Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1916-01-05
The IScaria
Steel Works
A Story Illustrating the Diff.
ference Between the
Old and the New.
BY JOHN Y. LARNED


petty kingdoms, principalities and
dukedoms that In the various changes
OF the map which have occurred dur
ing ten or n dozen centuries have for
one cause or another been left out of
the great divisions. One OF these Il
the duchy of Iscaria. which several
centuries ago, on readjusting the bound.
airy between Italy and Austria, be.
came independent. 1t consists of sew
enteen square miles In mountainous
region. the capital. Arancon. lying In
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 soy.
ereign. associates on equal terms with
the crowned heads of the world. He
has prime minister and cabinet, and
his army numbers 400 men On state
occasions he sits on throne and wears
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 young Amer
ed foundry which had grown to be
the Pemberton Steel company. Bob
few years ago came of age to find
himself the sole owner of these exten.
stye works. He retained the control
of the concern. but there was an eff
Gent manager who relieved the owner
OF the responsibility.
The young man. having a taste for
adventure. on completing his educa-
tiou 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 his
father natural gift for administrative
action. He not only knew what kind
OF man to get 10 carry out his Ideas,
but took care to make an examination
of what he was doing at such Intervals
rs he deemed essential. After each In
vestigatlon he would start out again
on another ramble.
One day Bob found himself In Aran-
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 Il 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 a space on
which stood the splendid equipage OF
the duchess. was ordered of by a po-
liceman Bob slipped fistful Of gold
pieces into the mans hand, who
straightaway. pretending that there
was no way for the cab to get out OF
the tangle Of vehicles, permitted him
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 50 discordant between the
cab and the carriage In which she sat
that she could not repress 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 In the window. The duke
was financially the poorest sovereign
IN Europe. His territory, being noun
famous. was unproductive, ana his SUD
jects were gradually going elsewhere
to make living. smarting under the
young duchess smile at his rig, BOD
as soon as the troops mad passed re-
turned to bis hotel 10 thlhk over
plan whereby be might show those I'M
pOverished royalties that lie was aDie