Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-09-20
THE IRON STUMP.
A Quaint Legend of the Old City Of
Vienna.

Vienna.
No one knows the precise age of
the Austrian city Of Vienna, although
there are plenty of patriotic Viennese
who will tell you that the first foun-
dations of their beloved town on the
beautiful blue Danube were laid, i'm
mediately after the deluge, by one
Abraham, a near descendant of the
patriarch Noah; and few will admit
that it's earliest walls are any younger
than those of Rome. At all events
1t is undoubtedly a very old city,
treasuring many old and curious
things; and though far from the old
est. one of the quaintest of its "antiq-
uites" is the mysterious "Stock-im-
Eisen." or Iron Stump" about which
are told tales enough to while away
many an evening in a long winter.
Some time about the year $50 A. D.
so runs one legend, the emperor
Louis the Pious, son Of Charlemagne,
decreed that a hunting lodge should
be built for his use In the Wiener
Wald-the old Forest Of Vienna.
Among those employed in this work
was Friedrich Mux, a restless young
apprentice, who, growing impatient
Of the harshness Of the master lock-
smith whom he served, ran away one
summer evening to seek his fortune
like many other young apprentices
before and since. But the luckless
youth soon lost his way in the thick
night of the deep forest, wandering
round and round, until at last he fell
exhausted at the foot Of great larch
tree, where he slept till daybreak
awoke him. He opened his eyes, and
found, to his dismay, that he was
within a few hundred yards Of the
very point from which he had started
Then he opened his travellers grip
to make hasty breakfast, and found,
to his horror, that he had taken with
him a costly and beautifully wrought
nail specially designed by his master
to hold the great lock Of the imperial
lodge.
Poor Friedrich was now in a guam
dairy. There was no way in which he
could with safety to himself return
his unwelcome prize. If he brought
1t back he would be punished as a
runaway. If he did not do so he
would certainly be proclaimed thief.
At last, in desperation, he drove the
unlucky treasure to the head into the
trunk of the tree under which he had
slept. There" he said, "old larch,
be thou a witness for me when l re-
turn!" And he went his way.
Five years later Friedrich came
again to his native city, a skilled mas
ter locksmith Of great reputation.
Envious fellow-craftsmen brought
against him charges of the theft Of
the precious nail, but the old larch
tree, faithful to its trust, proved his
innocence, the missing nail being still
in it's sturdy keeping. So Friedrich
Mux made his peace with his former
master and lived and died a respected
burgher of Vienna.
After this story became known 1t
grew a custom of the city that every
apprentice as he departed
on his Wanderjahr-the year OF travel
as a journeyman that must precede his
admission to the guild as a master
workman should drive into the tree
a nail bearing on it's head his initials
or private mark, in imitation and
memory of Friedrich Mux. Thus,
year after year, new journeymen
locksmiths drove their memorial
nails until the stump Of the old tree
became, as it remains today, mass
of iron, so filled with nails in every
every inch of it. And year by year
the city extended far into the Wiener
Wald, until at last, of all the ancient
wood the iron stump Of the old larch
stood alone, the centre Of public
square.
Now in the year 1873 it came TO
pass that the good burghers of Wen
ma resolved to protect their famous
-Eisen with an encircling
iron band, which band, they further
resolved, should be fastened with the
finest and most intricate lock that
could be procured. Every master
in the imperial city COM
peted for the honor of furnishing
this masterpiece, and many wonder
full contrivances were produced; but
finally a tall, dark stranger, haillng
from nowhere in particular, submit
ted a lock Of such surprising inge-
nuity and beauty that it was at once
chosen by unanimous vote Of the
council. But when the stranger was
asked to name the price Of the lock,
he named so great a sum that the
old Heinrich PfalZ, SIM
ply laughed in mis- face. Whereupon
the stranger stamped his foot in
terrible rage, snapped the lock shut
on the staple Of the iron hand, tossed
the key so high in the air that to this
day it has never come down, and fin
ally while the open-mouthed citizens
were watching the flight of the key
that mysterious stranger vanished
from Vienna, never to be seen again.
A great reward was offered to him
who could devise a new key to open
the curious lock.
After many trials by the most skilled
uorkuen I'm the kingdom the success
full competitor proved to be young
apprentice, who, in the
end, like all Industrious apprentices
of the old stories, is said to have
married his masters daughter. -
st. Nicholas
SOME MIRACULOUS ESCAPES.