davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Left BY His Uncle

When the deacon told Daggett that his
uncle was dead the Vineyard man said:
'rhe sloop 1 named was becalmed
alongside of the brig for a considerable
time and the two captains had much
talk together. Uncle Thomas was in a
decline, the captain of the brig said,
when he put ashore. and | am not sur
prised to hear Of his death. l suppose
my uncle must have left property
The deacon said that all he had left.was
the sea chest-that he himself had paid
$40 to the widow White and the funeral
expenses. If Mr.. DaGgett wanted to re-
imburse hlm-why, well and good; he
could have the chest and it's contents.
Daggett examined the chest carefully
and found small till locked Also he
found key to it among the old clothing
When he found the charts he grabbed
them eagerly and examined them care
fully. He saw at once that something
had been erased from the charts, but
said little.
He had several long talks with the
widow White and then, taking the chest,
departed for the Vineyard. The deacon
chuekled-and yet he wAs a bit worried
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Both Pleasure and Pain

Not only was the schoonerf completed,
launched and brought around to the rea
cons wharf at oyster Pond, but prepara-
tions were made to fit her for sea and
young Gardiner was appointed to COM
mand her.
This was Roswell's first command. He
had rise nto be first mate, but never had
gone captain, and 1t was to his great de-
light that the deacon engaged him to
command the schooner, which had already
been named the Sea lion.
Mary saw all these proceedings with
been named the Sea Lion.
1t pleased her that Roswell should at
last have an independent command, but
it panied her to see her uncle, in the de-
cline of life, engaged in business which
he knew nothing about and it panied her
still more to see one whom she loved,
from habit IL not from moral sympathies,
wasting the short time that remained for
preparing for the great change in at
tempts to increase possessions which were
already more than sufficient for his
wants.
Whittier the Sea Lion was to sail Mary
had not the least idea, but going where 1t
would, it thoughts and prayers were sure
to accompany it.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
The Kew to Wealth

But he found what he was looking for
two charts, one of the region around
Cape Horn and the Anarctic seas and
one of the West Indies
Yes, there on the first chart, had been
laid down in ink the seal islands of which
Daggett had told him with their longti-
tude and latitude clearly written.
On the other was clearly marked the
West Indian key of which the dead sea-
man had also told him.
Blown out of their course ON whaling
voyage, Daggett and his mates had dis
covered in these Anarctic latitudes land
where no land was thought to be-had
found group of islands swarming with
seals. sea lions and sea elephants.
The discoverers had taken an oath not
to reveal the location of these islands un-
til 1920, when each could do as he pleased
Daggett had reason to believe that all
his companions on that memorable voy-
age were now dead.
As 10 the West Indian key, Daggett
had been arrested for a pirate while in
the West Indies and had been confined
in a cell with Scotchman who was a
real pirate. Daggett had been acquitted
but the Scotchman was hanged
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Returned as from the Dead

Half fainting Mary looked from the
window to see. indeed. the Sea Lion
standing In toward the wharf And soon
she could see Roswell on the deck.
She gave one long look and then van
ished to her room Hope had never en-
trely left her-but it had been such a
forlorn hope! And now the fulfillment
of 1t overcame her.
Roswell and his men had successfully
wintered on the islands and had es-
capped, when the ice broke up, with their
Sea Lion and her cargo Daggett and hS
men, who had insisted upon living in the
wreck of their ice covered schooner, had
pershed.
An hour after the Sea Lion had first
been sighted Roswell held Mary in his
arms while he whispered in her ears the
blessed words which announced that his
God was her God henceforth
On that long voyage. in that long Ant
arctic night Roswell had studied tho
Bibe assiduously, and this, and the con-
versation of a simple but pious old sailor
named Stimson, had worked his conver-
sion and the wonders and terrors and the
mercies which the Lord worked upon the
sea and the desolate shores.
"Aint 1t wonderful that GardineI'
should come back?" said the deacon
when they told him of the return of the
Sea Lion.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
The Seal Island Found

