Year: 1874

THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A CONFED-


ERATE DISPATCH BOX.


PARIS, July 3.-A young Soutberner here
has, for some months, been enjoying himself
in the most liberal but rational manner, and
is, perhaps, the happiest man in France.
Good looking, educated, rich, he has fortune
at the crest Of the wave, and keeps her there.
1t has Just begun to leak out how this happy
youth came into his estate, and if the facts be
as stated, think you will agree with me that
never did "fsherman's luck" better deserve
to be largely celebrated than in his case. |
do not get the story from his own lips, though
I am slightly acquainted with him, but from
an intimate friend of his who knows all the
circumstances.


The young man-his name is S. So
H is native of South Carolina, where
his father had large possessions in Coleton.
s. served in the Confederate army during
the last two years of the war, though still too
young and when the war was over settled at
Pocotaligo, poor as a church mouse. His
fathers estate was nearly all gone, and what
little remained he resolved should be religious
ly devoted to the needs Of his mother and sis
ters who were now living in Barnwell in a
very poor way. Young H had capacity
and industry, but these were not sufficient to
get him work in a State where all things were
prostate under the negro's gizzard foot. tie
procured some odd jobs on the railroad, but
these soon failed him, and at last, in despair,
he shipped before the mast in trading schoon-
er that belonged to Machias, Me-, and made
irregular voyages between Boston, Beaufort,
S. c., Havana, and market. In three or
four years he got to be mate of the trader, and
finally the owners began to promise him
vessel of his own, one now building, if he
would purchase an interest in her to the ex-
tent of 81 500. His own savings amounted
to nearly half that sum already, and be took
furlough from the schooner for the purpose
of seeing his mother and some other friends,
in order to try to get a temporary loan OF the
balance needed.


Money, however, was hard to get No one
doubted the security, but they did not have
the money to spare. After several futile ef'
forts young H was about to give up the
pursuit in despair, when his mother bethought
her of Col. Jacob T., her cousin, still liv'
ing near Port Royal, and thought to be rather
better off than the rest Of the connection.
s. H was only very slightly acquain.
ed with Col. E., but his mother insisted
that he should take letter from her to her
relative, and thus leave nothing untried in
matter which SO intimately concerned the
pushing of his own fortunes.


When H arrived at his cousins place
on Port Royal Sound, he found that the fam
lily we're not very well prepared to have visi,
tors. In fact, only two nights before the
house, an old brick mansion, had been burned
down to the ground, and the family were now
living in a couple of tents pitched on the lawn
in front of the ruins. Col. B. had lost
everything the house contained, and was now
down with an ague his daughter was i'll with
Mysteries, and everything was in confusion
and disorder. In fact, as Mrs. E. pitiful-
" told H "there's actually nothing to
eat il, the housc-in the tent, I mean," she
said. with feeble smile, "and the Colonel is
too i'll to 60 fishing to-day"


H did not show his letter nor mention
its subject. On the contrary he tried to make
himself useful, gave Mr.. f his dose of
quinine, taught Mrs. E how to rig her
tent sails in safer and more comfortable
fashion, and then, taking small negro boy
with him, launched the boat, hoisted sail, and
went fishing for the replenshing of poor Mrs;
E-'s exhausted larder Well acquainted
with the sound and its fishing ground, he soon
caught quite a mess Of fish, and was beating
back again when startled cry of the negro
boy, who was by the mast, attracted his at
tention. The cause of the boys alarm was a
large shark between ten and twelve feet long,
which swan directly in front of the boat and
seemed prepared to dispute its passage. Ihe
boat, as is common in those waters, carried a
small harpoon attached to a long line, for the
purpose Of using upon the devil-fish frequently
met there, and the chase and capture of which