The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-01
CHAPTER I.

very promising TN mime at Work at req
Roche; many men had been employed,
great mess had been made of the land, and
a lovely ravine through which the river
burst from it's moorland cradle, had been
nearly blocked by the rubbish heaps
thrown out. Not only So but the crys-
talline stream had been polluted.
But the world must advance. Men must
work, that occupation should be found for
hands in England, so as not to force men
to emigrate; that is what We all desire,
and if a pretty piece of landscape suffers
it cannot be helped. A century hence
nature will have healed all scars and
drawn a veil of verdure over the most
hideous heaps Of debris.
Now Red Roche was so full of promise
under an intelligent Cornish captain, a
man who had worked underground since
he was a boy, that every miner employed
was confident that there was work there
to engage him for years to come, and
what was more, that this mine would
bring in a large percentage to investors in
it. 1t did pay, and paid dividend. What
more was wanted?
But some people are not satisfied to let
well alone; those who had money in Red
Roche wanted TO have something better
than per cent. on their outlay, then
wanted 10, 49, 20 per cent; and to obtain
this they resolved that they must bring
to bear on Red Roche the intelligence of
a captain who had not made himself, but
had been made-of a man not experienced
in the hard school of life, but one shaped
and stuffed by mining school, In word,
the company thought that science should
be brought to bear on Red Roche instead
of rough intelligence. Accordingly Cor
nish Jackie got his dismissal, and the
management of the tin mine was entFust-
ed to Mr. Simon Tuball, who had got his
certificate from the College of Science and
was very self-confdent and knew all
about modern systems, and despised ev-
erything that was not up-to-date
The first thing done by Capt Tuball
was to condemn the pumping apparatus.
Thereupon a new pump and wheel, on an
entirely new principle, had to be fitted.
The second thing done by Capt. Tuball was
TO condemn the system of working in the
adits. and 10 propose the Introduction of
machinery that would do fifty times the
work Of men al less expense. According
ly the new steam engine, with its straps
and borers and picks was ordered and set
up The third thing done by Capt. Tuball
was to reject as barbarous the crushing
apparatus and the puddles. All that also
had to be made on a new system.
Now the result of this enormous out
lay was that there was not only no divi-
dend at the end of the year. but there
was a heavy call on the shareholders.
However, they make no demur, there must
be an initial outlay to insure the enormous
profits that would come to them as the re-
suit. The captain, it was shrewdIy be-
lieved. received a nice little sum from the
manufacturers for recommending their
machinery, and obtaining orders for it;
so that, although the new plant cost the
shareholders a large sum, it brought in
nice lump sums to Capt. Tuball.
Now came the captains fourth achieve
ment. BY scientific method he convinced
himself and his shareholders that Capt,
Jackie had done quite wrong in working
in the direction in which ne had found
ore, and that the only right, because scien-
tific, way TO go to work was to leave
the lode that. had promised and did fulfil
its promise and to go in another direction
as dictated by science and opposed to
common sense. The miners grumbled the
foremen protested, but where was the
good? Capt Tuball was master of the
situation, and had been better taught than
they-at college.
The result of this fourth movement of
the captain was that there was no divi-
dend the second year; the company fell
into bankruptcy water broke into the
mine, drowned the aGits, covered up the
promising lode and overwhelmed all the
new works, which neither promised nor
yielded anything
Then Capt. Tuball departed, with all
his certificates, to some other confoing
company, and all the miners who had been
engaged al Red Roche for seven years. five
of prosperity and two of adversely. had
toSdepart and look elsewhere for oceupa-
zion.
Now among these men was enc named
Moses Fewins--a young fellow. frugal
temperate. Woodworking. who lodged FOR.
all the seven years with a widow. at
very moderate cost, and had managed 70
save Up a nice little sum of money
The widow in whose house Fewins had
lodged had daughters Margaret, and
'nsensibly the two young people had been
drawn together, yet had never quite
reached the stage of walking out in com
pany, and not word had been spoken as
to an engagement. Moses liked and re-
spected Margaret and she thought that
there could not be miner of his age who
was comparable with him for sobriety.
steadlness and general integrity Their
liking for each other was based on the
surest foundation of mutual esteem.
As Moses said to himself there never
was girl who was cleaner, more active
more obliging and sensible. If he had NOT
spoken the reason was that for the las,
Two years Red ROche had been going on
in so unsatisfactory a manner that the
miners engaged on Ii had been antieinat-
ing catastrophe. and Moses would nor
ask a girl 10 be his till he had some
work that was likely 10 last And now
the mine was shut down; and Moses was
not the man 60 link girl to him when he
might have to SO away to America or
the Strait Settlements to find work with
out a prospect Of return to England for
many years.
Full of trouble In mind what to do and
where 10 so. Moses Fewins sal on a tim
Der bauik, near the abandoned mine mrs
ing his head. Then up to him came Phrin
Hart. shrewd miner also out of WORK
a fellow with cunning twinkle in his
eye, and one who avoided looking anv
man straight in the face
why, Moses, poorly?"
mo, Philip; only working where 10 he
off to"
$50 you are going off?"
Yes, there's nothing to be done hero -
Tim going also for bit But INV wife
n l.