The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-07-22
continued his panegyric on the diamond

continued his paneGyTlc on the dlaulouu
dollar
"Unless you call this piece of special
matter news, there is none. But it Will
be news to most of the readers. 1t deals
with the subject of rare coins, giving the
date and the valle of all United States
coins worth more than their face value.
There are hundreds of pieces in daily cir
culntion for which collectors would give
twenty times their value rs bullion. This
article will serve to tell the people what
dates of coins are in demand, so that they
may watch the money that passes through
their hands and sell the rare coins at
premium. There is one dollar, of the
mintage of 1904, which is worth $500.
For the past few seconds the city editor
had been rapidly writing upon slip OF
paper, and here he interrupted the enthu-
siastic remarks about the valuable dollar.
"You know the rule of the office, Mr..
Ferguson, he said, in an icy tone; mo
man with us gets chance to be grossly
scooped twice You have failed to catch
one of the most sensational fires OF the
year, although you had twelve hours In
which to do it. Here is an order on the
counting room for your money up to
Saturday night. You have my best
wishes for your future. Good nightF
That was how he lost his desk on Inc
Gazette, and, breezy writer that he was,
in three months he had found it necessary
to take up the lines of q street car drivers S
life or starve.
"You remember that diamond dollar!'
he said again, after answering the sharp
clane of the bell above his head by bring
ing the cur to stop long enough for the
gray-bearded talker to alight; 'well,
curiously enough, have found one OF
them. / should never have known its
value had I not collected the data for
that unfortunate article Of mine; and"
'sDo YOU mean me to understand that
you have found dollar Of 1904, actually
worth $500N'
"Precisely so, dear boy. Drivers handle
a great deal of silver, and among the
money in my pocket last night l found
this
He had unbuckled his belt, unbuttoncd
his coat, and with some difficulty brought
out in his gloved fingers Il worn silver
dollar, without the millcd edges which
characterize the late issues Of the coin.
He was singularly excited. He looked at
llle piece VI SliNCl ttS ~ NiooiSp 't.ii iiSoAA>
look at an unexpected rcpricvc. 1t means
another start in life, q chance to build up
wealth and reputation on journal of his
own; it meant Il wife; it gave him Nlr-
cinia. His hand tremblcd slightly Will,
the tulnult of his thoughts. One of the
cars front wheels struck Il stone, jumped
the track, and for few seconds the
vehicle joltcd violently over the cobblc-
stones.
Ferguson's face suddenly turned to the
color of ashes. He leaped over the dash
board surrounding the platform, CROPPED
in the mud under the car wheels, and
then, with his lips set tightly together,
handed ME battered and bent piece of
silver.
It was the diamond dollar.
1t had slipped from his uncertain grasp,
and the sharp flanges of the car wheels
had ground the date and figures from its
face and bent it almost out of resemblance
of coin.
Then Ferguson took up the lines again,
and from his present prospects the
people who ride behind him will continue
to laugh at his odd dress and associate
him in their minds with the mules he
drives for months or perhaps years to
come.
He knows that there are half dozen
morals to be extracted from this little
story, and has given me permission to
publish it.-Henry Newport, in Cincin-
natl Enquirer.