off Cape Horn he had become sep
trated from his consort in storm and,
running In behind the Hermites he had
anchored until the tempest was over,
hoping, in this way, to bring about
final separation.
When the storm was over the Sea Lion
of oyster Pond set out again the Sea
Lion of the Vineyard was nowhere to be
seen
The Seal Islands were found just in the
latitude and longitude given by Thomas
Daggett in his chart, and they were as
well populated by seal, sea elephants,
etc, as he had represented.
AnchoriNg his schooner In a sheltered
cove, Gardiner at once began the work
of filling up his ship with skins and oil.
An old store house which had been taken
down at Oyster Pond and brought out as
part of the cargo was taken ashore and
put up for the convenience of the sealers.
Gardiner went about his work cautious
ly, so as not to scare the seals, and yet
worked rapidly. But before he had got
his cargo aboard the Sea Lion of the
Vineyard appeared.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Near to Disaster

The two Sea Lions stood further to
the windward than they should have
this because Gardiner was trying to
give Daggett the slip and Daggett was
sticking to ahim-and a change in the
wind drove them still further toward
eopp'srsd p cDrs rHiep tns sss sS Lion s%
Of oyster Pong @as dismas'ed and both
A shift of wind came just in time to
save them. and, under jury rig. Gardiner
made Beaufort, North Carolina, where
he repaired damages.
Daggett stood by him all the time and
generously lent his crew to help the
Oyster Pond men repair their vessel
He also gave Gardiner written state
ment that he waived all claim for sal
wage, and this partly mtigated the ago.
ny of Deacon Pratt when he got the bill
from Beaufort for the new masts and
the reftting of his Sea Lion.
THE positive knowledge that Gardner 5
letter conveyed to the Deacon that an
other Sea Lion was out looking for the
seal islands and the pirates key was gall
and wormwood to the good deacon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
The Secret Revealed

Captain Daggett had carefully noted the
place where the erasures had been made
on the chart of these Anarctic seas and
had calculated. as best he could. the altl-
tude and longitude.
After the disappearance of Gardiner $
he had wandered about, looking for the
islands on his own hook.
When from the heights of a mountain
on one of the islands Gardiner saw the
Vineyard schooner i'm the offing he sig
nailed her and when she came up directed
her to an anchorage. near his own vessel,
which by this time. was nearly full
Daggtts men were not as careful as
GARDENERS had been and soon so scared
the seals as to prolong the work of killing
and skinning.
When Gardiner was about to sail Dag
gett had about half a cargo. The end of
the season was approaching. 1t was nee
essary to get away to the northwest as
soon as possible Gardiner kept urging
Daggett to greater efforts.
well. go and leave me here IL YOU
WILL" said Daggett. II stood by you
when you We're dismasted off Hatteras-
but go"
But Gardiner fingered on Finally he
told Daggett that he would sail in 2i
days, whether the Vineyard schooner was
ready or not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Away from Termination

When Roswell went to his bedside and
told him of what had happened at the
islands he asked And the pirates key,
Gardiner? Did you get the gold?"
Yes" said oswelI, ''here it is.
give it to me-" cried the deacon
Gardiner handed MIN bag contaln-
ing $1,000, all that the hoard had con-
sisted Of Graspng 1t In his hand. the
deacon died.
BY the deacons will he left all his
estate to Mary who was, of course, mar
ried to Roswell within the year.
Only one case of trying to manage
her husband was Mary ever guilty of.
That was when she got him to leave
oyster Pond and move out to central
New York
She had noticed that at certain seasons
of the year Roswell hung about the
wbarVes and walked by the salt mashes
shifting their odor. She knew the signs
and was determined that he should be
removed from the temptation to ever go
to sea again.
The pirates hoard they sent over to
the Daggetts at Marthas Vineyard,
where, though the amount was small.
it was gratefully received.
A schooer also went out from the
Vineyard and brought home the skins
which Captain Daggett had left there
with his bones.
Next weeks One Page Classic will 10
'Rokeby.' by Sir Walter Scott.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Again Urging His Suit

Gardiner tried to sail away from his
consort but found that the Vineyard
schooner was a trihe better sailer than
the oyster Pond schooner. So off the
two vessels Stood stretching away to
the southwark and watching each other
closely.
Before Gardiner sailed the Deacon had
taken him into that little office of his,
produced Bible and made Roswell swear
that he would not reveal what he was
about to tell him.
Roswell being sworn, the deacon told
the story we already know and gave
Gardiner>th the data which he had taken off
the charts left by the dead sailor.
Before sailing also Roswell once again
opened his heart TO Mary and took the
opportunity to urge his suit--for the last
time, perhaps.
This he did in a manly. frank manner,
that was far from being unpleasant to his
gentle listener, whose inclinatons for a
few minutes blinded her to the resolu-
tions already made on principle.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Puzzling the NeighbOrs

