The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-09-26
GIVEN UP
By THE SEA


tOrtginaLl
In the summer Of 1S9- was With
the United States fish commission as
chemist to an exploring expedition.
This commission is a scientific body
given more to explorations OF the bed
and body OF the ocean than OF study
ing the cultivation OF Gsh. Deep sea
soundings are among It's investigations
and, 1 confess, were OF greater interest
70 me than any others In which we
were engaged. The apparatus IS
dredger let down to the bottom OF the
ocean ut the end Of plano wire. This
wire is used on account of its strength
aud because it presents the least sur
.lacs to currents. We were sounding
and dredging in that deep ocean terri
tory on the Canary Islands and after
a number OF depth measurements
turned our attention to dredging We
had lowered the dredge for the third
time and started to lift IL when, after
wndiKg 1t up matter OF nifty feet
pressure on the wire was felt The
machinery was at once stopped lest
the wire should be broken. We low
cred, then raised It, but 1t caught again.
We repeated the process several times.
and at last the dredge must have
sw,pg clear of the obstruction, for
there was no more trouble, the instru-
ment coming safely to the surface.
The dredge used on this OCCASION
consisted of pair of scoops which as
soon az the lowest point of the dredge
struck were released from an open 20
sItIon and closed. scraping up small
portion OF the bottom. was in charge
of the work when the instrument was
raised and opened the scoops with the
usual interest as to the nature Of the
specimen OF the bottom l should find.
What was my establishment to see not
u particle OF the mud expected, but
instead haIrpin and gold locket,
the hitter only slightly furnished. !
opened the case with my penknfe, for
It fitted tightly, and out dropped bit
of thin paper. On one side OF the lock-
ct was a daguerreOtype of man, on
the other woman.
The only explanation have ever
been able TO make for the bringing up
of these articles is that the dredge was
lowered through some opening In
wreck into place where the scoops
were closed by striking surface on
which the article rested
Now, / am aware that fate or Provi-
dencc or whatever We choose to call
the supernatural directing power is
continually working out all. sorts OF
problems in the most unheard Of ways.
What the drawing up OF these like
nesss from one OF the deepest parts
OF the ocean meant was very curious
to know. 1 looked the locket over care-
fully In the hope Of finding a name,
but was disappointed Then took the
bit OF paper below and unfolded It.
Though the case had been tightly
closed the paper was saturated
but some parts were comparatively
dry. There was writing ON it some OF
the words being as clear as the day
they were written. others hopelessly
blurred; but enough were clear to en-
able me to construct the following:
New York, June .. 1850
j nave TINS Guy E@AE1A wv
Hunt and Elizabeth Carnes Mansfield
ANTHONY PoTwIN, D. D.
was disappointed that the writing
: did not tell of some conspiracy, murder
or false Imprisonment that might be-
come. BY its possession, an instrument
Of Justice. However, put the trinket
and tile paper in my trunk TIL re-
turned to New York. Then hunted
for Edgar Guy Hunt and Elizabeth
Carnes Mansfield. found neither,
for they were both dead What l did
find wns a granddaughter. Elizabeth
Mansfield Hunt. who was making u
scant living by teaching music. Her
story Of the family WAS that her grand
ca.her. l,urt. the onIy son OF h. par
ems, had run away with Elisabeth
Mansfield After his death a cousin
claimed farm In Harlem OF which
Hunt was the owner, on the ground
that Hunt had never been married.
Elizabeth Mansfield Hunt had gone
abroad to study music. but was return.
ing to claim her husbands property
when she was wrecked on rhe Azores.
After all, there was an important
feature to my find. The farm In Har-
lem had grown 70 be worth more than
s5.OOO,OOO, and Elizabeth Mansfield
Hunt was the Legal heir. Tho only evl.
dence OF the marriage of her grand.
mother had gone down Oh the Azores,
drifted TO the Canaries and had been
fished up by me after it had been I'm,
mersed nearly hn4f century.
1t was the most natural thing in the
world that l, a young scientist whose
attainments bad produced tha legal eTi'
dence which Miss Hunt 80 much need
ed, should interest myself In the res
torarinn of her fortune furnished
the means necessary to begin suit
against the owners OF the now divided
property, and compromises were made
which footed up a total Of S1I2A5OOO
or about fourth OF the value Of the
property. Miss Hunt insisted on divid'
ing what she received With me. but
declined to accept any portion OF It
telling her that II she would ACCEPT me
instead she would make me very hap
py. She agreed to the coupromtse. and
afser we were married, Impressed as
she was with the benefits sccruing
from deep sea soundinga, Bba wanted to
ut out an expedition. not for the pur-