Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-01-15
pilgrim $ Progress. :
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Copyright 1908, by American Press Assoc |
ciation.l
One day soon after the close Of the
civil war, while in Savannah, Ca,
drifted into q Secondhand bookstore |
in 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:
zone day during the summer of
1868 Tom Clark, 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 Bakers 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 his aunt, let her pick out those she
fancied and he would bring back the
rest, paying for those he kept. I let
him take all he wanted, and he went
away with them. In few days he
came in and paid for all except Pill
grim's Progress which he returned,
saying that his aunt had 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 a pound
"Soon after this mulatto came into
the shop, handed me a scrap Of paper
with the words Pilgrims Progress
written on 1t and asked If I had the
book, saying that his mistress, who
lived on a plantation between here
and Augusta, had sent him for it. I
showed him the book, but he said he
couldn't read and asked If there were
any pictures in 1t. showed him pic
lures Of the giant Despair, Apollyon,
the Celestial City and other illustra-
lions, which satisfied him, for his mis-
tress, it seemed, had told him that in
this way he might identify the book.
He paid me $40 for it in Confederate
money-less than a dollar in green
backs-and took it away with him.
Somehow or another the darky ex-
cited my distrust. While had been
at the other end Of the store had
caught sight Of him turning the pages
Of "Pilgrim's Progress" as though he
was reading it. When Joined him
asked him If he wasn't deceiving me
about not being able to read, but he
denied doing so with all the voluble
"Fo de Lords!' and ION ma wo'd Of
honahs" for which the colored race
are noted. However, I didn't care
whether he could or couldn't read, and
five minutes after he had gone 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 boosted that If
any Yank 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 in to them articles to
assist them in getting away, so he
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 fit. 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
~, but gained no clew. Never was a
man more puzzled. He cursed and
swore, and If any Of the Yanks had
remained think he would have tor
tured 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 got on to clew.
What heard was this: Only one ar
ticle except food had been sent to the
prisoners. A pious old lady living up
the river had sent them a copy Of Bun
yan's "Pilgrim's Progress" But the
book had been well shaken and care
oxo,oasoa %l,o+ ,,o%hinr ohor,l6 ho CON.