The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-07-22
FRANCIS LYNDE

| OF kublcon crossing from the hither
shore OF Joyous and irresponsible adol-
escence 10 that further one OF con-
seious grapplings with the adult fac:.
For Thomas Jefferson. grinding ten
aeiously In the Boston technical school.
whittier he had gone late In tho win-
ter or Beersheban discomfort. the
stream crossing fell in the spring OF
the panic year 1898, what time he was
2l' a quarterback on HIS college elev-
en-. NJ. hardy, studious and athletic:
pace-setter for his fellows and the
| pride OF the faculty, but stil little more
than an overgrown, care-free boy In
his outlook on life, Glimpses there had
been over into the Promised Land OF
manhood, but tho crimmng cup OF col
| lege work and play quaned In health
! giving hoartiness Is the elixir OF youth.
The speculative habit OF the boy slept
In the college undergraduate. The days
were full each OF the things OF itself,
and II Tom looked forward TO tho
worknday futurc-as he did by times
the boyish impatience 10 be at II was
| gone. Chiawassee Consolidated was
moderately prosperous; the home let
ters were mere chronicles OF sleepy
! Paradise. The skies we're clear. and
| the present was acutely present. Tom
studied hard and played hard ate like
an ogre and slept like a log. And when
| he finally awoke to find himself STUN
| bling bewildered on the bank OF the
epoch making Rubicon, he was over
and across before he could realize how
so narrow stream should hll so vast
a chasm.
Tom received letter from his faith
er telling Of the financial crisis, his
fear for the Chawasse Consolidated,
and asking his advice.
Tom found this letter IN his mall
box one evening after a strenuous day
In the laboratory; and that night he
sat up with the corpse Of his later
boyhood, though he was far enough
from putting It that way. His father
was in trouble, and the letter was a
call for help. 1t seemed vastly incred-
ible Thomas Jefferson's ideal Of steady
courage, OF invlncible human puis-
sance, was formed on the model Of the
out-hearted old soldier who had
fought under Stonewall Jackson. What
trumpet blast Of alarm must have
sounded to make such man turn to a
raw recruit for help!
IT'S up to me-" he mused, "and I'd |
like to know what I've been thinking Of |
all this time. Why. pappy's oldl he
was 40 before I was born. And I've |
been here taking It easy and having |
all sorts Of a good time, while he's |
been playing Sindbad to Duxbury Far
ley's Old Man Of the Sea Coming,
pappy!" he shouted; and forthwith |
flung himself down at the table to /
write a letter that was to put new life |
into weary old man who was fghting !
against odds in the far-away South
land.
The lone soldier was to take heart |
of grace remembering that he had a
son; remembering also that the son
was now a man grown. stout of arm.
steady Of head, and otherwise fighting
fit II the storm should come, the
watchword must be to hold on all
keeping steerage- way on the Chiawas-
see Consolidated craft at all hazards
The June examinations were not far
on. and these disposed Of, the man
son would be ready to lay hold. Mean
while, let Caleb Gordon, in his capacity
of principal minor stockholder, insist
on a full and exact statement of the
companys affairs. and-here the new
asserted itself boldly-let that
statement, or copy of it, come to
Boston by the first mail.
To this letter there was a grateful
reply in which Tom read with a smile
his fathers half bewildered attempt to
get over to the new point OF view. 1t
began, Dear Buddy" and ended. Your
aGectlonate pappy," but there was
man man matter between the salu-
tation and the signature. The inquiry
into the affairs Of Chiawassee Consoi-
dated had revealed little or nothing
more than the general manager al
ready knew The president had turn
ed the inquiring stock holder over 70
Dyckman. the booahaeper with in
structions to give Mr.. Gordon the full
est possible information, and: H
"Dyckman slid out of it, smooth and
easy like" Calems letter went on. "EIe
allowed he was mighty busy, right
about then. Wouldn't I just make my
self at home and examine the books
for myself2 I Ieckon that was about
what Farley wanted him to do I'm no
book expert. and | couldn't make head
or tail out Of Dyckman's spider tracks.
Looks to me like all the books are good
for is to keep people from finding
WQefe lle COlHpduy Is at. Wnat little
| found out, young Norman told me.
He says we're in a hole, and the first
wagon load Of dirt that comes aIonz
will bury us out of sight"
Tom, driven now with the closing
work of the college year, yet took time ,
10 write another heartening letter TO
The hard pressed old soldier It had
)een his good fortune to win the Clark
son prize for crucible tests, and to
nave gained thereby speaking ac-
Iuaintance with the multlmilllonairc
ron king who had founded It. Mr..
Ilarkson did not believe that the finan- {
,ial storm would grow to panic size I
AS for himself Tom thought the haz- z
ird was less in the times than in the !
'arleys. Father Caleb was to keep his
niger on the pulse of the main office,
wiring Boston at the first sign Of its .
1
The junior metallurgical was in the ;
hick of the June examinations when /
he catastrophe befell. The brief story i
# it came to Tom in the first dictated a
etter he had ever received from his
ather, and the tremulous shakiness of 7
he signature pointed eloquently to the :,
eason. Chiawassee Consolidated was
nut Of blast-"temporari suspended" Y
n the pleasant euphemism of the elder
farley; the force, clerical and manual,
vas discharged, with only Dyclkman
eft in the deserted South Tredegar Of