The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-12

~AQODt Gooo! Cou1dnC De pet
ter" Tarp said to himself as
IN Abner approached him
s'He's swallowin it like a
AJ1ngry fish. If this thing goes through
It viii be the talk of the county. Say,
Uncle Alb. did you ever In your rounds
happen to meet a chap by the name o.
r. L. Tarp, proprietor of Tarp's Dry
Goods and General Merchandise EN-
porinm at barley? Well, if you haven't
F6u'd better keep your eye peeled.
Eess the slickest and the cheapest ad-
vertlser In seven states and win do you
lfs he can" And, with an exuItant
smile, the merchant turned into his
store
Abner finished reading the communi-
cation Just received at the foot of the
stairs and then went up TO the Office
Throwing his armful of papers on
table, he glanced across the room at
Howard, who was at work on an ed
ltorial
..say, he began, smiling significant
II, you was sayin' you was afeared
that we'd run little shy on news fer
tomorrow's issue, wasn't your
81 thought so" Howard returned,
shut guess we can manage to I'll up
by running some reserve matter al
y ready In type.
1--WE won't have to- Abner smiled.
as he tapped on the table with the
{ folded sheets he had received
WHY Has something happened7"
Howard asked. curiously.
you'll think sos Abner chuckled.
ss1Ve've got a new correspondent over
the mountains at Elktpwn- Thomas L.
Keith he signs hisse'f. and he's corker,
eff am any Judge. Drop that work
an listen to this"
Howard turned in his seat, and,
opening the manuscript and clearing
his throat, Abner beganSto read in a
sort OF decIamatory tone which he
used when he wished to be impressive:
Elktown. Gar wednesday, Morning.
Editor the New Clarion:
Dear Sir-I arr writing to you with the
hope that I-1iay be enrolled as your cor
respondent from this charming mountain
hamlet have never tried my hand at
newspaper work, but I have always felt
that I would like It as q pastfnla. and
after reading about what princely host
you were at your recent dinner to the
rural correspond ents of the New Clarion
and what gay time you all had in such
3 brrtheCly and sisterly way, admit
havs had the pen fever worse. than ever
Ard Us for suitable outlet for my eff
forts must say, without any intention
to. dazter, that. know ofSno Journal that
would rather be contributor to than
yours That such q well printed. we'll ed
tied paper could enaanate from small
town in north Georgia in these days of
struggle Is marvel that find difficulty
to adjust myself to.
sF4ne. amt ft?" Abner paused tp
comment and spit 'sHe knows what's
what. eff I'm proper Judge. an I'm
glad sech a Teller appreciates what we
are DOM But jest wait-that's jest
the introduction to the main stun.
That's comm, as you'll see in min
ute.
am happy to say, Mr.. Editor (Abner
resumed readingl that it happens now
that I am able to transmit some inapor-
taht news-news, it seems to at this
distance, to be of unusual interest to peo-
pie OF all ages, sizes, classes and sexes.
Something Of an astonishing nature has
just come to light here in these quiet old
mountains and the excitement is absolute
~ unprecedented and is spreading like a
BWoIlsn torrent Of water.
1t started from >old report that has
been whispered and talked and limited at
ever since the last Cherokee Indian tribe
lived here and was finally run or by our
early settlers to the west. As you and
your esteemed readers are doubtless
aware, 1T is fact of history and present
hug gold with considerable success all
around Elktown, as Is proved by the
old pits and shafts which still greet the
only established beyond a peradventure
by what has just come to light; but
moreover, the old story about certain
Indian chieftain buryingi big treasure
Of nugget gold appears to have had actua
foundation, as you, will see by what fol
lows
The old tales had died out;4foIks wers
going about their various affairs~in fheil
daily walks, never dreaming Of the bomt
Of untold wealth that was to explode In
our sylvan midst when stranger arrfy-
"a from the Indian territory ana put nj
= = H. Ilrfo kn<rfa = hal ma
Mlar business that anybody could see, bu
kept coming and going and saying moth
Ing to anybody. Some thought he wa
an agent sent out to buy UP fumbe1
lands for some rich company or fnspec
water power plants,
But as the man continued to stay and
act secretive in the extreme, the specula
ton as to what he wassup to became rife
For one thing the stranger had an od'
look He was as dark as mulatto, hat
very high, If not sctualIy protrudin;
cheek bones, was remarkably taN, a
straight as a ramrod and had hair a
thick and stiff as No. spool thread
Many noticed that he looked happy. Il
fast, folks ou-the watch caught him grin
ming to himself when he thought nobod,
was looking. He paid his bill; lin fact
made lavish tips all about He had pack
led UP his belon gings and was waiting TO
the train to take him off when he sud
1%siy fell sick.
TIE amiable proprietor OF the E1ktow1
hotel and his kind hearted and popuIa
wife tried to attend to his needs as wei
as tI4ey could, and it appears that the
overheard him saying things not intende
for other cara than his own He seerne
to be afraid that the hand of the grin
reaper was overshadowinss him and wa
anxious to get something of vast i'm
portance off his mind and at the sam
time to be aware that none but his ow
chosen people could be received into hi
confidence He kept saying: stGold. gold
godl Chunks and chunks Of it, Cnde
the messy rock; keep to the right G
down hill to stream then left UP the slop
and down again TO gum springT' Tn
man died at break of day,
There was nothing to do but lay hiI
away In as decent form as, was possibl.
Nobody could guess what religion If ans
be had and so no particular denominatio