The Beaumont enterprise. [volume] (Beaumont, Tex.) 1904-current, 1904-09-10
How Rufus Appleton
Won Fame
nv CAdris 4, HarHsy
Copyrighted, isOa, BY Tue Authors Pub, Co,

Rufus Appleton was a man whose
Inner self did not III his clay oasket
Ills soul and body were In about the
same relation To each other that q
number seven foot h To n number slN
shoe. lie came OF a family the mem
hers OF which were generally regarded
MS possessed of small souls, but ltulus
was an exceptional rclncarnallon
perhaps of n soul which had found
lodgmcnt in an unexpected place,
Physically he was small, short and oil
light pattern generally. When not
at work he wore a Prince Albert coat
reaching to his knees In order to ere
ate the impression that he was taller
than the cold-blOOded tape measure
at the recruiting station showed him
10 be. He could not be soldier. lie
painted for the physical proportions OF
an Apollo. that he might distinguish
himself in the forefront of battle. To
his great disappointment this privi-
lego was denied him.
In civil life he met with similar dis
cOuragomcnts. while not particularly
hampcrcd there by lack of inches and
pounds, he sighed for commanding
presence betting his inner ambitions.
Who could expect that man with
physical ability insufficient to cope
with lusty ten-yearold boy would
be able to do great things? Had no
been endowed with a giant encase-
mcnt for his ambitious and expanding
soul, he might have commanded
armies, sailed the seas in charge of
giant steamer, or written the novel
of the year" so he thought. He be-
licvcd that his crampcd physical
Judgement hindcrCd the full sway or
his mind. The expression has often
been thOughtlcssly uttered, 81 was so
wrought up | could scarcely contain
myself" That was Rufus Appleton's
condition nearly all of the time. His
aspirations were something really
great, and he rallied at Nature for
seemingly making It impossible for
him to reach his ideal. He envied
every large, well-proportioncd man he
met, regardless of the ShrivClCd or
understood minds which might tenant
their bodies. He did not seem to APP
preciate the fact that large men are
as likely to possess small souls as
that the very opposite may be the
case.
A gang of desperate highwaymcn in
tested the part Of the country where
Appleton was located in the capacity
of sales man for a river coal yard.
They had robbed and pillaged to such
an extent that the state and county
put price of one Thousand dollars on
the head Of each outlaw. For time,
however, even this stimulus failed TO
bring this band of robbers face to face
with the right man. The city detcc-
tiyCs and the rural slcuths were al
ways as much aS Il day Behind them,
Ii remained for Rufus Appleton, who
had no aspirations in the detective
business whatever to accomplish what
a score oi man-huntors had failed to
do Some claimed that it was the
mcrest accident, while others con
l'uutu llhl II W b' a Nsi'' VI a lll'sl'
rising equal to the occasion.
IT was a beautiful night in June
calm and moonlit. The river lay IlHoia
with scarcely "A ripple, An hour be
fore midnight large steamer hove In
sight and Gignalod for fuel. II wa
Rufus Appleton's turn to answer Tho
call, which he aid by showing out q
fiat of coal To mid-strCnm. IL wa.
dashed to the steamer. which barely
paused. but took ON the fuel rs IL wen
ON upstream. Appleton bctonl him
self 10 the cabin, where he rccoiyyD
a thousand dollars i'm cash Tor th,
fuel: then went out on the guUls t
watch the men transfer the coal :r0u
thu deck of he fat Co the ClT1cinu
coal box of the steamer Thr,' w,r
several thousand bushels and i' O.,
CURED some three hours to mako On.
transfer In tho my2u,im" the steam