The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-12-01


| but alone he performed the sad funeral
rites over his murdered wife, and then
plunged into the forest 10 search for the
destroyers Of his peace and Tor his lost
child. II became a mania with him. and
| for years after, hunters and trappers
used 20 tell of half-crazed man that
they often met, who was always on the
tramp, eagerly looking for something he
could not find. and when addressed ON
any subject a tear would start afresh in
his eye, and he would sadly point in the
direction Of his old home, and utter the
single word Kummersoltbal."
This, in brief. was the legend the old
villager told me. and ut the close, his
mind became lost in hisa ancient memories
SO that he forgot my presence and stole
quietly away leavinghi ms j found him,
absorbed in Thought.
This was years ago. The town then
had two thousand inhabitants, but il
was snugly nestled in the valley and re-
moved 80 far from railroads, that IL had
been overlooked 10y geographers and II
was only by accident that ! stumbled
over il at all Returning TO the inn,
made note OF the legend in my record
book, and, as paid my bill, the polite
landlord presented me witha copy of the
kummersolthal Gazette. j remember
reading il with interest. and wondered at
the printers ingenuity in getting into his
little sheetso many things Of interest and
remembered distinctly, too, that in
each item. no matter how gay ON the
interior, there was soinething--wiiat,
could not tell--that showed IL was writ
ten with "a Borrowing heart, Had time,
| should have called 60 see the printer,
and tried To- solve the ravil of mysterious
CAV interiorand which heevidently labor
ed to conceal But left the village, and
7 i'm other places. mingling with other peo-
pie. forgot the village, the legend and
the Gazette. Now, after ten years alb
sence, found myself at kummersolthal
again Instead OF the peace and quiet
that reigned when ! left there, great ex-
citctnent prevailed, and IL was evident to
the most casual observer that something
unusual had happened. | followed the
crowd over the bridge and down by the
riverside, and found the people gathered
around an Imprinted cottage ON which
was AN aged sign, so washed by the rams
of time that il was with difficulty could
slecipher the words "kummersolthal
Gazette"
From citizen learned that the day
before the paper had failed 10 appear
]
For more than twenty years such fail-
urc had never happened. Every We'd
nesday, at precisely four o'clock p. m,
the papers were delivered mt the post
office by the editor and his son, who
silently returned home.
At Kummersolthal, az in many other
towns where local papers are printed,
everybody felt privileged Co ridicule the
Gazette, and make general fun OF it's con-
tents. 1.-The Gazette don't amount TO
ANYTHING, anyway" was remarked by
critical thousands, but the friendly post
master used to remark that those who
criticised the Gazette most severely were
always first 10 call for il, and devoured
its contents with the eagerness of n child.
But four o'clock, y. m, had come and
no paper. The citizens hung around the
post office until five, and until the clock
on the church tower tolled the supper
hour No one had seen the editor or his
son, and the citizens went home with ~
feeling ofoppression and disappointment.
Had any one even suggested that the
non-appearance OF the Gazette would
have caused even ruflle 81 excitement
in Kummersolthal the day before, no one
would have believed il. But, in fact, its
non-appearance had caused nm unrest
never felt before. Never were the people
so discontinued AS they were on that
Wednesday night, and why the paper had
not come formed the subject discussed mt
every freside, and was the common theme
for converse ton at the village stores.
/ One thing certain the kummersolthal
Gazette was missed No one thought OF
going down To see why it had not come.
I OF late years the editor and his family
! had appeared 90 shrink more and more
I from society. They were considered ex-
elusive and proud. A lively man with
black whiskerS, who evidently prided
I himself in knowing all the traditions OF
/ past years, informed me that the editor
and his puny wife came there some twenty
years before He was thought at the
! time very eccentric, from the fact that he
wanted to find n certain point of land
where the suns first beams struck I'm the
morning and the last rays fell at night (;
in fact, II was whore the young Germans
cabin stood century ago. That spot
lac wanted. He purchased il at "A high
price. There he erected house, mnde
4 part ofitan office. put In type and press
I and made the Gazette tho exponent Of
Z Kummersolthal industries.
But the Gazette had failed 90 appear.
Thursday came and someone passing
/ the cottage noticed no sign OF life. and
tried the door but fNiled to gain admis-
sion.
Matters were talked over at the vii
lngc stores, and finally the beadle az the
village, accompanied hy u crowd Of men
and dozen or more trembling women,
went over 60 the cottage
The bcahle forced his way into the
house. while the people waited breath
lessly outside.
Five minutes passed. the bcadle was
seen TO open the door and beckon 20 his
deputy and the door was closed. The
excitement now was intense That some