The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-17
DIVIDE THE SPOIL
Chinese Coolies Greed Wipes Out
Half of Village. =
Find UnexpIoded Shell Which They
Believe Is Little Sun" and Try
to Split 1t in Four Pieces.

Greatness wiped out half the popu
lahon of small village in China, &C
cording TO Capt. Fritz Uttmark, who
was formerly principal of the Seamen's
Church Institute in New York city.
There were only 30 people in the vii
age, a retired spot on the Hwang riv-
er, and of the 80, Is were instantly
killed.
The Chinese government had been
making experiments with some new
shells. A mile from the village COM
pany Of soldiers had been doing target
practice with the shells, and had then
been sent to garrison fort some dis
lance away. During the target prac-
tice the soldiers would not let the vii
layers get nearer than half a mile Of
the guns, and the people, all ignorant
coolies, had no idea what the shooting
meant.
Some months after the target prac-
tice had ceased and the villagers had
forgotten about it, two coolies, digging
in a field, came upon q bright, round
object. 1t was very heavy, and point
ed at one end. Neither knew what the
object was. AS matter of fact it was
an eight-inch shell that had not ex-
ploded.
"It Is mine," said the man who had
dug the she'll up.
mo, it is minei 1 saw it irsti"
cried the second coolie 'You would
not have known it was there if I had
not seen it."
"And you would not have seen it If
had not dug it up
For half an hour the two men ar
gued, each advancing his claim in high
pitched, squealing tones. At last they
agreed to let an aged Chinaman, who
was said to be very wise, settle the
question for them.
'YOu must divide it equally" was
the verdict of the old man.
Then came the question as to how
they should divide it. They tried to
break it with rock, but the shell
could not be crushed that way
LET the blacksmith divide it," sug-
gested the old man.
To the blacksmith they went.
81 do not work for nothing" de-
clared the smith. ST will divide it into
three parts; one for the man who
found it, one for the man who saw it
first and one for me-
That arrangement had almost been
decided upon when the old man who
had given the decision in the case
objected IF the blacksmith was to
have a third, then he himself ought to
have piece for. settling the dispute.
divide it into four parts" urged the
old man. zone for the finder, one
for the man who saw it first, one for
the blacksmith and one part for me-"
To that they all agreed.
BY this time the entire village had
become greatly excited, the relatives
of all four men crowding into the little
blacksmith shop. to see that justice was
done. The blacksmith laid the shell
on his anvil, and round him gathered
all the people of the village. He swung
his heavy hammer in the air and
brought it down on the shell.
Bang!
The explosion killed all but two of
the coolies who were in the blacksmith
shop and injured half a dozen who
were standing at the door and the two
windows.
For long time the Chinese govern
ment could not find out the cause of
the accident The natives were con-
WINGED that a miniature sun had fall
en- from the clouds and, offended. by
the rough handling it had received,
ho1 %o6 hn
guilty ones with their relatives and
friends. The mystery was not ex-
planned until small part of the shell
casting was found-Youth's Compan-
ion.