L2fa5i5
r
-7
Tliirty one years ago the town of
Dickson Tenn was a village of elev
en houses with a population of thirty
seven whites and fourteen negroes It
was just such a hamlet as can yet be
found along the rapidly extending
branch lines of the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad system rough
board houses mil fences around small
garden spots an Sxl2 depot and post
oflice and the inevitable tavern a log
structure containing two rooms and
an attic presided over by Old Squire
JimDickson whose wife furnished ac
commodations to the few travelers who
by chance came that way Squire
Jim as he is yet called was the origi
nal settler the leading man of the set
tlement and dealt out such justice and
legal opinions as were necessary for
the maintenance of the peace of the
village he had founded and which was
named for him
Three times a week a train would
come out from Nashville forty miles
east of Dickson and go down the
crooked tracks of the Nashville Chat
tanooga and St Louis Railroad to
Johnsonville on the Tennessee River
The arrival of a train by no means a
certainty on any particular day was
a signal for Dicksons entire popula
tion to gather at the little depot and
postoffice to await the opening of the
mail The train usually consisted of
three freight cars and the still familiar
caboose with its rough wooden seats
cook stove and bunks for the crew In
this passengers were hauled and many
were the jars they received
It was seldom that a stranger stop
ped in Dickson and the advent of one
always created excitement But one
day a man stepped oil the Nashville
train and inquired for a tavern He
appeared to be about 40 years of age
was neatly dressed and was peculiar
in that he talked only when it was un
avoidable brought with him no bag
gage and carried a cane nearly two
inches in diameter and apparently very
heavy Squire Jim answered the
strangers query and led him to the
tavern where he gave his name as
Mr King we want to know what
brings you to Dickson and why you go
so frequently to McFarlands spring
WelL sir replied King Im go
ing to build the biggest flour mill this
side of New York
He said no more but began writing
letters to lumber -and machinery houses
in the East the destination of which
Squire Jim shrewdly guessed at the
postoflice In a few days workmen ap
peared from Nashville and began the
laying of a foundation that covered
half an acre King directed operations
linew just what he wanted and how he
wanted it done Car loads of lumber
and machinery began to arrive and
every man and team for miles around
was engaged to help build the mam
moth mill Even Squire Jim left his
tavern to the care of Mrs Jim and ac
cepted a situation as boss carpenter
on the new mill It wns a big under
taking and attracted attention from
all the papers of the State Men be
gan flocking to Dickson and other
smaller industries were commenced
Meanwhile King remained non-committal
He had no friends no visitors
told his business to no one and said
nothing of his former life His work
men were paid weekly and his supply
inexhaustible No
o monev seemed
one could tell where It came from and
anallv it was accepted as a matter of
course though ont or two detectives
11 J
-
Sk C
K
m
evj5
came from the city to take a look at
the man whose past was so well con
cealed In December 1SG7 the mill
was completed By this time Dickson
could boast of a population of nearly
300 with a brick church and school
all the result of Kings mill No sooner
was the final touch of the painters
brush applied to the huge sign that
covered the entire four story front of
the building than King gave up his
room at the Dickson inn and moved
into his big creation It was not known
when the mill would start Everything
was in readiness with the exception
of engaging help and obtaining pro
duct to grind Men had asked King
for work and had been told that he had
sufficient help One venturesome far
mer offered to sell him wheat and was
told that none was required
It was three days before Christmas
ISO that King moved into his mill
He barred the doors and until New
Years eve was not seen or heard At
just 12 oclock New Years the town
was startled by prolonged whistling
from the mill Running to the scene
the astonished natives saw great vol
umes of smoke pouring from the chim
neys and heard the rumble of machin
ery although not a light appeared The
great mass of machinery continued to
run until morning This was repeated
every night for a week and still no
door was opened
Then one night all was quiet The
next day Squire Jim got together a
crowd of men and broke down the
door of the mill In the engine room
they found the lifeless body of poor
King twisted around the piston torn
and maimed his hand still grasping
