The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-11-13
Wealth Won by Luck or Pluck.

Some men get rich by hard work,
some by luck and some by pluck, says
The New York Press. George Brls-
tow, who died in Paris recently, leav-
ing many millions, laid the founda-
ton of his fortunate by daring piece
of prospecting in the Moiave desert.
He was one of a party of forty men
who started to cross the desert to look
for gold. The heat was fearful, dust
storms frequent and water scarce. Al!
except Bristow became discouraged.
One day they came to an immense
gorge running north and south as
far as the eye could reach. There was
no way of crossing and the other men
turned back. leaving Bristow with lit
tie food on the edge Of the chasm.
He set to work to find place where
he could descend to the bottom of the
gorge, and after days walking, he
came to a break in the walls where
he was able to scramble down 2, 900
feet of almost sheer precipice to the
bottom, where stream ran. The
next day he found the lead of gold
and platinum which made him rich.
When he attempted to climb back up
the side of the gorge he found the
task impossible and so travelled on
down the stream, meeting with many
adventures and suffering many hard
ships, swimming the stream, being
bruised against powders, living on
crayfsh and moss. He still was not
discouraged and after three weeks OF
hardship reached the town Of Merton,
at the mouth Of the stream.
David Smetton is now living happily
in Palermo on $40, 600 which he earned
by piece of plucky work IN diving. He
was the man chosen to go down and
explore the wreck of the steamer of
Esmeralda, which sank near Gibraltar
in 125 feet of water with over half
million dollars in specie on board OF
her. Eight divers had tried the job,
but the depth was too great. Smet-
ton was promised 10 per cent of all the
money recovered and went down. He
found the vessel lying across sand
bank and was obliged to use a blasting
charge to get at the hold, when the
vessel suddenly broke in two and the
diver sank to the bottom, a depth OF
140 feet. A timber fell on him, max
ing him unconscious, and another tim
Der broke his life line. But the men
on the wrecking boat continued to
supply him with air. and other divers
finally got line to him and rescued
him.
Not in the least daunted by his ter
rible experience, Smetton went down
again and managed to bring up $780,
600 in specie. When paid his 10 per
cent he abandoned diving for good and
all and settled down in Palermo, in
which beautiful Siclian city he lives
in comfort upon his well-earned for
tune.
Francis Livingstone, an English lad,
recently came into a large fortune
because he voluntarily submitted to
series of painful surgical operations.
He was living with his aunt, Mrs.
Williams. The aunt could not bear
the sight of the boy, and when he
was 16 be learned the reason. AS he
grew older ne resembled more and
more his father, who had married.
Mrs. Williams sister, and brought
ruin and disgrace upon his wife and
family. When young Livingstone
learned the reason for his aunt's dis
like for him he did not come home
from school for the usual holidays,
but wrote that he would go to
Germany to study German. His aunt
cheerfuliy and promptly gave her con
sent and sent him money to pay his
expenses.
When he came back, after some
months, the old lady received the
greatest shock of her life. She did
not know her nephew until he spoke,
so completely had his physiognomy
been changed. He then confessed that
he had induced German surgeon to
operate upon his face. The muscles
controlling the eyelids had been cut,
so that they opened a little more
widely; his upper lip had been short
ened by removing piece of the jaw.
and his nose. ears and chin altered
in shape by being compressed in
tightly fitting frames. He had suffer
ed much. but was no longer the
image of his dad" and when the old
aunt died recently she left him all OF
her large fortune.