gave him full explana-
tons and directions, Miss Mallette occa-
sionally adding shrewd suggestion, and
Madame TOnnin wagging her head in
continual affirmation. He agreed with me
in my hypothesis of the interval between
the two walls being filed in with sand,
and was certain he could soon dig away
enough to leave passage to the inner
wall; but he differed with me in regard
to the means of making an entrance
through this inner wall. l had provided
some large chisels and mallet, which I
had left with the other tools in the dark
chamber, but he thought it would be
better to make use of some of the mod
ern inventions. With one or two car
tridges of dynamite he said we could
blow q hole through the wall in an in
slant, whereas it would take hours to
cut one with chisel and mallet. But this
I absolutely forbade. wanted no ex-
plosions to wake up the people in the Vi
entity, and to blow, perhaps. my French
man into atoms. Monsieur Simon in
sisted that as the dwelling of the old SER
geant was some little distance outside
the fortress, he would not hear q slight
explosion; but I remained firm in my
prohibition of dynamite, and he con-
scented to break through the wall in the
way I desired.
Operations were to begin Immediately,
and that evening Monsieur Simon and I
went to the fort, and Selling favorable
I conducted him into the
dark chamber. took him by the hand,
and cautiously led him to the inner wall.
made him feel with his hands the hole
had discovered, led him to the corner
where had placed the tools, and left
him supplied with matches, candles and
food, and little bottle of wine.
For two nights Monsieur Simon
worked at his explorations. Each morn
ing visited him at his house, and re-
ceived report. No one had noticed
his ingoings or outcomings, he said, and
on the second day he reported that he
had made a passage which extended
some feet. All the sand which had
fallen from above he had removed and
scattered over the floor of the dark
and he confidently expected
in two or three nights more to reach the
inner wall. I then strictly enjoined him,
as l had done before, that when he had
reached this wall he was not to make
the hole through it, as [ intended to be
present when that was done. l wished
to be the first to make the discoveries in
this hidden chamber.
On the morning of the third day I
went to the house of Madame Tonnin.
She was not in, and neither was Mon
sieur Simon. A girl handed me letter
from the latter parsonage. Iopened it
and read it in the little parlor. Then,
with the open letter in my hand, I
walked, or rather ran, to the cottage of
the Mallettes.
Miss Mallette was sitting on the front
porch. She ran down the steps to meet
me. "What's the matter?" she said.
81 want you to read this letter with
me-" I answered; II can scarcely un-
it."
And so we sat down on the steps of
the porch and read the letter together.
shall not give the words of Monsieur
Simon's epistle. It was long. and was
written in English considerably worse