Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-23

them, but dreaded either Of ~. ~
| routes. After much deliberaho.
was decided that they would IN - =
ward by sea to Panama and thers ].
tempt TO find transportation across :, =
isthmus to Colon and thence ~
again to New York. They would a..
the necessity of a journey down 4
west coast and up the east coa,, !.
South America.
They made preparations for :.
journey. putting their gold in -
TO take with them. 1t was carefE1.
weighed, showing that there were i
actly 400 pounds of gold, exclusiv. !.
the box. Just before the ship sailed :
which they had taken passage n
Griffin was taken suddenly i'll. A..
elaboration Mr.. Griffin decided IN -,
Zeb in advance with the treasure ~.
he might investigate the means :
getting across the isthmus. II =
found it too difficult to warrant H..
going by that route he was tc -.,,.
the fact and they would make OH.
arrangements. Zeb sailed on the sb,,
that was to have taken the whole nsr-
and in due time reached Panama n,
had been instructed by Griffin that /,
he found it best to turn in the gold !,
Panama and take a draft on Nsv
York he was to do so. As soon AZ \.
arrived he made inquiries as to eros.
ing the isthmus and found II uracs.
cable, though dangerous, princinar,
from the liability to contraction a
disease.
He wrote Mr.. Griffin the result q.
his inquiries, but the latter did nat
receive his letter, for Mrs. Griffin ~
covered as quickly as she had boo,
taken i'll, and, finding ship about IA
sail that would touch at Panama. bp-
husband, worrying about his gold. DE-
cided TO follow Zeb to the isthmus.
When the party reached Panama
they found Zeb in trouble. He had
decided to buy a draft for the pon
and had taken steps to do so. But On
weighing the metal, instead Of fs
weighing 400 pounds, it weighed 4fe
This was sad blow to Zeb. So fear.
full had he been that some one might
purloin some of it that he had had Il
placed in his stateroom on the shin
and kept it there during the whole Of
the journey. He scrutinized the boz
to see if he could find a gimlet hole.
loose nail or any other evidence OF an
outlet for the gold, but none appeared.
and his heart sank within him ct the
imputation that must necessarily rest
upon him of having stolen the missing
four pounds of gold himself.
When the Griffins arrived Zeb con-
fessed the shortage which he was IN
able to account for. Loath as was Mr..
Griffin to believe that Zeb had ap-
propriated the missing four pounds OF
metal, he was forced to believe that
the young man had lost the money
gambling or in some other way and
had been obliged to take the gold to
save himself. Possibly. he had hoped
he might replace it. Mr. Griffin re-
verified to the time when they had
taken Zeb in without any one to vouch
for him and admitted that that had
happened which might have been eI
pected. Molly, now a girl of seventeen,
was the only one of the three who In
spite of the indisputable evidence be-
ieved in Zeb's innocence.
After a conference Mr. and Mrs
Griffin came to the conclusion that
Zeb had been cornered in some war
and had yielded to temptation. They
Jared little for the gold that was miss
ng, but regretted that one they had
grown fond of should have robbed
hem. Mr.. Griffin told Zeb that they
must part and handed him $500 for
use. Zeb declined TO take
he money.
Mr.. Griffin decided to take his gold
o New Orleans and succeeded in get
ing his family across the isthmus
Without one of them coming down
With any of the fevers then prevalent
n that region. On reaching the Ores
ent City he had the treasure carried
D bank and asked for draft FOR
5 value on New York. The gold
yas counted and the draft made out
When Mr.. Griffin saw it he remarked
rat there must be some mistake. de
adj figured the amount himself IRON
lie weight and had made it much less
he amount of the draft was the same
5 it would have been had the goiu
Used at Panama not been taKen'
hereupon he received the following
atement:
Gold sent from Washington to tne
int at New Orleans has been founa
weigh less at the latter than tns
rmer place. This is because Ne"
rleans is nearer the equator tlnn
'ashington, and the centrifugal fons
Using from the revolution OF tns
nth is greater the nearer one az
caches the equator, rendering OS
cts lighter
Here was an explanation OF the mss
6 four pounds of gold. Mr.. 1ru.n
Irried at once to his wife and dausr
r TO announce that there had ai'e'
been no robbery. Zeb was col.
unicated with and money sent y
ing him to New Orleans. When ~
rived he was received with open
ms and from that time forward wa
of the Griffin family, takins
cir name in lieu OF his own, wnieA
never knew.