Daggett became confined to the house
and the interest of the deacon in him in
creased. Many long and secret confer
ence did the deacon and the old sailor
have together--that is, as secret as the
prying eyes and sharp ears of widow
White would allow under her roof.
While this strange intimacy was going
on between the deacon and his new
found friend, great was the surprise of
all on the Point when it became known
that the deacon had purchased new sea-
going craft--a topsail schooner-which
which was building ION spec" at Southold.
Not only had he done this, but he ac-
tually bought some half-worn copper and
had 1t placed on the schooners bottom
as high as the bends before he had
launched her.
Mary Pratt was observant and of a
mind so constituted that it's observations
usually led to safe and accurate deduc-
tions, and while the whole neighborhood
was "exercised" with conjectures On the
motive which had induced the deacon to
his expense in his old age, Mary did not
fai Ito impute it to some secret but pow
erful influence that the sick sailor had
obtained over him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Putting Him Off

There seemed to be an unaccountable
difficulty in getting men for the Sea Lion.
Hazard, who was shipped as first mate,
went over to Copnecticut to get some
sealers and found that when he got a
good man that man would suddenly
change his mind about shipping and dis
appear.
A man named Watson was sent over
and of him Gardiner had the highest
hopes, for he seemed capable and expe-
rienced. But sWnatson kept putting off
signing articles and then, one day, with
out warning, he disappeared.
Now the facts were these. Thomas
Daggett had been garrulous old man
and on his way up from the East Indies
had talked much OF his knowledge of the
seal islands and of the pirates buried
hoard.
Nothing definite, however, had he said,
though he had said enough to arouse
curiosity, and all he had said had been
told by the captain of the brig to the
captain of the coasting sloop, who had
carried the rumors to the Vineyard.
When Thomas Daggetts nephew re-
turned from Oyster Pond with the news
of his uncle's death, with the sea CHEST
and it's contents and with the news of
the fitting out of the Sea Lion the clan
Daggett held another conference.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Anxiety at Home

Meantime there was anxiety at Oyster
Pond and on the Vineyard. an anxietv
which, as the months rolled by and the
time became long past when the return
of the sealers might be expected. deep
ened into despair
The winter made its second appearl
ance since the Sea Lions had sailed, hll-
ing the minds of the mariners friends
with gloom as they heard the meanings
of the gales which accompanied that bleals
and stormy period OF the year.
Deep and painful were the thoughts OF
the deacon in whom failing health and a
near approach to 1.-The last of earth came
to increase the gloom.
The season had advanced to the early
part of April. 1t was a mild day and
the windows of the room In which Deacon
Pratt lay dying were open to the southern
breeze.
An old fisherman came running into the
house crying out; There she is, Mary
there's the Sea Lion"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Daggett of Marthas Vineyard

Carefully making a note in little
memorandum book he carried in his
pocket of the ATTITUDES and longitudes of
the places in question, and copying. the
marginal notes, he took sharp knife
and carefully erased from the charts all
that Daggett and the pirate had added to
them. sThen he put the chart back in the
chest.
He was all impatience' now to hurry the
fitting out of the Sea Lion. But it took
time to get suitable men for the schooner
-men experienced in seal hunting-and
before the crew was completed there ap-
peared at Oyster Pond a man who an
nounced himself as Mr.. Daggett of Mar
thas Vineyard Said MIR. Daggett:
One of our coasters came into Holmes
Hole 'Humes Hull he called tia few
weeks since and said that he had spoken
an inward bound brig OFF New Haven
whose captain reported that he had put
ashore at Oyster Pond Point one Thoma 5
Daggett, who belonged to the Vineyard
and had been absent for 50 years.
There is quite lot Of Dagsetts on
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
The Pirates Secret

