Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-12-10
The ISCaria
Steel Works:
A Story Illustrating the Diff
ference Between the
Old and the New.
By JOHN Y. LARNED

Inere are IN EUROPE uuIuper VI
petty Kingdoms, principalities and
dukedoms that in the various changes
of the map which have occurred dur
ing ten or dozen centuries have for
one cause or another been left out of
the great divisions. One Of these Is
the duchy of Iscaria, which several
centuries ago, on readjusting the bound
airy between Italy and Austria, be-
came Independent. 1t consists Of sew
entecn square miles in a mountainous
region, the capital, Arancon, lying IN
a beautiful valley in the center of the
dukedom. This little state has always
maintained all the ceremony of an en-
pire. The duke, being a reigning SOW
ereign, associates on equal terms with
the crowned heads of the world. He
has a prime minister and cabinet, and
his army numbers 400 men. On state
occasions he sits on throne and wears
a crown. The royal family, being mem
bers of the family circle, find 1t diff
cult to gather about them sufficient
persons within the dukedom of high
enough rank to form court society.
Bob Anderson was a young Amer
lean whose grandfather had establish
ed foundry which had grown to ibe
the Pemberton Steel company. Bob
a few years ago came of age to find
himself the sole owner of these extern
ulu xvrnrlyo 10 r,nfufnnd fhn NnntTsOI
Of the concern, but there was an ell
cient manager who relieved the owner
of the responsibility.
The young man, having a taste for
adventure, on completing his educa-
ton set out to see the world. During
three years he Travelled, returning. only
at long intervals to satisfy himself that
all was going well with his steel
works, for he had inherited from bis
father natural gift for administrative
action. He not only knew what kind
of man to get to carry out his ideas,
but took care to make an examination
Of what he was doing at such intervals
as he deemed essential After each,dn-
vestigation he would start out again
on another ramble.
One day Bob found himself in Arnn-
con, the capital of Iscaria. 1t hap
pened to be field day, and the reign
ing duke, Michael Ill, reviewed his
army. Bob tried to hire a presentable
livery rig in which to view the spec
tacle, but found everything engaged
except the most rattletrap cab in the
dukedom. He was obliged to be con-
tent with this and drove on to the
grounds where the review was to take
place.
During the ceremonies Bob's cabby
got on to grounds reserved for royalty,
and his old trap, desecrating space on
which stood the splendid equipage of
the duchess, was ordered off by po-
Iceman. Bob slipped a flstful Of gold
pieces into the mans hand, whS
straightaway, pretending that there
was no way for the cab to get outsof
the tangle of vehicles, permitted hin
to remain. The duchess looked dag
gers at the official and at Bob, but said
nothing.
Beside the wife of the sovereign was
her daughter, Eudoxia. There was
something so dlscordant between the
cab and the carriage In which she sat
that she could not repress a smile.
That smile brought resolve to the
American to show her royal highness
that he was used to better equipages
than cab that was ready for the
scrap heap.
Now, the dukedom of Iscaria was
like Partisan shop, where about all
the stock is I'm the window. The duke
was financially the poorest sovereign
In Europe. His territory, being noun
famous, was unproductive, and his sub
Jects were gradually going elsewhere
to make living. Smartlng under the
young duchess smile at his rig, Bob,
as soon as the troops had passed, re-
turned to his hotel to think over a
plan whereby he might show thoseSirp-
pOverished royalties that he was able
to ride in as fine coach as they. Tho
result Of his thought and investigh-
tlon was as follows:
Through the city of Arancon ran q
mountain torrent directly before tie
hotel in which Bob was stopping.
While cogitating n plan to show his
power through his wealth he was look
ing on this stream.
II have 4" he said suddenly. That's
a splendid water power. / will lius
the stream with mills. | will show
these people that can turn the 6ow,Of
emigration to immigration. win
build up the dukedom. Then I viii
ride through the capital in a donkey
cart IL l choose and they will have
something to laugh at"
Anderson spent some time inquiring
what manufacture would be best suit
ed to the locality and found that there
were undeveloped iron mines In noun
tains near by that were very rich. His
first move was TO buy large tractyof
land on both sides Of the waterwaybe-
low the city. Then he sent to America
Tor a corps Of engineers and mechan-
hs, and buildings began to go up,
enormous dams were constructed, and
machinery by the hundreds Of tons be-
gan to arrive.
Meanwhile the builder OF this water
power plant went Off on his travels,
leaving instructions with his managers
Tint thau ahouII kaoV, tho otwn oroI,g,, .