The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-24
A COSTLY HITcHING BLOCK.
Its First Owner Paid $4,000 for 1t
to a Gold Brick Man.

Columbia, S. c., Nov. 23.-M s. T. Nc
Cravey. a prominent member of the Spar
tanburg bar is a grave and dlgnifed law
yer Of middle age. He is by no means a
sport" but he has a weakness love OF
fine horsehesh. But when he drives up to
the curb of a Spartanburg street, the
stranger passing, even though he might
himself be an admirer of speedy road
sters of fine build, viii likely be more in
terested in the pitching block Mr. Nc
Cravey uses than in his trotter For the
block cost much more than the horse and
is, doubtless, the most expensive hitch
ing block in the world And It has an
interesting history
In its original form the block weighed
hfty-one pounds. but this being uunec-
essarily heavy for Lawyer McCraveys
purposes, he cut it in half, and so has
another in reserve should anything hap
pen TO the one in use. 1t cost $12 900 IN
hard-earned cash, and to the uniuitiated
looks its price for all that is within view
is pure gold.
Mr.. McCravey acquired the block from
clients estate and at much less than
first cost price. This client named Can
trell who by thrift industry and honest
attention to business, amassed a fortune
and ability to take care of himself, no one
bore better reputation in the county, but
he did not gamble or speculate and all
that came to him was through legitimate
business channels.
But about four years ago a man with
gold brick came along. He stopped in
Spartanburg and had a glowing report
from some relative of the old Spartan
who had gone to California many years
before and amassed a fortune mining gold.
Now, of Mr. Cantrell had a hobby il was
gold. Gold to mine, gold to keep. gold in
bulk. The stranger knew all about it and
he and the old man were soon on terms of
friendship and intimacy. After time the
visitors confided to his moneyed friend
that he had bar of solid gold which he
had no particular objection TO converting
into cash at its market value The Spar
tan had cash In bank and was fascinated
with the idea of exchanging it for a block
of yellow metal that he could keep in his
house as a kind of plaything. So the two
went on visit to Asheville, N. c., the
stranger taking along his fortune done up
In small package and called on a Jew
eler. The old man knew all about green
goods and gold brick people and he was
not going to be caught like a green far
mer. The jeweler tested the bar of gold
bored a neat little hole clean through it
and showed that it was all solid. So the
Spartanburg man took the brick and
handed over $1,000 agreeing to pay the
balance of couple of thousand on the
following Saturday. The day of payment
passed but the stranger did not return.
After waiting some time the old gentle
man let a local jeweler examine his treas
ure, and found that except the covering
of a sixteenth of an inch and the little
holes bored through by the first jeweler,
who was probably a confederate, had
found 1t convenient to strike, the brick
was brass. Nothing was ever heard of the
stranger and the affair was kept so quiet
that the neighbors of the family do not
yet know the story, and it has never
been told to the public
About a year ago the investor died and
the gold brick, which he had kept intact
was disposed of to the family lawyer.