Before he went to execution the pirate
had told Daggett of the key. On it, he
said, the captain of pirate craft and
himself had buried a large amount of
treasure in Spanish doubloons.
The pirate captain was dead The
Scotchman did not wish his secret to die
with him and gave carefully marked
chart to Daggett in return for some kind
ness the safior had done for him in his
last hours.
On the margin of the chart We're writ
ten minute instructions for finding the
buried treasure. OF the margin of the
other chart was fairly detailed descrip-
ton of the Seal Islands
Daggett had told the deacon of all this.
Withholding from him only the actua
charts with their important entries of
latitude and longiture and their likewise
important notes. =
He had comprehended the true charac-
ter of the deacon and, by holding out
promises to reveal all, had induced him
to buy and tit out the schooner. calculat-
Ing that If he got well he would go out
in her and reap a fortune; or, at any
rate. would make the deacon paw high
for the vital information he required.
But now the deacon had the whole Sc
cret His hand trembled with excite
ment.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
An Obstacle Not To Be Moved

So urgent was her suitor that she
should solemnly plight her troth to him
ere he sailed that a soft Illusion came
over the mind of Mary and she was half
inclined to believe her previous determi-
nation was unjustifiable and obdurate
But she regained her self-control and
said: Roswell, l have concealed moth
ing from you; possibly | have been
more sincere than prudence would sane
tion. You know the only obstacle there is
to our union: but it appears to increase
in strength the more | ask you to reflect
upon ito try to remove it.
20, Roswell; my God is not your God,
am afraid that you do not think suf-
ficently upon these matters"
But if l cannot believe as ycu do,
Mary, surely you would not punish me
truth. Blessed Mary, how can one SO
for having the sincerity to tell you the
kind in all other respects prove so cruel
in this particularH
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Troubled in Mind

When Mary, continuing the reading of
the letter, read how the Sea Lion of the
Vineyard was still sticking to the Dea-
cons schooner the old man cried out:
1T is awful, Mary, awful-.the covet-
BUSINESS of them Vineianders. con-
slider it both awful and wicked"
Il suppose sir" said Mary, that one
person has IA right to sail the seas as
well as another. Seals and whales are
the gift of God and one person has no
more right to them than another
But suppose some one has a secret,
Mary, that the other does not known
and here the old man made Mary his
confidant and told her the whole story
of the charts and the old sailor Daggett.
Mary promised her uncle to keep his
secret, but was much troubled in her
mind, Especial was she worried con-
cerpng the pirate hoard. This she said
should be restored to the persons from
whom it had been stolen.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Farmer and Sailor Too

A less interested or less selfish being
that Mary Pratt did not exist. Mary
was beautiful, after the hearty healthy
manner of the rural districts, and she
was as good as she was beautiful-and
81 years old
OF course all the youths of the sur
rounding country admired her-some with
an eye to the old deacon's money, 1t Is
to be feared-whie the gentle Mary ad-
mired but one. That one was Raswell
Gardiner.
He was about FIVE years her senior, and
n handsomer, more stalwart, better
hearted, more competent young man
than Roswell Gardiner never gathered
harvests from sea or land.
And young Gardiner did both. He had
been on several whaling and sealing voy-
ages; was a capable navigator and a
first-class sailor.
His reputation as sailor stood high,
even among the severe critics, of Sag
Harbor. And when he was not plowing
the main Roswell could pow the land
with equal ability.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
In Lonely Southern Seas

But 1t is all in duboons, Mary" said
the deacon; lit cannot be restored Who
would be able to pick out his own coin?"
Mary declared that she did not believe
that Roswell would consent to profit by
stolen money.
''He won't Mary, he won't 1t is me
that will profit, girl-think of it, all good
money, child"
AS for the seal islands, Mary was
glad that the Sea Lion of the Vineyard
was sticking to the Sea Lion of oyster
Pond. for thus the Daggets were likely to
profit, as they deserved by the knowl-
edge of their relatives, the dead sailor
and were tire not seals enough for all
upon those mysterious islands?
Gardiner had sailed from Rio long be-
fore his letter reached the. deacon and all
knowledge of him had been swallowed
up in the vastness of the lonely southern
seas
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07

