The Dickinson press., 1910-04-09

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send his best workmen here on the
jump to open this SAFE"
In another moment one Of the
clerks was in a cab, the cabman lash
ing his horse on the way to the
Strecher Safe and Lock company.
Purbeck Jones, an English million
oire and railroad contractor, had taken
a contract to build the Maiwar line In
central India and in the venture had
staked all his possessions. He was re-
Quired to give security amounting to
100000 to owe loss by the railway
syndicate. This sum must be in neg0-
table bonds and other securities and
delivered on or before May 8, 1891.
Even the wealthy Purbeck Jones
found it difficult to raise the money
for so large a transaction. He, however,
succeeded in gradually collecting the
securities, which he preferred to de-
post In his own safe to that Of q de-
post company.
On the morning Of the sailing Of the
Indian mail he went to his office to
dispatch the securities under a special
guard to India. Feeling in his pocket,
where he expected to find his safe
keys, they were not there. He had
left them in his country place, Har-
wood, just outside Carlisle, and to get
them in time to open the safe before
the steamer sailed "a impossible.
Missing the mail would prevent his
delivering the securities before the
expiration of the time limit.
Before long a cab dashed up to the
office, and two workmen, each with a
bag Of tools in his hand, jumped out
and entered the Office.
1--WE securities in that vault" said
MI. Jones, "that must go off on the
Indian mail at ~ Don Open the
safe in time to get them on the steam
er and I'll give you $500 EACH"
The sum was q small fortune for a
workman. Each thought Of the wife
and BARNS at home and the comforts he
could give them with so large a sun.
The fastest horse that could be pro-
cured was brought and stood at the
door ready to transfer a messenger
with the securities to the steamer the
moment they could be taken from the
safe. Mr.. Jones stood over the work
men watch in hand noting the lapse
of time, trembling like a leaf, his
heart beating wildly. On their sue
cess of failure hung either continued
wealth or ruin to him. He had made
the biggest contract any man had
ever undertaken, and its loss would
render him hopelessly bankrupt.
He hung On the expression Of the
workmen's faces. When they sue
ceeded in some important step, Dor
ing through a hara plate or cutting a
rivet, he had hope. But If their tools
proved softer than the steel or after
cutting their way in they found un'
expected obstacles he feared the
worst.
Eleven o'clock came, and they had
succeeded in getting only SO far as
through the outer plates that protect
ed the lock. At half past II they
found that they were still obliged to cut
through as much as they had already
accomplished to reach the machinery
that shot the bolts, and then they
would need considerable time to shoot
them. At a quarter Of IL, after whis
pering to each other, they turned t.
Mr.. Jones and announced their failure
Jones sank back into a chair and
covered his face with his hands. A
panorama Of his life passed before
him-his early struggles to get a start
his first successes, the great contrac1
that made him a rich man, the years
since, during which he had been a mil
%lionaire. The man who had climbed
the ladder Of wealth to the top roun(
saw oil this, saw, ruin staring him ii
the face and grOaned.
The workmen, equally disappointed
gathered up their tools and SILENT!
passed out. The clerks resumed thei
positions on their desk stools, but onl.
to pretend to work. All knew that
blow had struck the man for whom
they worked, and each was thinking
where he would find another situation
Presently Mr.. Jones recovered him
self SO far as to send a messenger b!
Tue SCeduei ue eApeCleO " OASpdtSl
the securities to announce the reason
Of his failure to do so and ask an ez
tension of time. But he knew it woul
not be granted. Nor was it. The cor
tract on which he had made so man
figures, such preparations, expendi
lures, passed out of his hands. An
why? Because before leaving hi
country place. an apparently trivis
act had slipped his memory.
Jones went into bankruptcy. Th
fall of his fortunes was too much Il
his brain. Perhaps it was the yer
trifing cause that led to such an IN
portant result. One can conceive Of
persons mind getting on such q ma
ter md staying there till 1t produce
monomania. At any rate. Purbec
Jones not long after bis failure die
in a lunatic asylum.