Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-10-01
SAD HISTORY OF
THE 0RhBONIhNS.

Who lived on a small island In the
South Seas. The name of the island
was Grabo, and the little people we're
called Grabonians. 1t was not more
than hundred yards in circumfer-
ence. but it was fertile and we'll
vatered, with clump of fruit trees
growing in the centre and casting a
refreshing shade from their heavily
laden branches.
Many other islands could be seen
from Grabo, all looking very beauti-
full with their bending palm trees and
aower-covered bushes and sandy
shores. 1t seemed as if fleet of tiny
parks were floating on the ripping
waters; and on any bright afternoon,
when the ,s,-...m....;antiy-coiored song
birds fitted with sportive undulations
from tree to tree and trilled their
raw opera music, the whole archi-
pelago was a paradise of beauty and
harmony.
But the Grabonians cared little for
J scenery. They we're noted among all
the fairy tribes for two things-their
tireless energy and their unaccount-
hble love for shells. Every day these
strange little folks could be seen rae
ing up and down the beach, digging
and poking and scratching in the
sand for the shells which they seemed
! 10 prize so highly. No one ever dis
covered why they imagined those
shells were so precious, as they never
appeared to make much use of them.
Those who had the biggest pile would
rush up and down and scratch with
Even more energy than those who had
few.
y They all seemed to be happy and to
Fnjoy their odd manner of living. All
The fruit and berries on the island
y Fere free to all, and every fairy had
n s own sleeping place, made soft
nth feathers and moss.
They were very inventive little
Features, especially in the line of
hell hunting. The beach was Uttered
nth all manner of fantastic and in
kelious machines for extricating
their peculiar treasures from the
= land. In the course of time their in
Fentiveness and energy began to be
nanifested in the Improvement of
their island. Next little paths were
made from side to side. Clusters of
comfortable little houses were built.
All the rough stones were rolled off a
hgh rock into the sea. Woods were
prooted and lowers cultivated. Four
iny fountains were made to toss the
Fater in the air all day long. One
Improvement suggested another, and
ht last they conceived the idea of
making their island grand palace of
Pleasure. They determined to en-
4. firely cover it with a glass roof, 50
,nl that the wind and rain should never
rouble them any more.
The active little people knew how
70 make glass, and there was an iron
mine on the island, so it was not long
before they began to carry out their
plans Five weeks after the first
prop was erected they had one
quarter of their island home under
q cover, and it seemed as if they were
n about to become the most prosperous
noe of fairies in the world.
just at this period, however, dis
d, Pstrous event occurred. The chief of
+ me Grabonians had a grandmother,
IND this grandmother had a dream,
which she thought that an angel
ppeared to her and said; The big.
ger thing is the fewer should be its
4 owners
\ She felt convinced that this was a
r Message from heaven, which all
alrles believed to be just above the
Pdim trees, and she conhded the
dored message to the chief. When
'e mad heard the mysterious sentence
called the members of his Supreme
Iouncll together, and after two
eeks' earnest elaboration they de-
iued that it referred to the glass
ooi which they were erecting over
ne island. They also came to the
oncluslon that lots must be cast for
ie ownership of the roof, and that
ne number of owners must be de-
'eased as the work proceeded.
inis decree was at once carried
W There were about 1000 Grabo-
,ans on the island. but 1t was agreed
lat only 400 should own that part of
'e root that was finished. AS soon
the 400 had been chosen they i'm
ealately combined among them