The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-09-30

And. at the snA Of a week. after
many nights OF sleeDlessness. he in
ally made up bis mind. at least to
make an examination Of ibis property.
Despite his rheumatism. he decided
to do his prospecting uhaesisted, and
accordingly he erected near the shore
of the muddy lake small hut in
which he could battle and rub himself
down after each sally into the heated
swamp.
While Yakima slept, Quinby car
ried on his Investigations. for he dis
liked the idea of his operations be-
coming known. Meanwhile the popu-
lation of the place continued to de-
crease at an alarming rate, while Col
onel Brannon's business became worse
and worse.
For several days Qunby limped to
and from his prospective diamond
mine without his secret becoming
town gossip. But finally the news
leaked out, In some unaccountaole
manner, and Immediately the citizens
became divided in their views con-
corning the meaning Of the nightly
maneuvers, some asserting that the
young man had become mentally I'M
balanced, while others were strong in
the conviction that something of i'm
portance had actually been discovered.
For a fortnight, Quinby prospected
industriously, spending several hours
each evening at his labors At other
times he read exhaustive articles on
diamond mining At the end of two
weeks he left town, saying nothing to
amy person concerning his destination.
but 1t was rumored that his discovery
must have been of great importance
for him to SO far forget his rheuma-
tism that he walked without his ac-
customed limp.
He had also appeared to be In the
best of spirits And one more point;
He had carried with him q small
bucket. evidently containing a sample
of his land.
When he returned ten days later
accompanied by two learned-looking
gentlemen Of the college professor
type. the citizens suddenly became un-
animous in proclaIming that there was
really something doing"
Quinby and the two strangers began
operations Immediately by erecting
another building. slightly larger than
the first In this they carried on their
examinations, while prospecting all
over the district was renewed with
vim. Mud holes. and especially blue
mud holes, were at a premium, vlsiie
those who could obtain no natural
mire resorted to artificial means Of
securing the desired article. This III
examined and re-examined, seareLl
for what they knew not, although r
NOR was current to the effect that
real diamond deposit had been found
All attempts to solve the Cuinb.
mystery proved futile.
A short examination of the property
on the part of Quinby's associates sevi-
IDENTIFY pleased the strangers. for the
election of large building was soon
begun It was unlike any zinc crush
er that had ever been built, and the
people Of Yakima had ample food for
gossip and speculation during the next
few months.
No one in the town had ever seen
diamond mine and. for all they
knew, the strange structure was like
any other diamond plant If Quinby
and his friends had found diamonds.
or anything else of valuable nature,
however. they were the only ones in
the entire district who had
Others who had prosDeoted long and
earnestly had found nothing. absolute
ly nothing. and gradually the pros
pecting ceased. while all Yakima
watched and waited and wondered.
Work on the structure advanced
rapidly. two dozen laborers being
daily employed.
First a large. fat roof was con
structed over greater portion OF the
muddy swamp. Then the mammoth
structure on the shore was started.
and, as day after day passed, the
building grew to look less and less
like q mining plant and more and
more like colossal hotel until one
morning, the citizens Of Yakima
gaged upon mRssize green ediiee,
while in huge red letters above the
entrance appeared the words: