San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-23

Nothing; but here is a little special
that will look well in the Sunday sup
plement have been up at the library
looking up points for it all afternoon.
With scare head-lirst line, Tine Dia-
mond Dollar'-it will prove as good
matter as actual news, and"
There is no actual news then~
Nothing of Importance.
BY this time the telegraph man, the
managing editor, half of the local force,
and even one or two of the BREWER
writers had drifted into the city room.
where they floated about aim!essly wait
ing for the explosion that was to lift the
unfortunate Ferguson. But, suspecting
nothing, he continued his panegyric on
the diamond 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 value of all
United States coins worth more than
their face value. There are hundreds
of pieces in daily circulation for which
collectors would give twenty times their
value as bullion. This article will serve
to tell the people what dates of CONS
are in demand, SO that they may watch
the money that passes through their
hands and sell the rare coins at pre-
MUM. There is one dollar, of the mint
age of 1904, which is worth $500
For The past few seconds the city ed-
tor had been rapidly writing upon a
slip of paper, and here he interrupted
the enthusiastic remarks about the val
liable dollar.
You know the rule of the office, Mr..
Ferguson" he said, in an icy tone; mo
man with u gets a 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
night?'
That was how he lost his desk on the
Gazette, and, breezy writer that he was,
in three months he had found it neces-
Sary to take up the life of a street-car
conductor or starve.
You remember that diamond dol
larP' he said again, after answering the
sharp clang Of the bell above his head
by bringing the car to stop long
enough for the gray-bearded talker to
alight; swell, curiously enough, have
found one of them. should never
have known its value had not collect
ed the data for that unfortunate article
of mine; and"
'Do you mean me to understand that
you have found dollar of 1904, actually
worth $5O0P'
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, unbut-
toned his coat, and with some difficulty
brought out in his gloved fingers worn
silver dollar, without the milled edges
which characterize the late issues of the
coin. He was singularly excited. He
looked at the piece of silver as a doomed
man might look at an unexpected re-
prieve. 1t meant another start in life,
a chance to build up wealth and repu-
tation on journal of his own; it meant
a wife; it gave him Virginia. His hand
trembled Slightly with the tumut of his
thoughts. One of the cars front wheels
struck stone, jumped the track, and
for few seconds the vehicle jolted vio-
lently over the cObblestones.
Ferguson's face suddenly turned to
the color of ashes He leaped over the
dashboard surrounding the platform,
CROPPED in the mud under the car wheels,
and then with his lips set tightly to-
gether handed me a battered and bent
piece of silver
1t was 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 Cincinnati Enquirer.