the valw where he had bravely shut
off steam after being caught On the
floor lay the familiar cane In Ins
pocket no letters were found and in
the mill he had created he had died a
mystery to the world perhaps a mys
tery to himself At the inquest the
cane was examined It was hollow
and in it was found 9000 in United
States government bonds This was
evidently where his money had been
TWISTED AROUND THE PISTON HIS HAND STILL
YALTE
Frank King paid in advance for a stay
of three months and requested that he
be left to his own devices and not ask
ed to join in any of the convivial af
fairs for which the Squires hostelry
was deservedly famous
Down in what is now a thickly pop
ulated residence district there is a
spring that furnishes water for half a
dozen factories and their employes At
that time it was surrounded by a dense
growth of underbrush and was a fa
vorite spot for hunters game of all
kinds abounding To this spring Frank
King would go every morning rarely
returning for dinner and frequently
staying there all night He carried
with him nothing except his cane
which indeed was never out of his
reach Squire Dickson spent many
hours guessing what might be the busi
hps of his reticent ciiest At last con-
- -
j
viuced that it was his duty to investi 1
irotn lii cirl rmn Avpnin L
GRASPING THE
taken from to erect the mill The jury
gave a verdict of accidental death and
at the head of his grave yet stands a
rough stone upon which are cut these
words
FRANK KING
A mystery in life
Brave in death
wrr
jrt rr m
Under direction of Squire Jim the
mill was closed and the money retain
ed to pay taxes until some heir came
to claim it
Last week a pale faced woman
whose every movement spoke of long
endured and great sorrow registered
at the now metropolitan Anderson
House which stands on the same spot
once occupied by Squire Jims primi
tive tavern She Is perhaps CO years
old though her silvery hair and care
worn expression gave the impression
of 70 On the register she inscribed
Mrs Annie Wellaad Northampton
Mass While curiously enough the
old mill sign is plain Annie Welland
Mills Mrs Welland tells her story
this way
Just after the close of the war
while living in Boston I met and was
married to Frank Welland a Lieuten
ant in the Federal army His home
was at Northampton where we at
once moved He had been wounded
during the war and had just recovered
after a long attack of brain fever He
was heir to a large fortune a portion
of which he insisted upon making over
to me The rest he converted into gov
ernment bonds and carried in a large
cane made for that purpose We had
lived together but a few months when
Frank was again afflicted with brain
trouble One of his hallucinations was
that he had charge of a large mill
which he must run without help One
day he disappeared and though I have
spent thousands of dollars and travel
ed all over the country I could find no
trace of him In June of this year I
came to the Tennessee centennial
While in machinery hall one day I
heard two men who were looking at
the milling machinery exhibits talking
of the old Annie Welland mill I ask
ed them where the mill was located
and they told me the story of its build
ing I hastened to Dickson and am
now satisfied that my husband and
Frank King are one and the same
How he got to Dickson I will perhaps
never know I shall not do anything
with the mill He must have named it
from the memory of his love for me
and r shall stand as he left it until
time or accident has worked its de
struction
Mrs Welland has gone home aftei
ordering a monument placed at the
head of her husbands grave Mean
while the old mill stands bleak and
bare its timbers falling away its doora
and windows gone a habitation foi
rats and mice bats and owls a ghost
ly weird skeleton rising high in the
midst of progress itself an echo of the
mysterious man who builded to his
own death and the life long heart sick
ness of a loving woman
An Klepbants Monument
On the village green of Somers a
little town in Westchester County
New York stands a curious memorial
column which after some years of
gradually increasing dilapidation is
about to be restored and repaired to
the satisfaction of all the citizens of
the place but especially one would
think to that of the children For the
monument preserves the memory of
011 Bet probably the first elephant
exhibited in this country and is sur
mounted by her image
Bet was brought over nearly a hun
dred years ago by a French showman
who exhibited her in New York City
wThere crowds flocked wondering to
see her Hachaliah Bailey a wealthy
Somers farmer was among them and
becoming interested in the animal
succeeded in purchasing a half-interest
in it gave up his farm work and
