The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-11

II away IN little hWlfiA mat tahet vn
one layer. The ''comber" hurries
around after the swirls and picks up
whatever IL exposed TO sight. Layer
after layer OF sand Is removed. I'M
covering more and more coins and
trlnkets for the scavengers OF the sea
shore. On the day Of the last great
storm one man picked up tSz. which
IL the best days work remembered
BY any Of the men talked with. This
storm-ehasing Ia pretty hard labor
The men have TO run around from place
10 place after the blows Of sand. and
the wind soon begins 10 lift and throw
In big waves. which. with the tide. pour
In shore and cover the beach. So profit
able Is Il. however. that the oombers
search an the water IL over their boot
tops.
The most profitable work OF all IL
the hardest Tha, IL digging around
the base Of the piles OF the iron pier
The pier In summer IL a promenade a.
we'll 90 waiting room. From Il all sorts
Of things drop. and. sinking In the
water. are given up by the owner az
Lost. The comber knows otherwise. lie
has learned that the ebb and hoW OF
the tide washes little eddy holes around
every pile. and that everything that
comes anywhere near these holes u
deposited In them. He IL aware. more
over. that even heavy objects are borne
backward and forward By the waves,
and that consequently the chances are
In favor OF the pile hole receiving. on
some IN and out ilow Of the tide. all
things worth recovering. So when the
beaches are left BY the summer crowds
and the hucksters. the oombera 20 out
with their big shovels and sleeves and
dig up the sand In the holes. They
say that the finds are Of good value
and very miscellaneous. Most numerous
are the picklngs from the surface Of
the hard pan" from two or three feet
down through the surface sand
Upon this hard food the coins stand
on edge In a position 20 penetrate e
the safe regions below. But the comber
, understanding this. shovel1 down thre'
or four feet further. and though Il u
heavy work and exhausting aitcrwafs
when the sieve has 10 be used 10 re-
lease the sand the patient placer mine
makes sure he has reaped the summe
harvest before he leaves on his task
There are two rich places which hav
90, been explored. one Is defended b.
a man and his wife who own M
/, ground. Il Is a line Of poles set up 70
the bathing patrons -Four years az
, Young man went into the water Their
with two $50 sold pieces around III
? aeck. He was about 10 be married AM
, was saving up the money for the event
J. Il vas too precious 10 be left In III
bath house keepers safe. 20 he hep
8 /, in the little leather bag II his neck
% When ne came out OF the water thl
. bar and the gold were gone. lie wep
p and cursed and made such a noise abou
} his loss that everybody "on Coney
j. knew Of q. The oombers we're not alon
! IN the search for q. but Il was no
n found during the season and In the fal
a he winter men prepared 10 dig arounI
q the lifeline poles. Gebbard was afrai
y they would dig up the poles or LOOSE
. them and he forbade them TO vor
d there. The police assisted him whe
J. they we're within call. but Wheneye
they and Gchbard were away dow
swooped the combers 10 search for n
rold. The owner found Il necessary
/. leave his wife 70 watch while he va
n away and the combers have been keI
> on ever since. But they mean 20 haV
e those doubls eagles yet; they knov the
n are IN the pele holes. and Dave stev
a nrt. the negro oomber. said recently
! "Tse goln' 10 have them gold-buI
!, IN Il takes an Gabriel hiovA"
A The other untouched spots are ali
\ lifeline poles. those that once CARR,
: line from the pier to the Sceaie RAJ
|. road. when the bathing houses the
n we're torn down the poles were LEFT Al
y the combers are welcome 70 delve b
a side them. but every year they ha'
= been passed over because there We
I, enough other places equally rich to Ia
!. through the winter. and nov the ~
and sand.drlii are gradually rising ov
the tops Of the poles. They will so
7 b. buried and their location will be 70
gotten. unless some energetic comb
attacks them.
y "Oh. we'll set around 70 EN- YET
" said GIN. but the oap'n smiled, Al
!, when ON was some said: They nev
work long after they've got enough {
!" a beef-siew. n Il wasn't for my ba
and being comfortable, rd-but an
all. I've taken out enough a-sliting
the sand"