West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1883-10-06

A SOUTHERN ROMANCE.
The Long Hidden Contents Of
an Old Safe.
A POOR GIRLS GOOD FORTUNE.
THROUGH AN Ex- CONVICT WEALTH
sEcRETEp FOR YEARS IS FOUND
AND POOR BUT WORTHY
PEOPLE RAISED TO
AFFLUENCR.
A SOUTHERN ROMANCE.
A POOR GIRLS GOOD FORTUNE.


AFFLUENcs.
The correspondent Of one Of the
Cincinnati papers writing from James
town, N. c.. says; This quaint old
place, which lies in the center Of one
of the Quaker settlements, was dur
ing the war iavorite resort OF ref
ugeesi by which name were designat-
ed those persons whose homes in the
eastern section of the State were in
eide the dauger liae, or in counties
already held by the Federal troops,
In this sleepy town these found
heaven Of refuge, and made them
selves comfortable, to remaia while
the'war lasted. They brought hith-
er their money, and ia the old-fssh-
ioned bank stored Confederate bonds
and currency in great smouats. The
crssh came, ia the iateful 1866, and
sToNEMAN's RAIDERS
whirled down so near that most OF
the refugees prepared 30 lily. A
little later the war ended. The big
old safe. as solemn az the grave land
as cbary Of ita secrets, was shut. But
few Of the depositors had withdrawn
the now valueless currency it con-
tanned,
Some of the refugees had died,
others had been suddenly called
away. others at the last moment amid
all the excitement at the hour, left.
The bank, dead corporation, ceased
TO exist, dying as it had lived
isziy, Years rolled by, each max
ing toe old safe and it's secrets more
solemn still,as it stood cobwebbed,in
one Of the lower rooms OF the gloomy
d brick bank building,
RUMoRs OF ITS CONTENTS
being Of value began TO be created in
that fertile fold, imagination, and
it was Whispered that in it's deep
receeses lay piles Of solid silver, vast
quantities Of bonds, jewelry worth
princes ransom and finally the con
tents OF the safe became matter OF
daily talk, of daily conjecture, Last
year the boom in Confederate bonds
began.
Sleepy old jamestown was insensi-
ole to boom The word was too
new. What Of it 2 But neverthe-
less one day two hoary- headed old
officers Of the long dead bank hob
bled to IT, opened the door and en-
tered the musty room, in q recess
Of which sat the great safe. A lock-
smith was sent for, but even hi
efforts we're unsuccessful. Tue old
men gave up the attempt; but 9th
ers took up the work. Keen sPecuIa-
tore bent their hearts upon eating
into the safe. A man, modern ia
bis ideas, said he would see that it
wss forced but kept his own counsel.
On Wednesday Last another pro-
cessioD, If 30 it might be termed,
entered the building.
ONE or TIE MEN
who composed it being a man whose
bullet head snd oropoersd hair gave
him the aspect Of a criminal. lie
looked AZ the safe. The others re-
tired. Half sn hour later there wac
an explosion. Returned The party
found the door Of the safe open. The
man, q pardoned convict from the
penitentiary at Raleigh, who in by
gone days had been 'orscksmau'
bad made speedy work forcing the
antique safe. The old man, sx- con-
vict. two speoulators in Confederate
bonds, and half dozen spectators
we're in the room, while outside
we're a curious crowd o! perhaps q
hundred.
The safe was rsDsacked. From
lie oapsoious depths we're taken out
quite 100000 in Confederate
hopds uhia poorIv O. roiIiio, ia