traveled over Canada and the United
States exhibiting his marvelous ac
quisition
He proved successful as a showman
purchased other animals bought out
lesser shows and was soon the man
ager of a large and flourishing menag
erie but in 1S21 while he was exhibit
ing in a little town in Maine a great
misfortune fell upon him Bet broke
loose during the show People were
not as well used to elephants then as
they are now and did not understand
that they are commonly gentle and
friendly beasts There was wild and
immediate panic accompanied by the
anger born of fear Threats to shoot
the managers wTere shouted aloud by
excited men Somebody got a gun and
though the managers were not shot
poor Old Bet was
After his beloved elephants death
Hachaliah Bailey lost heart and gave
up the show business returning to his
native place where the next year he
had plans prepared for a monument to
Bet which was in due time erected
It consists of a single shaft of dress
ed granite fifteen feet high resting
on a triple base This shaft is about
twenty inches square at the bottom
tapering to twelve at the top where it
supports a scrollwork of wrought iron
a few feet high which in turn supports
a wooden image of the elephant four
feet in height This was at first gilded
but when the gilt had become tarnish
ed it was replaced by a coat of mouse
colored paint more lifelike if not so
gorgeous
This odd monument which during
the old showmans life was annually
painted and cared for and the green
sward about it kept in neat and trim
condition is now to be rescued from
encroaching shabbiness and neglect by
Mrs William Bailey the widow of his
nephew and preserved in the condi
tion it deserves It is certainly unique
The Circle of a Rainbow
The earliest attempt at explaining the
phenomenon of the rainbow and its cir
cular form was made by Aristotle who
over twenty centuries before the birth
of modern science gave a correct ex
planation He observed that from a
glass globe filled with water and set
in the sun certain colors were always
returned at certain angles with the
course of the suns beams and he
properly explained the circular form
of the bow by saying that if the sun
beam passing through the observers
eye be taken as an axis and the globe
be revolved round this axis and at the
same distance from it in all parts of
its course the same colors preserving
their angle with the direction of the
sunbeams or of the axis would be
visible through all parts of this course
and hence it folloAved that a rainbow
would result if there were globes
enough and so placed as to reflect
colors at the same time from all parts
of an arc of such a circle
Cases of Fire in Theaters
Mr Sachs details the causes of nres
in 193 cases which have broken out at
the back of theaters Forty four have
been due to defects in the gas installa
tion 37 to open lights 32 to defects in
heating apparatus 31 to fireworks 18
to lamps 17 to explosions 7 to defects
in the electric installation and a simi
lar number to gases In the case of
769 the time of outbreak is reported
Forty two per cent occurred in the
night 24 per cent in the daytime 17
per cent within two hours after a per
formance and 135 per cent during the
progress of an entertainment Of the
total number of outbreaks chronicled
TiS4 have occurred in Europe 139 in
Great Britain and 531 in the United
States New York has the largest pro
portion 41 fires at 27 different estab
lishments and London comes second
with 35 at 27 establishments and Paris
third with 31 at 2S establishments-
London Saturday Review
A man who keeps out of lodge pro
fessions has genius and can make
something out of himself if he tries
At this season of the year wt- always
wonder that someone doesnt invent
handkerchiefs made of blotting paper
iwm fj 17
Serpents Not Proof Against Venom
Dr Calmette who has made a study
of the treatment of snake bites with
anJvenomous serum has lately discov
ered contrary to his first opinion that
venomous snakes and other reptiles are
not proof against serpent venom A
much larger quantity of the poison is
however required to kill them than to
kill other animals
Carborundum
Among the industries supplied with
electric power by Niagara Falls is the
manufacture of carborundum crystals
These are formed by the reduction in
electric furnaces of a mixture of sand
coke salt and sawdust The beautiful
blue crystals are afterward crushed
to powder which is used as an abra
sive like emery or corundum Carbor
undum is remarkable for its hardness
in which property it almost if not
quite equals the diamond
The Destruction of Sodom
An attempt to give a scientific ac
count of the destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah has been made by Dr C
Diener of Vienna A study of the pe
