The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
RipanS;eTabuleS

Harriet Tubman affair. Harriet, the Moses Of
her people" so-called because she led party
otter party Of escaping blacks from the slave
slaves some years after the wal. when she was
living in Auburn, who told her a tale or how
the, hey had dug up , a Large 10 Hm ,Se to OF So bad IRON Sot
it as far as Auburn. and were ready to exchange
it there for greenbacks because OF the In
to Canada, whittier they were bound.
In the innocence, of her heart old. Harriet APP
one and all refused to have anything to do with
so doubtful q project. In some way old shine
got wind Of 1t. Gold was at a big premium and
the temptation to make money 80 easily out
weighed his prudence. With a clerk and Har-
riet he drove out to a road house some miles
from Auburn, where Harriet left them. taxing
Shines money with her, as she was to act as 60
between. An hour Inter she crawled back to
the Inn on all tours. covered Win olooa' ana
had been pounded with u club. Every cent of
shines money was gone, For a time his reason
trembled, but he eventually recovered and went
on TO make money in safer enterprises.
AT the time his opera house burned he had
another escape from being driven crazy by grief.
Indeed. many persons thought that he was crazy
when he rushed around from fireman to fireman
shrieSing out applications. to each and all TO
save his property. When It became evident that
the building was doomed. the frenzied owner.
gathering the tails OF his highly infiammable
linen duster in his hands: made a rush for the
catching him close to the door.
Let me in" howled shine. Let me In, /
say. don't care Tor the flre.'
The fireman sternly hauled him back and ex-
tin yuished the smou!hering linen buster.
You'll be bowling Tor somebody TO let you
p Tescu ee' curly sou WAIT iTtt hi then and you'll get
For weeks after that fire the old man pottered
about the place picking up bits of metal or
pieces Of charred wood md carting them away
to his yard. His skating rink came to less
rink 1t still brought in something to its thrifty
4wner. When the roller skating craze died out
shine used the upper part OF the building. as
The lower part he used for some years as a
stable for farmers coming into market. and the
spectacle OF the disreputable-looking ancient
sitting in the big doorway and collecting ten
cents apiece from the farmers for the privilege
is one that few Auburn!ans will forget.
In the midst of his mnltifarious business In
terests the miser found time for one amusement;
This was hunting. His old gun, which looked
as II he had manufactured II himself out of lead
pipe, was u deadly weapon TO rabbits and small
game. for Shine was an unerring shot. 1t was
said that he knew more about the good hunting
places around the city than any other man in
Auburn, Certainly he seldom came home with.
out u full game bag. or to be accurate. without
n good brace OF game. for n bag would have been
regarded as Il sinful luxury By this Simrod.
Even here, he mingled business with pleasure.
for he always sold the trophies of his SIX Ill: and
It Is a question II this did not form the keenest
hunters would be unsportsmanlike enough 10
trail the old fellow in order to find out his
hRunts. which gave him bitter offence. But
Nlt~' ~ "FIt dlhhAS h. pC-
cause he would sit on a fence for an hour. II
necessary, waiting for his followers TO relin-
quish their purpose.
AS has been stated. Shines personality is most
vivid to AuburniHns from their childhood mem.
cries. II was one OF the terrors and delights OF
tie youngsters to get him 10 chase them. In
justice TO him II must be said that the fault was
not on his side. With the instructive genius for
iuhiciinG suffering characteristic of children.
the young Auburnians wonld follow him about,
twlttiug him upon his personal appearance.
and bowling opprobriously when he threatened
han nn- A y n a. 81 IA Al n M a hliAa his
had 10 bear. Occasionally missiles flew In his
direction. He WAS not malicious or cruel, and
II he did turn on his turmentors 1t was rather In
seii-detence than revenge. The writer cannot
remember ever having heard OF Shime's NAL,
treating any living thing; lie was a eSnsis.tnt
of the love OF money were not his aims.
Let II not be said that Shine died without one
good deed to his credit. He once treated TIVE
men to n drink. Both the men are dead now
IL ~, perhaps, Only right 10 state that the shock
wnhl.e severe. was no. the cause OF their death
the memory OF that treat will never die Will,
Auburn has All oldest lnhabitant. Whercfron
They greeted old Shiuia, who returned tn,
and asked them to have a drinE. D
mean It," he SAID. when they looked n
each other In stupefaction.,
The TWO men said they'd have ginger ale. Old
shine took bitter beer. tho largest glass In
could get for hvc cents. He asked the bar
tender IL there weren't two small glasses o
ginger ale IN one bottle. and then ordered on,
bottie for the two men, the bar tender beins
too much overcome with amaZement to repiy
lie recovered soon enough to time old SHIN,
on the drink. 1t took three minutes and n hal
In transit. AfterwRTd the two men went arOunC
town telling about IL, and aggregated fifteen
lights with men who called them liars. Tn,
fact that ono OF tho men was Shines nephew 4
not iliuminative. Shine was not more prone Il
generosity toward his own relatives than to
ward any one else.
AZ shine lived; so did shine die; ConsIsten
certain chRritably inclined folks To put "a physi
clan In charge of him. Never was doctor sen
more pcremptDriiy to the right-about than tn
one who visited old Shine. Not until II dR,
before the end would he admit to himself tina
he was going to die. Then he faced the fact
brayely enough, secure in n consciousness o
rectitude that WAS little less than sublime.
Amt spent but mighty little money II
fooilshness durin' a long life" he said To a rela
tive who had come to see him
IL 10 said that. ac put on tho old tail coat whicl
he lad bought for 81 at an auction years bclurr
and had since worn only on gala occasions. I
dc n. lle died quietly. AS BELTS a man who la
lived his life out. No will was found. All hi
existence had been devoted to getting and keen
ing money, but there his interest ended. VIVA
became OF his hoard after his death %Rs nothin
20 him. His heirs are fighting over It nov. II
Inns left his greed along with his money as q
inheritance,
Old SHINE will be missed here. As type Ia
was perfect: u real institution; the most uict
urcsqpe object in n picturesque city. ono a
the distinctive features of the place tina
Auhurnlans liked To point out to visitors is los
IN his death; .Auburn's unique character
gone, amd he left a vacancy that nobody want