Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-08-31

at first sight Of it, Here is wonder.
full character
Il could scarcely look away from
the man--that face. He, too, seemed
TO look much at me, although doubt
less from widely different reasons from
those attracting me toward him. His
hands were hardened, and his clothes
were such as the miners wore. His
hair was dark, and yet streaked with
gray. I believed him to have been a
man who had seen at least fifty years
Of life and just as much of sorrow.
We did not speak-we simply
looked at each other.
con the day following I was again
mlngllng with the men-not now as a
general observer with little interest in
anything-I was looking for q face
Aftcr weaving in and out among the
men for more than all hour I sudden.
~ came face to face with the 'stran-
ger again. l don't know why I
looked for him; + don't know why he
spoke to me when we met. but l do
know that our meeting brought about
the discovery Of the richest zinc mines
III the world. It caused to be written
one Of the most interesting and i'm
poriant chapters in the history of the
great West.
owe sat down together, as if by
common consent, although neither Of
us had said as yet more than good
morning.. For a moment neither
spoke. Then he inquired if I was q
detective. Ireplied that I was not,
that I was simply passing through the
country on my way to Indian Terri
tory. [ asked him his name, but he
pretended not to hear me. I asked
him where he lived. and he looked
away and began talking OF the pros
poets of finding ore where the men
were working. was more than ever
interested to know something Of the
stranger with whom I had met, and I
made repeated attempts to ascertain
his name or residence-all with the
same unfruitful result.
"When he spoke of the geological
formation Of the place, where the
greater part of the work was being
done, realized in moment that he
was man Of high culture. His
language was pure and beautiful. He
seemed, moreover, to be a profound
scholar, especially along the line of
geology He did not try to bewilder
me with long geological terms, but
talked SO simply about everything,
and yet so learnedly, that I almost
fancied that he was looking into the
very ground as he spoke. As we sat
there talking great crowd gathered
about us, and we became the observed
Of oil Observers The stranger (for
such I have always called him,
although he proved to be most
beneficial friend to me) said that the
people took us for rich mining pro-
moters. He expressed the opinion
that they were digging in the wrong
place to fud minerals. He seemed
very positive in his views. DO you
know said he, that this country has
regular geological formation, and
that rocks and minerals are in place
here just as much as they are in the
, great camps of the Rocky Mountains:
Even though mineral has been found
here only in pockets, there is one law
governing all the deposits. and things
have not occurred here by chance, as
most people suppose.
1--WE separated, after talking for
perhaps two hours. On the following
, day / met him again in the crowd, and
we sat down together as before. ]
noticed that his eyes were red as il
{ from weeping, and his face seemed
, very sad He did not talk much, but
[ looked away. as if to avoid my gaze.
Il was evident that he had sustained 9
great grief. and determined to know
more OF his history At this time
! said but little, anu he soon arose an6
5 walked away from the crowd. After {
, while he returned, and this time i
, was quite evident that he had beer
weeping.
He sat down beside me and
, asked him if he had received bat
news from home. At this he looked
away, and made no reply. l coult
, not get him to reveal even SO much a.
a suggestion as to his past, exceptins
only as his scholarly conversation
!, proved him to be a man Of great learn
I ing.
'''This is not the place to dig. b.
s said rather impulsively. I know th'
{. place to dig, and it is quite distanc
S from here.
r "'Can you prove to me that this
district has irregular geological forma
c tion?' l inquired. 4 formation b.
@ which veins may be traced and til
v location of minerals be more accu
d rately determined?'
It 81 can,' was the laconic reply.
!. cat this time a belief came TO m
l. that the man was trying to enthus
If me with his mining talk for the sol
|. purpose Of obtaining money from me