culiarities of the Dead Sea basin and
of the site of the overwhelmed cities
of the plain leads him to conclude
that a violent earthquake must at some
time have occurred there which af
fected the entire basin and wras accom
panied by the inundation of the shores
An old volcanic crater on the eastern
side of the sea was he thinks simul
taneously thrown into eruption through
the disturbance produced by the earth
quake These occurrences would sup
ply the principal phenomena mention
ed in the scriptural account
Something New in the Stars
It would hardly occur to any one
except an astronomer to search among
the stars for rf new chemical element
Yet the much-talked-of helium was de
tected in stars before it had been
found on the earth and in the corona
of the sun there appears a gas which
has not been identified with any ter
restrial substance Lately it was dis
covered that a star in the constellation
Puppis and a few others exhibit
strange spectral lines which were at
first supposed to belong to yet another
new element But more recently rea
son has been found for thinking that
the strange lines are due to hydrogen
in some extraordinary condition only
attained in those particular stars
Strance Indinn Ventreance
In the course of the investigations re
ferred to in the preceding paragraph
Dr Calmette discovered the nature of
a mortal poison which some of the na
tives of India employ to kill the cattle
of their enemies The poison is applied
to little pointed rods inserted in the end
of a short stick which can be conceal
ed in the hand Approaching the cattle
the poisoner slightly scratches them
with the venom charged points The
ends of the little rods break off and re
main in the wounds which are barely
visible Dr Calmette found that the
poison was extracted from a kind of
bean growing on a leguminous plant
known botanically as Abrus precatori
us This poison is called abrln and is
almost as fatal in its effects as the
most violent serpent venom
An Invisible Monkey
There are many animals especially
birds and insects which mimic in their
colors and shapes the natural objects
anvul which they dwell and thus fre
quently escape the eyes of their ene
mies but as Dr Lydekker says in
Kuowtolge Until quite recently no
case was known where a monkey for
the sake of protection resembled in
form or coloration either some other
animal or inanimate object Such
monkeys were discovered by Dr J W
Gregory during his recent journey in
East Africa Near relatives of the
monkeys seen by him have long been
known to naturalists and have excited
surprise by the brilliant contrast of
the black fur covering their body and
limbs with the snow white mantle of
long stfky hair hanging from their
shoulders and the equally white
plumes on their tails This contrast
Dr Gregory found serves to render
the animals practically invisible for
the trees which they inhabit have black
sterna and are draped with pendant
masses of gray white lichen amid
which the monkeys can hardly be dis
tinguished
Growinr Usefulness of X TCayg
Mons Oilier showed at a recent
meeting of the Academy of Sciences in
Paris how by the use of Roentgen
rays the progress of bone growth in
the human body after surgical opera
tions could be watched and studied in
a manner hithf o impossible In the
same way the position of diseased por
tions of a bone can readily be located
and such portions can be removed
without amputation of the limb in
cases where such amputation would
otherwise be necessary but while prov
ing themselves exceedingly useful
when carefully and skillfully employed
the X rays are also capable of mischief
Messrs Segny and Quenisset reported
to the Academy that prolonged ex
posure to the rays had in several cases
caused violent and irregular palpita
tion of the heart
How a Rich Man Started in Business
I made most of my money by harcl
knocks declared the old resident who
has no financial troubles even In these
dubious times but I once made some
very easy money just when I was sore
ly in need of it
I had managed to buy a little
stretch of lake shore with the idea of
disposing of it as a summer resort No
one was looking for that kind of an in
vestment and I had a dead duck on my
hands I happened down there just at
the breaking up of winter when I had
nothing else to do and no money to do
it with if I had There was a big raft
of logs tied up at my beach and it had
been there since the late fall at least
that is the view I took of the situation
It was a bold violation of private
rights How had they dared to thus
invade my premises without permis
sion I learned who the owners were
in the East and sent them a bill of 300
for dockage Their reply came through
a representative who wanted me to
