The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-29


cloth. The neighborhood, when tired
Df discussing the prospects of the crop
Of winter cabbages or the impecuniosity
of milk customers, invariably drifted
off into surmises about Duroy and his
actions. With clerk-hke
accuracy he left the house at $50
O. clock and returned at four. On Sun
days he was always seen at Congo
square enjoying Mons. Goddards as
tensions. All the inquiries made in
the city failed to develop who Mons.
Duroy was. No Duroy was known
there.
There are few places where Septem-
Der comes in more lovingly than in
Louisiana. 1t is true the foliage does
not put on all the kaleidoscope tints of
Northern woods, but as if to compen-
safe for this, the air is tinged with
balmy sweetness, the skies are filed
with fleecy argosies of tiny clouds, and
the sun lavishes each day on the West
ern horizon a prodigality of hue that
gives to the end of the day gorgeous
ness nowhere else more beautiful. The
delicious softness of the atmosphere in
duces a voluptuous languor that quiets
the turbulent passions and brings rest
and peace to even the most tireless
worker. 1t is the twilight of the year,
and nature gives to it her gentlest
touches. After shutdown southwest
winds commence to blow, and the
nights are tinctured with a GOODNESS
that makes sleep delicious. These
winds prevail for some time and are
most refreshing.
One September evening, in 1856, when
the full moon rose it brought out in
relief on the surrounding landscape
the Duroy grove of live oaks. The deep
green of this foliage seemed touched
with q phosphorescent fire as the
light was reflected from the smooth
surface of the leaves. Everybody was
sitting out-of-doors enjoying the even
ing; it was so pleasant. AS the moon
rose higher something was noticed in
the direction of the grove never seen
there before. A huge dome rose from
the midst of the live oaks like the roof
of some great amphitheatre. No one
could understand it. Late that after
noon there was no building there and
now, glistening in the moonlight, there
stood a grand hemisphere smooth,
round and lofty. The trees cut off all
view of the support of the imposing
superstructure. Quite crowd of jour-
neymen gardeners and stable boys col
lected at the corner looking at the
strange spectacle, and, Notwithstanding
that they had to rise at five next morn
ing, they remained there till nearly
eleven o'clock.
About one o'clock in the morning as
some of the mixers in the neighbor-
ing diaries were preparing to go to
work, they were startled by sight so
queer and remarkable, they crossed
themselves in fright and muttered a
hasty Pater NoSter. The dome in the
Duroy grove seemed to move, did move.
Slowly it rose until it was fifty feet
above the tops of the trees. Still it
kept on. Higher and higher, slowly
at first and then more rapidly, until
soon it was seen that it was no hemis,
phere but a great globe beneath which
hung a small basket and in it figure.
"Mon Dieu!' shouted old Servat, who
was called up to look at it. "Why it is
like Goddard's balloon. See, there it
goes!"
Gracefully it rose above the topmost
branches of the oaks, majestic, al
most sentient thing. Then it felt the
impulse of the southwest wind, and
rising higher it scared away like some
great ghOul, silent and ghostlike, above
fields, over acres of cane, leaving the
city, the swamps far behind it disap-
peared in the northwest sky, and Ser
vat and the mixers returned indoors
filled with wonder at what they had
seen. This was on Saturday night
On MondBy afternoon New Orleans was
startled by the newsboys calling in the
streets sudden issue of an extra. The
newspapers were all out in hurried
editions, and flaming headlines an
nounced. "Great Robbery! Lacasse
& Durillo, the Bankers, Robbed O.
$4,000 ETC."
Some will recall the investigation
of the affair and the failure of the pc
lice to arrest the dishonest cashier, {
Mr.. Delatour. This individual wa
never seen after leaving the bank tina
Saturday evening, and singular to say
neither was Mr., Duroy, who lived il
the suburbs of the city. NJ. Goddard
, when questioned by the police, said h,
knew Duroy, who was an enthusiasts
about aerial navigation and paid hin
for lessons in the art of handling bal
looms. He thought the man warn
amateur, and showed him how to con
, struct a very large balloon; that wa
! all.
5 Where that balloon landed was neve
known, but it was reported a gentle
man from America purchased the L
Boca estate near Cienfuegos, Cubs
D shortly afterward for two hundred an
c fifty dollars cash. How he ha
0 reached the Ever Faithful. Isle no on
D ever learned Charles E. Whitney, {
. N. o. Times Democrat.
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