The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-04-29

During the next two months Sam,
Tom and Phineas laughed themselves
fat at the ever-increasing dump on
the opposite mountain side, and at
the hundred and one things of the
Dutchman's doing that field-glass
could reveal. Harder work might have
reduced the miners in flesh, but they
we're victims of Laughing canyons
spell, and the Joke which was daily
working itself out before their eyes
was worth the whole summers labor.
The Dutchman never paid them
visit. He was too busy digging his
mine. They never visited the Dutch
man. 1t was too much trouble and
too far down to the creek and up
the opposite side
There's some one at the Dutch
MANS said Tom one day in the early
autumn.
The yellow and scarlet leaves had
begun falling from the quaking aspen
and sumac, making bare the mountain
slopes. The field-glass was brought
out. hut nothing more than the pres
ence of stranger at the little cabin
across the canyon was ascertained
Phineas, of course, came out of the
shaft, the glass was passed from hand
to hand, and a good halliday wasted.
The next day neither stranger nor
the Dutchman was tC he seen. Sam
and Tom accepted Phineas' theory,
that the stranger had persuaded the
Dutcfman that he was wasting his
time. and the two had gone off to-
gether.
Two weeks passed, when one morn
ing the Dutrhman again stood before
them. There were the same ruddy
cheeks, the same cropped hair, and
the same serious, blue eyes, although
in the latter a certain twinkle might
have been observed which had not
been there before. Otherwise: trans
/ formation had been wrought. Upon
! his round head he wore broad-rim
! felt hat. A tailor-made suit of large
! checked cloth disclosed the outlines OF
! his chubby form. He wore polished
shoes. and his fat double chin lay
/ over q white collar. A bright ted
necktie and yellow gloves completed
the figure before which the three men
with bulging eyes stood transfXed
Il haf COON back began the Dutch
man. with an awkward bow, TO gil
the shentlemen tanks, and say goot
pye | haf soldt me dot Katrina mine
by de pine trees, an will lief. The
shentlemen will findt box nit gro
ceTies OF dc toa,i peluv; fish ! ha
prung me from Poulder to gif you
Goot-pye.''
He shook hands all around, ant
started down the path. All three meI
We're FOO snrprised 10 speak As h'
started away old Phineas sufficient.
recovered to put the most natura
question in the light of the revelation
1t came forth with an effort.
"HoW-how much7" he asked,
"TwenIy-tife tousanut cash, NIT /
per cent. royalty"
That is the history of the discover.
of the wonderful Katrina mi'ie o
Laughing canyon Millions of dollar
have been taken from the shafts an
tunnels that honeycomb the groun
to depth of a thousand feet beneat
where once stood the two tall pines
The usual stampede was tnads :
Laughing canyon as soon as the strik
in the Katrina was known, bu
although many paying mines Wer
found, none ever equaled the origins
discovery 1t was not in the natur
! of things that Phineas, Tom and Sa'
should long continue thelt par'le1Fhi
f relation after their last humiliatln
t joke, and each in his own curreI
: dlifted away into the oblivion of Ill
: successful mining. The shallow sha
they dug has long since collapsed. an
S hahrerry ami tangled vines screen
all fiom view Doubtless the srif
\ of the adventurous Dutchman, wa
, dering in the canyon, hovers over tt
spot on quiet nights and laughs
J. the spirit of Dutchman ever laugh