Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-23


usuaiiy h.2psy. LII. kiss,s ran ON tn spsenian
Of wcalrls. tis- gi.ry II travel, the favou Il
bea.atifui wollsea, srd other matters kindred
IN their rus<ats Suggestions Al length hD
thoughts d:ists.. iaseiisibl5. - Is were, into
the far east He -eemei familiar with ancient
history and L., I~geTis Of the fabuios.s saIth
Of the oriental tu.ers and princes. VI their ex-
ce@st.-, t.1eir arinors. and their Injurious dis
zipatious
He related many curious legends. among
which Solomon was . rris.cipaI figure.
Finally be told rie the following:
-ssonie fifty years ago there was a tra veier
engaged Ia examining the ruins Of tiI- temple
in Jerusalem. He was y man Of great Iears,-
ing, especially in antiquarian history and in
chemistry. For many weeks he searched
through the foundations Vt the temple. ,.are-
fully examining every foot OF its accessible
surface. He consulted constantly during bis
search a small diagram made up Of puzzling
Ines
-Cne day, in Q renote recess which be dis
covered, AID whose entrance had apparently
besn concealed for ages, ne closely examined
the walls, and On one Of them found some
mysterious character. The moui,nt he saw
these be commenced a minute inspection of
the door, In olie corner Of which, i.ter long
examination, he found Undecided in tise stone
an iron ring
To nl..ke the story hriaf, lie said that the
old nlgn discovered narrow stoias stairway
beneath tie stone in which the iron rins was
fxei, anal at the bottom a small apartment,
In which was chest. from which he took
metal plate engraved with hieroglyphicA
This he concealed about his person, and after
arefueiy replas-ing tie stone and filling up
he entrance 10 toe recess with rubbish, he
disappeared.
well, whatever became of himf asked,
and what was the mysterious plateF
He looked all around as II there might be
listener, and then whispered; 1T was -
.ipe Of formula for the making Of gold
-Aid the Old man. what OF him"
"See here, let me tell you something and
here his voice sank so low as to he almost In
distinguishable. "Up in the peninsula OF
Michigan, in q place surrounded for miles
with rocks and timber, there lives man 50
old that nobody can guess his age. He has
surely lived more than 100 years. He is en-
tirely alone, and no one, 50 far as the world
knows has ever visited him Once a year he
appears at some point, purchases some sup
plies, and then disappears What he buys he
pays for in gold pieces-always $50 pieces,
bright and new, just like one of these" and
be pulled handful Of double eagles from tho
pocket Of his trouserS
Are these made by himr asked
Every one Of them," he replied, as be
tossed a handful Of them into the sunshine,
letting them fall in . shimmering cascade,
whose golden waters mingled with the green
grass.
"Why, that Is counterfeitingi isn't itF'
@No, sir! There IL no difference between
these and those coined by the government
II they are exactly the same, who is defrauded
by their circulation No one."
still expressed some doubts az to their
being so like the government coinage that the
difference, if any, could not he detected
wait till tomorrow. and will convince
you," was the answer
v.
The next day he purchased tickets for Bat
tie Creek and we went to the place on the
first train We first went into shoe store,
where he purchased a pair Of shoes. and in
payment threw down double eagle. The
proprietor took It and gave him the proper
change without any hesitation "IIe may not
be Judge Of conn.," said after we left the
store
SWELL, let US try some one that is an ex-
pert We entered bank and he threw
several Of the pieces on the counter and said:
"P,ease give me change for one Of these,
and be good enough to examine them closely,
as | haze reason to suspect they may be
bogus"
The banker weighed them and then ap-
piled an acid test. They are all right" hs
said, "and if you are afraid of them will
take all you have OH your hands and give
you currency in their place"
mo, thank you. only wished TO be satis-
fed they are good"
was astonished and convinced that the
money was as good as the genuine.
And now new phase in the conduct Of my
associate was developed. At first he began
to enlarge on the splendors Of career with
illimitable wealth at ones command And
then he advanced step. and suggested that
we should obtain some of this gold, and then
go our way through the world rejoicing. He
was in a position to obtain all that we re-
qulred at mere song. | had told him
about tue panorama venture, and he pro-
posed that we should redeem it, purchase a
wagon and horses and go through the country,
ostrnsllly giving panoramic exhibitions, but
in reality distributing the coin
Al tell you" he said, Il know how we can
carry all the gold we want. We will bore
full of holes the bar that crosses under the
box and fill the holes with $50 pieces No
boly would ever think of looking for it in
any such place"
Ihus did be ply lie for several days. lis
tened to him with Il lively curiosity His
plan seemed safe, feasible, and certain to be
productive of unlimited wealth. Often in
looking back at his period of nv life won
der that | did not yield to his glttering
promises. was entirely alone. had failed
disastrously in business and saw no hope in
the gioomy future. | was in that condition
when cared for nobody and nobody seemed
to care for me. For some reason, however, I
never reached the consenting point | was
interested and delighted, and without any
conscientious scruples heard him discuss
measures for placing his gold on the public
which knew, whatever the assertions of the
tempter and other evidence, to be counter
felt.
One morning he was missing and learned
that he had left on an eastern tram
How l extricated myself from the difficult
position in which | was placed, through lack
Of funds, Ee,,l not he related further than to
state that raised money enough to leave the
place by pawuing a valuable society pin, the
badge of college fraternity.
VI.
One day, during the war, while riding
along the lines between Shiloh and Hamburg.
came across suffers tent, and dsmounted
to get something to quench my thirst There
was a man inside whom at once recognized
as my old Michigan associate At first he
denied knowing me, but at length admitted
that he was the man.
"How is the gold business. and the old man
mp in the depths Of the wilderness in the
peninsula; and are you still pushing the
double eaglcef'
"Oh. all that he d-di" was his answer.
@Wnat d. you ,neanr
"Are you fooli Haven't you tumbled to
my racket up in Michiganf
81 can't say that have even yet What
was it, anyhow
"You must he the biggest fool in creation!"
he answered with look Of contempt Hon
ext, low, don't you know what was up tot"
Honest, now, dou't What wasi .f"
swell, tint beats mel I'll tell you, although
it doesn't seem possible that any man with q
pinch Of sense would have failed to have got
on to my work At that time Michigan was
fioo'.ed with counterfeit money, especially
along the line of the Michigan Central rail-
way. You came 10 town an entire stranger.
and were looked on with suspicion was in
the secret service and was sent down to look
you over"
"And the bogus money!"
"All genuine government coin. OF course
the bank fouml no fault with it,
And the venerable antiquarian up in the
woodsf'
@Only bind. III be plain with YOU in
tended to Tyt 30 to go into the lrisiiis s. of my