Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-12-13
FISHERMAN'S LUCK.
Flown TopiGi

is the hero Of an odd freak OF fortune. and
perhaps "fisherman's iuck7 has never been
more happily exemrliGsi than in his case.
This is the story:
TEo young m3B-his name is SsGuhope
Randoiph-is : native oe South Carolina,
whers his father hal large possessions il
Coleton Hs served in the Confederate
srny during the last two years of the war,
though still too young. ani when the war
was over. settlsI at Pccotaligo, pno- as a
church mousa Ills fathers estate was
nearly ri, gone. and what little re-
mainei he resolved should be religiouSly
devoted ~ the needs Of his mother
aud sisters, whip were now living ia
Barnwell in very poor way. Young
Stanhopo Ranioph had capacity AMI in
dustry, but these were not sufficient to get
him work in & state where all things were
PROSTATE under the Federal foot Is
procured some odd jobs on the railroad, but
these soon failed him, and a: last in despair,
be shipped before the mast In a trailing
schooner that belonged 10 Machias, Ne,
and made IRE yulsr voyages between Bls-
ton. Beaufort. S. C., Havana and q market
In tiree or four years he got 10 he mate of
the trader, and finally the owners began to
promise him vessel of his own. one now
5cliing, if 10 would purchase an interest
ia her 10 the extent of SI,50o His own
savings amounted to nearly half that sum
already AM he took a furlough from the
schooner Tor tle purpose of seeing his
mother and some other friends, in order u
try to get temporary loan OF the balance
needed
Money. however, was hard TO get No
one doubted the security, but they did not
have the money to spare. After several
futile efforts young Stanhope Randolph was
about 10 give up the pursuit in despair,
when his mother betbought her OF Col
Jacob Euler, her cousin, still living near
Port Royal, and thought to be rather better
or than tie rest OF the connection. Stan
hope Randolph was only very slightly ac-
quaipted with Col Euler, but his mother
insisted that he shoald take letter FROM
her TO her relative and thus lsave nothing
untriei in a matter which 50 intimately COLI
cernei the pushing of his own fortunes.
When Stanhope Randolph arrived at his
cousins place on Port Royal sound, no
found that the family were not very well
prepared b have visitors. In fact, only
two nights before, the house-an old brick
manson-bad been burned down TO the
ground, and the family were now living in
n couple OF tents pitched on the lawn in
front Of the ruins. Col Euler had lost
everything the house contained, ami was
aOHH VIII an t-.ht. us u3u,ut@g was
i'll with Mysteries and everything was in
confusion and disorder. In fact. as Mrs
Euler pitifully told Stanhope Randolph,
there's actually nothing 10 eat in the
house-ia the tend, / ;neRn,' sho said, with
feeble smile, -an1 the colonel is too i'll g.
20 fishing today
Stanhope Randolph did not show MS let
Ter nor mention its subject o. the con-
trary, lie trisd 10 make himself useful,
gave Mr.. Euler his dose OF quinine, taught
Mr.. Euler now TO rig her tent-Sails in a
safer and more comfortable fashion, AMI
then, taking e small negro boy with him.
launched the boat, hois:e1 sail, and went
fishing for the repisnishing OF poor
Mrs. EGier'S exhausted Iardsr Well &C
quainted with the sound aud its fishing
ground. he soon caught quite mess of
fish, AMI WIGS beating back again when a
startled cry OF the negro boy, who was by
the mast, attracted his attention. The
carse OF the boys alarm was large shark
between ten and twelve feot long which
swan directly in frcat of the boat and
seemed prepared TO dispute its passage. Tie
boat, rs Is common in those waters carried
: small harpoon attached to long line, foI
the purpose of using upon the devil fish fire.
qaently met there. and the chase and cap.
