Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-06-07
THE LUCK OF A
GOOD LISTENER
How a Down and Out Miner
Struck It Rich.

Sam Calkins was strapped. There
was no doubt whatever about his finan-
cinl condition. II was cents In hand
literally In hand-for he was looking
at the copper coins lugubriously. re-
mcmbering ut the same time that there
was not even crust OF bread In the
house for his wife and two little chill
dren. He had taken chair on the
porch OF the Sandwich hotel because
chairs there were free and he didn't
belong anywhere. sam was n miner
and had worked In many mines. He
had been caught In labor storm with
the result Of loss OF employment His
savings were all gone. there was no
prospect of work where he was and he
had no means OF taking himself and
his family anywhere else.
Two men We're sitting at the other
end Of the porch talking together ex-
citedly. though In low tone Calkins
heard the word strike" and suppos-
Ing IL referred TO labor matters In
his ears and soon discovered that they
referred TO Il strike of paying ore In
some mine the name Of which they did
not mention. one Of the men took n
package from his pocket-the wrapper
was n piece of newspaper aud, UNI
rolling II. showed his companion speci-
mems of ore. Calkins caught the words
ss..t. ~. . 10 s.t1
him that the specimens mentioned as
saycd TO produce this amount out Of
tone Of ore After passing the sam
Piles back and forth for awhile they
we're rolled again in the bit OF news
paper. and the man who had produced
them put them again in his pocket.
Soon after both men arose and went
away
Calkins would have gone away. too.
IL he had had any place to go. But
he hadn't Being restless. he got up
and walked over TO the other end OF
the porch. In chair in which one OF
the men had been sitting he noticed
little dark lump about the size OF
hickory nut Taking II up. he looked
at II scrutinizingly.
"ff the Constant vein hadn't run
out" lie remarked TO himself. "Td
swear the chunk came out OF It."
II was n brownish quartz and full Of
gold. Calkins had worked In the Con-
slant mine. which had proved incon-
slant While there he had taken out
just such ore as this But he had seen
nd
TIL II was nothing more than crack.
The mine. after search for n reopen
ing OF the vein. had been abandoned.
and Calkins had gone 10 work else
where. Personally he believed that IL
the vein were followed deep enough II
might be found 10 reopen But the
stockholders were discouraged and
would not stand assessment. Sudden
~ II occurred TO Calkins that the vein
had been followed and paying ore
again struck Then came the quick
thought "Can I. with only 2 cents
the world. profit by what ! suspect II
II is true:"
He went into the hotel. where n
printed list Of quotations OF mining
stocks was hanging on the wall. and
glanced nj sales of Constant There
were sales nj G cents share The
stock had recently stood AT 4 cents.
Then Calkins walked up the street 10
the Office OF man Of the name or
Fisher. who he knew held some Of the
shares.
1--WE got some information" said the
miner. do you want II. or shall
take II clscwhcrc?'
I'm your man"
"What'll YOU give?"
.srcn per cent Of the profit"
make II % and I'll out with IT,"
"All right 90 IL is
Calkins produced his chunk of ore
and told Fisher that II had come out
of the Constant mine Fisher asked
how he knew il. but Calkins declined
to satisfy him. He felt sure that II
his man knew he was guessing the
transaction would end then and there.
Fisher had that morning sold part OF
his stock ut G cents n share. He sent
In an order to buy II back and 10000
shares more ut the market price. He
kol ls'FF at " -s''' ~ W. anu htAN N'at-
ancc nj figures rising by fractions till
the price paid was =. cents. The sales
were larger than for many months.
but not considerable.
Calkins wished to ask Fisher for
little money in advance TO buy sup
per for his family but dared not lest
he should lead him To suspect that the
whole affair was simply game To
beat him out Of a pnltry sum. So great
was his suspense that he preferred 10
keep away from home He was hang
ing between heaven and hell
The next morning when he turned
out of an clubhouse where he had slept
he spent his . cents for u paper. There
IN big headlines he saw the announce
ment that the Constant vein had been
recovered richer and broader than be-
fore When the Mining Exchange