settle for a trifle but I would hear to
nothing but the full amount There
was a principle involved that I would
not sacrifice He left with the threat
that I would never get a dollar
I bribed the man in charge of the
raft to notify me when it was to be
moved and as soon as I heard from
him I had the sheriff there to make a
levy I had a check for 300 as soon as
it could be got to me It proved the
thin edge of the wedge with which I
entered into the business that made me
rich Six weeks later I discovered that
the raft had not been on my land at all
It was forty feet beyond my line But
what could I do with my money tied
up in an investments So I said noth
ing Detroit Free Press
A GIRLS FOLLY
How a Vain Frivolous Creature An
noys All Companions
The following is a genuine extract
from a letter written by a Western
teacher while traveling in Europe a year
or two ago
There are six of us all teachers
We joined a party of tourists as Ave
are forced to count even the farthings
eloselj None of us have been abroad
before or expect ever to come again
and as we have but four weeks on this
side we begrudge every minute in our
eagerness to see and hear and to store
up invaluable memories for the future
Wo are greatly hindered and an
noyed by a young girl who with her
mother belongs to the party She is a
commonplace person with neither
beauty nor talent nor charm But she
is possessed with an insatiable desiro
to show off
I try not to see her but it is impos
sible to be blind or deaf to her or to
ignore her We went to St Peters
to hear the great Gregorian chants
which are sung by the choir of the Vat
ican but once in the year Miss Blank
kept up a shrill whisper during the en
tiro service
I went to the little circular chamber
where the Apollo Belvedere stands
alone to study his highest expression
of the pagan conception of divinity
and there before its white awful beau
ty stood Miss Blank posing and gig
gling for the benefit of two contemptu
ous Italian officers
Wo drove through the vast solitude
of the Campagna with its ruins and
tombs peopled by the ghosts of an
cient Rome and Miss Blank during the
entire way talked of the gown and hat
that she wore simpering and chatter
ing to compel our admiration There
is nothing in the world so beautiful or
so sublime as to make her forget for
one moment her silly little self
We copy these severe comments be
cause Miss Blanks offense is unfortu
nately too common among even sensi
ble girls It is not always due to van
ity but to an eager almost pathetic
hunger for admiration and love Such
girls are sometimes quiet and natural
in their manner at home but at the
entrance of a stranger become affect
ed giggle and talk shrilly like ill
trained actors on the stage
If a girl ha merit or charm apprecia
tion will surely come to her Let her
wait for them to be sought and found
out A wise old Scotchman says Gin
your wares are good dinna cry them in
the market too loudly or you cheapen
them
National Holidays
The United States Ls probably tje
only country in the world that has no
national holiday even the Fourth of
July in a btric tly legal sense is not
such Coirrnss has tiom time to time
provided for special holdays Th
Fifty third Congress passed an act
making Labor dny a holiday in the
District of Columbia ami in bankrupt
cy legislation certain days are recog
nized as no days for commercial and
banking purposes but with these ex
ceptions no provision has ever boon
made by our national Legislature for
national holidays The day of Thanks
giving annually appointed by t he
President is a legal holiday only in
such States as have made special pro
vision for it In various States action
has been taken by most of the Legis
latures providing for holidays tin1
Fourth of July Washingtons birthday
and a number of others having re
ceived attention
Sure He Would Suit
A merchant being in want of a clerk
advertised for one who among other
qualifications the advertisement said
must be able to bear confinement
He soon received an answer whici
terminated thus
I am certain I should suit as I can
bear confinement having been in jail
seven years from which I am but just
liberated Spare Moments
A Clear ixeeption o the Rule
Ignorance of the law ex-
cuses no one
Client Except of course a lawyer
Brooklyn Life
Oar idea of a good time would be to
Itive so little to do that we could never
rememoer what day of the week it uu
WANTED THE REAL THING
Prof Seneca Jones Search for an Evili
Purpose
They were out in the pasture lot
Farmer Silas Jones and his learnei
brother Prof Seneca Jones The pro
fessor had a knowing smile on his face
and a curious little instrument in his
hand
Now Sen said Silas I wish to
goodness youd tell me what youre
goin to do
Very well Silas This little machine
