The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-08-09
BY PAUL COOK.

etrating the cave the trembling Englan- ians. led by Colonel Otax. traversed sew era chambers until they arrived at what seemed to be a solid wall of rock. The heat had already become intense. Colonel Otax carefully removed a section of the stone by shifting 1t aside with lever.
 Behold the wonders of pyrodum" he exclaimed, in an awestruck voice.
 Gazing down what seemed to be an end- less passage way the Englanians saw a huge piece of white stone projecting from the wall which sent out such enormous heat vibrations that even at that distance they could not look upon the phenomenon for any length of time, Sending in one of his miners. equipped with protective arr nor and supplied with chemicals for coun- teracting the heat of the stone the Eng lanians were shown how the mine could be worked.
 The most skeptical were convinced. Stock of the Lunar -Petrax Consolidated and Cooperative Development company was In demand and before leaving the cavern the Colonel had disposed of 500.O00 shares to the eager capitalists who were banking on making money from the worlds discomfort. When the men of money returned to .Petrax the city was agog over the proposed innovation which would mean so much for the race in after
 
 tumbled over each other to buy shares in the Lunar Petrax Consolidated and Co., operative Development company. Colonel Otax was in his element and was looked upon as the greatest man of his day. When organization was perfected the Col onel gave a great fume banquet to the principle stockholders of the company in the otala of Petrax. As no chemical pies exploded on this occasion the affair was a great success. Intoxicating fumes were inhaled by the banqueters until all were in the seventh heaven of bliss. and then Colonel Otax rose to address the assem- bly,. His words were brief. for in 10000 GOO A. D. the speech was monosyllabic. But the address was long. and 1t would be imprac- ticable to give it here. However, the wit. the sarcasm. and the learning of 10.000.000 years belonged to the Colonel. and when he finished there was thunderous applause which echoed and re-echoed in the great otala.
 At the conclusion of the speech wonder full musical instruments played, beautiful thought waves were transposed on the walls for the delight of the guests and the learning, the wit of countless centuries was spread before them. By the same method transactions were carried on in the stock market The art of writing hav- ing been forgotten some 3. GOO GOO years be- fore mems thoughts were photographed and projected before the eyes of other men In such a manner that comprehension was instantaneous. The crude method of writing on machines was therefore useless and tedious in the extreme. The credit for this wonderful invention Is due to Sir Blacmak a celebrated funny picture man and philosopher of the early days who lived 5000 years by considering life a joke.
 President Otax was now become a very busy man. The labor of floating the stock of the Lunar-Petrax Consolidated Co., operative Development company was hap pily finished, but the duties of getting the immense project started were extremely arduous to Colonel Otax and he delayed matters as much as possible. At last his stock of excuses came to an end and he bestirred himself to purchase apparatus and ships for transporting pyrodium to the earth It was necessary that the air. ships be so constructed that they would not be effected by the intense heat and the method of removing the precious metal