stephen Girard died in 1881. leaving
$9,o00.000 All powerful was his influence
and prestige as a financier in those be-
niahted days of merchant princes,
when the rise of a sailor or any other
member of the plain people" to wealth
was regarded as hope. encouragement.
emulation by community not yet
schooled by demagogic politicians. rich
men of leisure, patriots getting rich
through 10-cent magazines and paid para
sites of philanthropy" Practically he
put up the money for the War of 1872.
says the New York sun. lie lent great
sums of money to the government. Pri->
vate subscriptions failing, he virtually
subscribed the s5,O00,0o0 loan of 1914. He
was plutocrat in poor country. To
speak very moderately, his 100000 was
more comparatively than 20 times that
sum would be today. We have not at
hand the estimates of the wealth OF the
United States in 1880. The census reports
and compendiums seem TO begin with
1850, l9 years after Girard's death. In
that year the estimated value of that
wealth was s71s5. 10000. The estimate for
1912 was s107, ,104, 2il ,917. The wealth of the
country was between IA and 10 times as
much as it was In 1850 and We regret NOT
TO know how many times more than it>
was in 1880, the year before Girard
death.
The fortune absolutely owned by the
late Col John Jacob Astor was some
s5l000.O00 The net value was about $50
900. The gross amount is Sl,2l65sl.oo.
A bitter disappointment to public that
insists on cool hundred million as the
minimum of greed Judged by the
growth of the wealth of the United states
since 1850. and remember that 90 years
of growth are here left out, great pri-
vate fortune of today should have been
compared with that of the Bordeaux sea
captains son, at least si26,00000o. All
things considered the rise in prices, STAN
dards of living, luxuries, refinements,
arts. 1t is safe to say that the s9,oeooV'
of 1881 would not be made good by less
than $lS0.0o00o0 In 1918. Private wealth
has not grown equally with public wealth.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
BY
James Fenimore Cooper

peared upon the ocean. floating in great
bergs and fields.
The schooners sailed. It was now a
struggle of life and death to get noftit-
ward.
The Vineyard schooner in her first N
tempt to escape was nipped in the iae
and so badly damaged that she had to
return to the cove for repairs
Gardiner might have got away. bui
was unwilling TO abandon his consort. H
returned to the islands and loaned hi.
men to help repair the injured vessel.
second start was made. and aftei
many adventures and many tdr
breadth escape. the vessels were foh.
back toward the islands and the Vine
yard Sea Lion, caught IN the ice, Wa.
thrown up upon shelf of the rock
shore, where she lay under tons of L,
which were cast up to topple down upor
her.
Escape for the oyster Pond boat wa,
now out of the question and It only re
mained to attempt to winter upon thos,
inhospitable Anaretic shores.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Keeping His Oath

1t was Roswells custom to spend a
greater part of Sunday at the deacon's
house and as the deacon and his niece
talked Roswell came in.
On learning the situation he went to
the wharf at once. took the whale boat
and started across the bay fdr the doc
tor while the deacon hastened to the
house of the widow White.
Daggett was seated in a chair, very
weak, but able to talk and unaware of
the nearness of death. Helping Daggett
into an inner room and excluding the
widow, the deacon said that he had sent
for doctor for his friend.
Il wish you would show me the chart.
Daggett,'' went on the deacon; Il wish
you would show me the exact spot where
them islands is to be found
You forget any oath, deacon replied
Daggett, every man on us took his Bible
oath not to point OUT the position of the
islands until arter 1920.
but the chart is on. my chest and not
only the islands, but the key are so
plainly marked that any sailor could find
them.
Get me we'll, deacon, get me well and
will sail in the Sea Lion and tell your
Captain Gardiner all he needs to know.
Get me well, deacon
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-07
Scanf Cnmfart

Il must answer YOU" said Mary, "as
Joshua answered the Israelites of old.
=" Choose you this ray whom you will
serve: whether the gods which your faith
ers served that were on the other side
of the flood; or the gods of the Amorites
in whose land ye dwell. But as for me
and my house we will serve the Lord
But, Roswell, the promise you have
asked Of me to remain single until your
heturn 1 make most freely. 1t costs me
nothing to give you this pledge because
there is scarcely possibility of my ever
marrying another"
Then Mary gave Roswell a Bible,
asking him to study it upon the long
voyage upon which he was about to set
sail and in those unexplored regions at
the further end of the world to which
he was bound.
Roswell kissed Mary on the forehead
and was gone.