I have here photographs purposes mo
tives thoughts
Go long Sen Youre jokin
Indeed no Silas Every action of
the brain every pulsation of the
nerves affects the atmosphere and
makes Itself felt upon the sensitive
plate of the camera For instance
and here the professor drew a number
of fine even circles one within anoth
er a pleasant thought or purpose
will be reproduced thus And a thought
of extreme anger or a purpose of de
struction will be pictured with the
lines of the circle jagged uneven and
the reverse of symmetrical thus
Well that beats all But what did
you come way out hero for
You see Silas I wisli to secure a
picture of the maddest most evil pur i
pose on record for my forthcoming
work The Psychology of Purpose To
this end I have come out here and if
you will kindly take this red handker
chief and flag that bull down there un
til he charges into focus youll oblige
me and confer an evarlasting boon up i
bn literature
Silas turned pale
Reckon you dont know that bull
Sen Hes a reglar man eater
Thats just what I want cried the
professor delightedly flag him on-
be quick Silas
He wont need much flaggin Ij
guess muttered Silas casting a vague
look at his brother the flies have work i
ed his dander up pretty well already
Keep your eye on the fence Sen and
dont lose any time gettin over it afteri
you catch his purpose cause hell bei
about the maddest bull in Michigan
Watch your eye now Im goln
Silas thereupon approached and made
a few preliminary passes with the red
flag The animal stamped his fore 5
foot whirled around and made a bee-
line for Farmer Jones who put for thet
fence
Dont wait till he gets in focus
cried Silas as he rushed past the pro-
fessor take it now
But like the elder Pliny Prof Jones
was made of sterner stuff He waited
calmly pressed the button not a mo-
ment too soon and started after his
brother The bull however had charg i
ed into focus altogether too late for the1
professors well being Seneca Jones
had barely time to toss his instrument
to Silas when whiz rip
thud the learned man was tossed over
the fence and landed in a heap by his
brothers side
I told ye Sen cried Silas aint
hurt be ye
Hurt In an instant Seneca Jones
had risen in all his wrath
Where is that four footed whirKffSt
of iniquity Show him to me Ill
Just then Silas inadvertently pressed
the button of the instrument he was
holding It happened that it pointed
straight at the professor who was
moreover in exact focus From these
causes resulted a deplorable loss to
science for the plate broke Detroit
Free Press
Asbestos Rope
Asbestos formerly in use now has a
formidable competitor in the blue as i
bestos of South Africa The latter is
less than half as and furnishes
finer and longer fibers which havej
been worked into webs but little In
ferior to those made of vegetable fiber
are absolutely fireproof and resistmost
known chemicals corrosive vapors andi
atmospheric influences
A blue asbestos rope three fourths or
on inch in diameter was weighted atj
one end with 220 pounds and exposed
to a constant flame from a large gasj
jet so that a considerable portion of itsj
length was surrounded by fire It only
broke after twenty two hours The
asbestos rope has only two thirds the
strength of a new hemp rope but as
they grow older the proportion changes
in favor of the former since it is but
little affected by the atmosphere The
blue asbestos fiber is also worked into
mattresses for hospitals which are
cooler in summer and warmer in win
ter than those of animal hair or vege
table fiber As an experiment fire
mens apparel is being manufactured
from the fiber Chicago Inter Ocean
Sapphires Vary in Color
There is a popular impression that the
sapphire is always a blue stone whence
indeed it has become a recognized
name in the shops of the jewelers
This is by no means an accurate state
ment for in Ceylon the color ranges
from what is described as a soft vel
vety blue to a peacock blue in which
of course there is a good deal of green
There is also a red sapphire - lieh 13
very highly prized indeed being as
valuable as fine Burmah rubies There
are also green sapphires yellow sap
phires and white sapphires
Home of the Marmions
Hamworth Castle the home of the
Marmions hereditary champions of
England offered by its latest possess
or the Marquis Townshend at auc
tion was bid in by the corporation of
the town for 15000 The heralds in
Scotts poem hailed Mannion Lord
of Fontezaye of Lutterworth and
Scrivelsbay of Tamworth tower and
town The fishing in the Rivers Tame
and Anker and rights over five man
ors go with the castle
A man may have enough self control
to laugh at a joke en himself but hej
L uux aeep an oaa look out of his ey
rtzytz TSiSteffBspZ
3
i
T
N
- u
i
V
n
y
i
n
i
V
1
r4