The daily Alaskan., 1909-02-11
Pilgrims S Progress .


GlAllOnsl
 One day soon after the close of the civil war. while in Savannah, Ga, 1 drifted into secondhand bookstore fin search of something with which to while away the time during an en- forced sojourn In that city. While there the proprietor told me this story:
 "one day during the summer of 1868 Tom Clark, a man whom we knew to be opposed to secession, but who had always lived here and pro posed to stay, he said, at least till the Union was restored, came into this store and began nosing among my books. He said he wanted some thing for an old aunt of his who took no interest in anything except religion. } had Baxter's Saints Rest Head ley's Sacred Mountains, Pilgrims Progress' and several others the names of which l have forgotten. He told me that he would like to take the lot to bis aunt. let her pick out those she faucied and he would bring back the rest. paying for those he kept l let him take all he wanted, and he went away with them. In a few days he came in and paid for all except 'Pil. grim's ProCress.' which he returned, saving that his aunt had q copy and had read it through many times. Be sides he added. the book is too heavy for an old woman to hold anyway, The covers alone must weigh pound
 Soon after this mulatto came into the shop. handed me scrap of paper with the words Pilgrims Progress written on 1t and asked if had the book, saying that his mistress, who lived on a plantation between here and Augusta. had sent him for it. l showed him the book, but he said he couldn't read and asked if there were any pictures in it. l showed him pic lures of the giant Despair, Apollyon, the Celestial City and other illustra- lions. which satisfied him, for his mis- tresS. lt seemed. had told him that in this way he might identify the book. He paid me S1O for 1t fin Confederate money-less than a dollar fin green backs-aud tool, It away with him.
 Somehow or another the darlIy eX- cited my dlstrust. While had been at the other end of the store I had caught sight of him turning the pages of "PIlgrim's Progress" as though he was reading 1t. When I joined him I asked him if he wasn't deceiving me about not being able to read, but ho denied doing so with all the voluble "Fo dc Lordsw and "On ma wo'd of honahs!" for which the colored race are noted. However, l didn't care whether he could or couldn't read, and five minutes after he had gone l for got all about him.
 There were a few Yankee prisoners of war in this town at the time who had been captured the autumn before at big fight that had occurred on the railroad between here and Charleston. They were confined in the jail that had always been used for criminals. Captain Dan Mobray, popinjay, had charge of them, and he boasted that it any Yani could break jail when he was in command he was welcome to do so. He had a theory that most es- capes of prisoners are effected by some one smuggling fin to them articles to assist them in getting away, so be wouldn't let any one get near them without being first searched.
 Despite Captain Dams precautions one fine morning when the guard went to feed the prisoners he found every mothers son of them had gone during the night All the bars necessary to their escape had been sawed through. When Captain Dan came to the jail and saw what had been done he liked to have had it. He summoned every one who had had access to the prison ers-there were only two or three per sons in all-and questioned them close ly. but gained no clew. Never was man more puzzled. He cursed and swore. and if any of the Tanks had remained l think he would have tor ured them to make them tell how the tools had been Smuggled into the jail. What bothered him most was that he was satisfied that no person who had visited the prisoners had done the smuggling. A few eatables had been sent in. but they had all been so care fully examined that by no possibility could they have contained tools. From something heard during the talk about the escape l got on to a clew.
 What I heard was this: Only one ar- tlcle except food had been sent to the prisoners. A plous old lady living up the river had sent them a copy of Bun vans "Pngrlm's Progress" But the book had been well shaken and care exercised that nothing should be con cealed between the leaves. It was not suspected that the book had contained saws or files. The only singular part of this matter was that the prisoners had taken the "Plgrim's Progress" with them.
 After the close of the war learned the secret. It seems that after the es- . ,,.,,o o,, nF tbn Vonkanq yyoq concealed