ture of which Is n iayorite anl exciting
sport of South Carolinians. Ia thy calling
the boy to tho helm. and giving his lugyer
sueet plenty of play. Randolph matched the
harpoon AMI line. spraDg to tine bow. tossed
large fi,h in the water, and, as the shark
turned up to seizs it, drove the harpoon into
his belly with 50 true an aim and such
fatal fcrco that the huge fish only stru;-
gled few minutes before expiring. He was
not attic t. get his przs aboard, bu. deter
mined not 10 lose such a trophy OF his
arms strength took i: in tow behini his boat.
and soon able 70 land his cargo and
tow in safety near the burned mansion
Securing ki' boat. Ran lolph now sent the
boy for help 10 fetch away his fish, and
amused himself By diSemboweling the
monster. His jack-knife struck upon soma
thing hard AMI metallic in the viscera OF
the fish, and, examining more closely, lie
brought to hight & square, Hat zinc box.
about the size Of a cne-Pound gunoowier
can, much corrodei, but apparently her.
medically sealed AMI water-tisht lie
washed it Of, dried it. and put il in his
pocket for future examinations; then, the
boy having come with help took his fish
AM some tiibits from the shark up to
: tie tent much 20 the JOY Of the occupants,
Who could not thank him enough
Col Euler. 10 whom Randolph showed his
box Immediately thought he recognized it
Is one OF peculiar sort OF dispatch boz
used 10y the Confederate government for
their message; by sea ani in blocka 10 run
ners. being convenient for carrying in the
pocket anu fer THROWING, overheard in case
the We sci was captured. The box was care.
fully opened and YVES found 20 be precisely
what Col Euler suspectel-a dispatch boz
of the Confederate government The con.
tents, in addition u some paper of no pres
ent importance compr Ell a series OF long dis
patche, in cipher. addressed 20 n well-known
agent in Paris Of the defunct rebeIi;-n, AMI
ten certificates Of deposit promising % peg
money of Ambrose Gunters, now on deposit
with the banking house OF Y. Animas
Freres, Bordeaux, TO John Brown or order
when properly courtersignei. The amount
of the certificates in all was $4,000 francs
"Worth nothing. OF cour-e.r said Randoiph
down on his LUCK as usual
mot a nickel NV boy.7 said Col Euler;
but nevertheless You must come with M
tomorrow and show thcm to Mr. Thompson.
To-morrow's my. well day, and I'm going
up to Charleston 10 see about getting
shan;y put I'D FOR my folks 10 live in-'
IL
In Charleston. next day, Randolph was
taken by Col EGisr to Mr. Thompson, and
introduced 10 that gentleman, 20 whom he
told the story OF the shark, and presented
the box and its contents Mr.. Thompson
eyed him SHARPLY. ami asked him if tho
whole story had bean told him Col Euler
vouchei for his kinsGIau, ani tie .Sscrc-
tary opened tho box, glanced q: tie cipher
dispatch. AMI turned very pale. ~Havs
either Of you read ;hisl' he asSei. No.
said Randolph, y intended - make OCT
tie cipher, bot have not yet hsi tina
Mr. Thompson answered nothing but TAX
ing the drafts out Of tie box, applied r
lighted match 10 the remaining papers, ani
watched them burn to ashes with sigh OF
satisfaction. "Ferilaus secrets young man."
said he. "and happy am 10 dispose of them
thus. Not only regulations. bat lives wccla
have been sacrificed had tho-e matters be
come public Now. - ttoss certificates
they are very probably worth nothing
hut VOC have done ina real service in this
matter and more beSsse ms. and II you can
get anything out OF then-ant il is worth
irving, You ara perfectly weicoms % it all
The money belongs to nobody. strictly
spea.Siny. for 10 not consider that the la;e
Confeieracy had anv heirs, AMI Il YOU can
GEL hold Of it. do So
@Whas money l. il, or was it, sskei CD
Ealsr.
.rm going to tell you answered Thoaip-
.on. sani it is a remarkable instance OF the
r,ri fortune Of war that seemed to parSus
the Confederacy throughout foa rseoilect
,ns s.ari;n- cotton loan Va made during
the last YEAR of the war-ths loan % whicl
our F,vif<s brethren wers nlsds so s.cki
IT,. ,,,,..x- was raisei to pay for iron-