The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-05-29

ooochee was a dead-aliye village with
angle street climbing from the ferry
landing on the river bank up 70 the
weather-beaten courthouse on the first
slope ofJohn's mountain. Ifitdihered
from other inland county seats in
northern Alabama 1t was on the side
of drowsiness and shabby inconse-
auence. It's reason for existence was
purely geographical; the Chiwassee
valley divides Chilmath county into
halves, and the ferry was point ac-
,cessible to the farmers in the valley |
and to the dwellcrs on Jubal noun
tain on the east and Johns mountain |
on the west. In the sprinkling OF
weather-worn buildings strewn upon
the hillside facing the river, but three
were relatively notable. One was the
courthouse, wooden, two-storied, with
a classic porch out of which tumbied
a cataract OF steps flowing down to the
head of the street. Another was Cat
ron's store, low and windowless in the
rear and self-assertive and pretentious
3n front, with a high forehead OF
Notwithstanding rising above the
wooden awning over the sidewalk
The third was the Mountain house, just
across the street from Catron's. 1t had
been a planters mansion in the days of
masters and slaves. and in falling from
its better estate the square brick house
had brought down some reminders OF
ancient stateliness and solidity. There
was a suggestion of comfort in its deep
verandas, roomy Railways and wide
1ireplaces, but the hint was lost In the
general aspect Of decay and neglect,
and the Mountain house, together with
everything else in the village, pointed
toward gradual and painless relapse
into condition of moribund disuse.
In the nature of things, the old ALA
coochee saw few visitors. IL was 20
miles down the valley TO Prattville,
the nearest railway town, and Abel
French's blackboard was the only means
of communication. French drove down
twice week for the mail, but he sell
dom brought back n passenger, and,
save on First Mondays" and other
court days, the Mountain house was
usually without guests. One pleasant
evening in February, however, French
broke the record. He brought two
strangers up with him from Prattville,
and there was consequent stir of spec
ulative curiosity among the loungers
whose rallying point was the shelter
of Catron's awning. French, being
promptly Intercepted, confessed reluc'
family that he had been unable to find
a out his passengers business; and, hnv
ing run 20-mile gauntlet with the in
quisitive mail carrier, the strangers
had no trouble in evading the less skill
full approaches of the townsfolk. Fol-
two weeks they spent their days driv
ing up and down the valley, and thell
evenings sitting upon the veranda o
the Mountain house asking questions o
everyone and contriving TO dodge all In
1uiries aimed at the object of their visit
One evening when the sun had gon
down behind Johns mountain the new
corners took their accustomed place
on the veranda, drawing their chair
together and lighting their after-sur
per cigars in full view of the open-ai
court in session under Catron's avn
ing. One OF them was a heayy-sct mar
with a smooth-shaven face, hard bu
unreadable. He had the mannerism @
quiet aggressiyeness which belongs I
physical superiority, but the bully !
him was force rather than an expires
sion. Certain little idiosyncrasies, sue
as the habit of slipping his hands int
his pockets and rocking his chair ger
thy ON two legs as he talked, suggeste
the lawyer cross-examining witnes
and the hint pointed truthfully to III
gentleman's profession. Among h
legal associates in New York, Lawy'
Sharpless was respected as an able a
torney and one whose loyalty 70 h
clients was never hampered by incol
venient questions of conscience. III
- compahion was q why little man who
clothes were shabby with the wear
activity. He talked volubly, punctua
ing his speech with lean finger Ia
in the palm of the opposite hand, az
throwing one leg over the arm OF n
chair as he warmed TO his subject. II
calling was not SO obvious, but tn
was because he had followed so maj
occupations that none of them had lie
its impress upon him. A pettifoggiI
lawyer, land agent for arailway cor
pany, broker in real estate, and 4
terly a professional boomer, Mr.. JenlSi
Fench was man of many parts, w
qualified TO bear his share In the ents
prise in which he was at present
sociated with the New York lawyer.
Sharpless enjoyed the first inch
his cigar I'm silence before hc nodded
the group across the street. ST
guessers are hard at IL again over thel
YOU don't suppose they have heard al
thing. do your"
Hardly" replied Fcnch; "th'
hasn't been anything they could {
hold OF, yet"
"No--not unless Gates has been Ia
ing"
"He hasn't anything TO talk abo
All he knows IL that we want TO !
his land, and that proves nothing"
"Perhaps not, TO these people"