The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-10-20
ToDD's RETURN

uFeh, anu atu ioFrl 10 20 where Tor
tune called him.
4 Saturday night the store NJ Green
Oaks held the customary crowd of ru-
I raj philosophers Blssell. the store
keeper. had keg OF very hard cider
IN the shed nt the rear ana tho phlos
ophers driftNl ont there one 40 time
and helped themselves. coming Ia more
versatile as ruconteurs or more appr.
! ciatlvc rs auditors til FUN o'clock
Just II that hour when Bssell. past
all possibility or moro selling, had un-
bent from proprietor a. associate aud
/ found a comfortable chair ia the crowd
81 corner. the heavy foot OF a man beat
on the wooden porch and a stranger en-
\ tered. lie gave them \ greeting aud
IN the silence which fell on the story
I telling announced that the evening was
I chilly In the dress and appearance
I OF a farmer he was pleasant spoken
enough 90 win some welcome. aud
| Charley FELTON, moved along on the
empty shoe box and offered him seat.
\ Peter CRUDE completed his story, and
/ II reminded the stranger OF one which
1
I generously, and Gabe Turner invited
/ him into the back room FOR a cup Of
hard cider. aud when he came out he
I told another story. Bissell put half his
body IN a barrel and scooped up a scale
scoop of crackers. which he passed
around with novel hospitality
Lets have some cove oysters with
these" said the stranger and he toss
| cd a silver dollar on the counter with
out rising from his place on the shoe
box.
Such prodlgal expenditure OF money.
such an unusual coin. such unembar-
rassel ordering OF great things. such
acquaintance with rare delicacies OF
food, could argue nothing less than
opulence Each man opened his small
tin can with ready iackknlfe and
seasoned the feast with pinch OF
salt. which Bissell produced on n sheet
or brown wrapping paper The last
cracker was issued with n prodlgal
hand for the storekeeper had grown
generous under the Inspiring example
Of the genial stranger. and he gave the
highest possible expression OF his sur-
render when. the crackers being con
sumed before the cove oysters had
vanished. he opened box of ginger
snaps aud set II on the fioor In the
very center ~ the circle.
The stranger had not yet told who
he was. whence he had come or
whittier he was going his recep
ton In spite OF that was additional
tribute TO his tact-when Gabe Turner
mentioned California aud the pglon's
representative Ia that far land
What do you hear from hlm?" ask
ed the stranger
Rolling ia wealth" said Gabc
Thar was man went out there
from my neighborhood" remarked the
guest OF the evening. and he found
$1,000 IN twenty days"
Bssell and all the rest applauied
with gasp
"But II cost him $1,000 TO get there"
They shook their heads slowly Ia
apprecintlve sorrow.
And he lost his 81 200 and broke
leg prospecting FOR another mine
Well calculated Bisscll.
And while he laid Ia his blanket on
tho ground ne picked up nuggets
enough 10 make ten pounds OF gold
Land alivew cried Gabe Turuar.
ana Charley Feiton looked gratefully
at the speaker for expressing the gen
eral amazcmeut
And bis partner stole that. aud his
blanket besides. the very hrst night he
was able TO crawl TO the creek"
The son OF hickory cried Peter
CRUDE. with proper Indignation.
And new man came into the camp
and bought his claim for $4,000 the
very next day"
"You don't say sol"
n was Philemon Todd No one but a
returned Californian could have the
ready money for an oyster treat. And
when they found him out they fell
upon his neck with welcoming. Prls.
ella was the most envied woman OF
the nelghborhood. though whether she
wns glad of the return IL still topic
on which she has not expressed her
self Philemon bought forty acres OF
walnut timber lie would pay for Il as
soon as his money came from Call.
fornia. He could have bought all the
land within sight ~ Green Oaks on
similar terms lie did buy every 30.
tato within seven miles and told Bis
sell TO give the sellers credit ON his nc.
count
Next spring the war broke out. Wal
nut timber was worth fortune for
gun stocks, and Spectator paid Phile.
mon 81. 100 cash FOR the trees Ak they
stood. Potatoes leaped TO the dignity
or money Another Spectator took
Phllemon's option on his hands aud
paid bonus 81 500
lie was the magnate OF Green, oaks
He has lived there ever since and has
never dared another dollar. The sue.
cess of those two ventures sobercd him.
The odd thing about II Il thar his
neighbors believe to this day he bro ght
his wealth from california
II could be- n rich ~ he H." saws
aged Peter CRUDE. III had gone 10
CallfOTny when I wanted 10