The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-07-16
CHAPTER XIV.
The Great Discovery.

The Great Discovery.
From the shore came DULL moan
Two sonnd. now rising, now falling pu'
,ncessant, as II some gigantic anllii"i'
stricken and suffering, was shrieKlns
Tho anguish of its death throes TO tne
ao,itudes of the keys and the Waste
of waters round them. The frlsnt
ened birds took flight to the north ~
oecane the weird monotone, and 'ne
t,m,d animals of the forest covered
IN fear; but the men OF the lslana
looked at one another exultantly, WIN
-,v+uo, CONCENTRATION on the rapidity
~ tboir work. The blast furnace
which was to cast the plates was De-
ing blown in. 49,,
Davs and nights of unremittng toll
had followed that first landing; ma
chine shops had been completely III,
stalled, power plants perfected anu
buildings for the men erected auui'
tional supplies had been received
and another gunboat, the ColumDla
augmented the patrol which passed
ceaselessly round the keys, guarding
their secret and warning inquisltVe
fishermen to avoid the waters; corps
of exnert smelling men from the
mines Of the west had Joined the
colony-and all for this, the casting
Of the first plate, which was to TAKE
|, place this day.
In the assay rooms there had beer
the constant testing OF crude metals
, and apportioning them and discardln'
, those which were inferior. Tralne'
hands we're those that worked over tn
bucking boards and manipulated tn
, delicate scales which would registe
s the tiniest m@rK of lead pencil VIII
q as great accuracy as they would
;. pound. weight. Everywhere about tn
plant were men who wrought with pr
}. cision and interest, bound together
8 the great enterprise until difference
in station were forgotten and all wei
as a family praying for success.
& "Old Bill" Roberts, assisted by n
e daughter, had permitted no foot b
'r theirs to enter the room where his a
e. naratus was installed, and no nal
a. Int theirs to touch its compllcat
RS mechanism. With the love OF CT
al ator he had spent the last hou
'iS fondling Its cold, uhresponsive pal
Id and adjusting 1t, and then stood a
on watched, as a mother watches
"a firstborn. the initial movements OF
great masterpiece which was m
4, terv to all the world but him q
lar Norma.
w, Engineers and officers from all pa
es of the plant, warned that the cruz
,ip. test was at hand, gathered round
civ door of the innermost room, until
xus yited in by the inventor and I
for slowly entered and found stand
bill, nlaces at a safe distance from the
rts. tricate mass, whose polished KIN
of twisted bars and cleaning II
old seemed to them tangled rlo
Norma, CARRIED in the stained KI
wrapper which she wore in the
mis- oratory at home, lowered here
ac' there round the apparatus, lightly
ern- ing an adjustment or closely ms
tnat ing a Joint, her face grave, calm,
ana self.possessed. Her father, his
ions old face drawn into a scoWl OF
lpio centration, busted himself like
ana and made the final connections.
lhis careful was he that he even lnsp'
pro the duplicate apparatus which
y W as a reserve at the other end
eA' casting mold, but which it was nc
coh' intention to use except in Gas
emergency. Satisfied that all W
readiness, he beckoned to two
i a;s SAINTS, who trundled in the first
No. posite plate and deposited II
"ioo he'd He made the connection
the electrodes in few minutes
- W work, and then Strengthened VI
lstra- ''oneu oa,ont
it is SUI, -, "nu ado.,na ono;neers say
% wave his daughter back snol
~ lance as though fearing for her
.on watched him take final look oV
, has appliance, and then throw . 8
nas Brilliant streaks Of purple. OF un
reds and glazing whites, raced