Mohave County miner., 1889-08-31

~A"" " - ~ ~ AS ksy
salary.
II was nine o'clock one Thursday
night when word came over the tele-
phone wires from the fire chieftain's
Office that the towboat ''Grey hound"
was burning at her landing. three miles
above Newport. In fifteen minutes
came the supplementary report that her
entire tow OF seven barges was doomed.
and that John Stacey and ''Stumpy,"
the cook. were missing-prssumably
burned with the wreck.
Ferguson can have two columns for
! that" complacently remarked the city
editor. '.Hcre. Newport get . rig;
jump out there; find Ferguson and help
! him Get in rs much as possiblr be-
fore twelve, and, il 1t promises rood
matter after that. wire the facts. We
will dress them up"
At half-past twelve o'clock / was
again at the Office with the skeleoon
article The fire had taken place early
in the afternoon. Three lives and $685.
600 worth Of property were lost had
seen nothing OF Ferguson.
But while was making q hasty oral
report to this effect Ferguson strolled
into the Office. He was at peace with
himself and tho world. and his stiff,
white collar lifted itself immediately
above his black tie and unruffied shirt
front.
Nothing moving" he said. airily as
he placed the days report on the edi-
tors desk. Everything dead along
the river to-day"
mo fights nor fires?" asked the city
editor in his blandest tones
Nothing; but here Is little special
that will look well In the Sunday sup
plemeEt. / have been up ut the library
looking up points for it all afternoon.
With a scare head-first line. The Dia-
inond Dollar'-it will prove xs 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 foatcd about aimlessly 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 1t 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 a pre-
MUM. There is one dollar. Of the mint
age of 1904, which is worth $3.50.
For the past few seconds the city edi-
tor had been rapidly writing upon a
slip vi paper, and here he interrupted
the enthusiastic remarks about the val.
| liable dollar.
You know the rufe Of the Office, Mr..
Ferguson" he said, in an icy tone, no
man with us gets a chance 10 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 10 an
order on the counting room for your
money up TO Saturday night You have,
my best wishes for your future. Good
nighfr'
That was how he lost his desk on the
Gazette. and. breezr writer that se was.
In three months he had found it neees-
sary 10 take no tho life Of q street car
conductor or starve.
You remember that diamond dol
larf' he said again. after answering the
sharp clang Of the bell above his head
by bringing the car to q stop long
enough for the gray-bearded talker to
alight; "weli. curiously enough. have
found one OK 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 fonnd dollar OF 1904. actually
worth sJO0P'
Precisely so. dear boy. Driver,
handle a great deal Of silver, and among
the money in my pocket last night ]
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 singuiarly excited. He
looked at the piece OF silver as doomed
man might look at an unexpected TO
prieve. Ii meant another start in life,
chance to build up wealth and repu-
tation on Journal OF his own; 1t meant
wife; it gave bin Virginia. His hand
trembled slightly with the tumult Of bis
thoughts. One OF the cars front wheels
struck q stone, Jumped the track, and
for few seconds the vehicle jolted vio-
lently over the oobblestones.
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 battered and bent
piece Of silver.
1t was q diamond dollar.
1t had slipped from his uncertain
grasp, and the sharp Aanges 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