The silver bullet, or The young relic hunters of the Palmetto state. A story of to-day

Preface

The characters in this book illustrate a phase of life in the “New South” — for we might as well acknowledge that our Sunny Southland History has two epochs, the “ Old South” and the “New South.” The “Old South ” has its delightful and hallowed memories of chivalrous days, and of a refined civilization unsurpassed by any on the face of the globe ; but it also had some wide contrasts. Over against the chivalrous, the refined, the educated, and the wealthy, were the ignorant, unrefined, poor , who under the Slavery Regime, seemed destined to remain in that condition.

The “ New South,” however, with its energy, its push, and its agricultural interests becoming more rapidly and generally diversified with manufacturing enterprises is fast obliterating, so far as the white race is concerned, this second and undesirable class. Marvelous are the developments that are now being made.

The characters here portrayed are true types. Some of the events and facts may seem to be a wild play of fancy — for instance, ^he “Picture in the Saucer.” We have only to say that the account of its advent is strictly true, as any one may learn to their satisfaction by writing to responsible parties in Piedmont. “ Old Sol 7 ’ is a veritable old darkey. “ The Historical Circle has its real counterpart.

What we have written has been largely for the purpose of doing justice to the life of the inhabitants of our well-managed cotton manufacturing towns in South Carolina, and to show that the spindle and the loom are just as conducive to the development of good and noble manhood , as the Anvil, the Plow, the Plane, or the Pen.

We send this, our first web of mental fabric, out to the world of old and young readers, in the sincere faith that its threads of thought, its warp and woof of truth and fancy, may be attractive and acceptable, and that its influence may be for good and not for evil. THE AUTHOR.

Piedmont, S. C., January 1, 1897.

or

THE YOUNG RELIC HUNTERS OF THE PALMETTO STATE.

Chapter I

T HERE is a comparatively new town in the upper part of the State of South Carolina called “ Piedmont.” It is located near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which fact gave the place its name, for Piedmont primarily means “ the foot of the hills.”

This town is the seat of a large Cotton Manufacturing Enterprise, and has a population of some thirty-five hundred souls. The inhabitants are mostly of that class who come from the humbler walks of life, indigenous to the soil.

The great Civil War” between the States, and its attendant privations, debarred many of the people, who at the time this story begins were of mature years, from educational advantages. It had this effect upon them, however, it drew them out of the idolent mode of life

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under the old, slow regime , to the progressive, practical life that characterizes this New Age of the New Southland, and the Fathers of today are determined that the rising generation shall find no lack of educational privileges in the future.

We deem it essential to make this statement concerning this locality and its surroundings, for it will help to a better understanding of the events that follow.

On a certain Tuesday night in May, 189 — , five persons were gathered in the “ Snuggery , ” a comfortable cottage house on the outskirts of the town, the residence of one of the group. The eldest of the company was a Mr. DeRoque. The other four were young men, and were named respectively, Nat Breed, Dick Griswold* JacU Austin and Tom Carter. The room in which they sat denoted that they were assembled for the purpose of study, for a goodly supply of books on scientific subjects were lying about in easy reach. A number of cases were arranged about the apartment, in which were to be seen specimens of minerals and other objects of natural history, and a placard over one of them bore this legend, “The Piedmont Historical Circle.”. And this indeed was the mean-

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ing of the assembly. It was the regular meeting of the Circle. The members were all workmen in the cotton factory’ of the town, and were busy, industrious people.

This fact, did not debar them from employing their leisure moments in the cultivation of the mind, and in the acquisition of useful knowledge. They had been deprived of a classical training, but were endeavoring to obtain the next best thing to it. And the result was, that while they were not up in theory— the importance of which cannot be too highly estimated — as far as they had gone in their investigations they had a more practical knowledge of the ground they had gone over.

It was an interesting sight to look in upon them at their meeting, as they sat grouped around a large center table. Mr. DeRoque, who presided over the meeting, held in his hand a small nugget of gold, which one of the members had been presented with a short time before. It having been found in Greenville County, in which Piedmont is located, it became an object of special interest to them. Mr. DeRoque was explaining the character of gold, and the methods of ascertaining if it was the genuine article. In concluding his remarks on the subject, he said :

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“ Boys, I have recently come across an interesting’ fact concerning gold. As you all well know 1 am a reader of, and believer in, the Bible, and have been from a boy. Years ago, when I was quite young, I read the 21st chapter of Revelatiou, which contains a description of Heaven. It made a deep impression on my mind, especially the 18th verse, which reads thus, “ And the building of the wall of it was of jasper, and the city was pure gold like unto clear glass, and the street of the city was of pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” Now the first thought that came into my mind was, is this figurative language? Or, is the inspired writer stating a fact ? If it be figurative language, I reasoned it would seem to be unnecessary, and that is contrary to ray conception of God, who always has a purpose in his work. If the language be literal, then it presents a great mystery to me, for all the gold I have ever seen or heard of is not transparent but opaque, the extreme contrast of transparent. In consulting commentators I found that some of them explained the passage by saying it meant exceeding fine gold, etc. This explanation was not satisfactory to me, because, if it meant fine gold, why was it not just as easy to say so as it was to say trails-

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parent? Having, no better explanation to advance, I was compelled to accept the theory presented. In the years that have passed, my mind has frequently reverted to, these Scriptural passages, but ever with the same result. A short time ago I chanced to become acquainted with an experiment made by a certain scientific gentleman, who had for the object of his test the discovering of how thin gold could be spread out, or in other words, to what extent its ductility could be made to reach. The usual method of reducing gold is by what is kuown as the goldbeaters’ process. In this way a piece of gold can be beaten out so thin that to one not acquainted with the result it would seem almost incomprehensible. For instance, a twenty dollar gold piece, rightly worked upon, can be made to cover a space of two hundred square feet. One grain of gold can be drawn into a wire five hundred feet long. Ordinary gold leaf is one three hundred and sixty-seven thousand, six hundred and fiftieth part of an inch in thickness. One ounce of goldcovered silver wire can be drawn out one thousand three hundred miles in length.

“The gentleman in question decided to take a different course. He first took a piece of metal,

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copper I think, gave one surface a high polish, then having weighed it, he placed it in an electro-plating machine, and carefully noted the deposit of gold upon it as the process of plating went on. When he was satisfied that the surface was covered, he removed it, and then weighed the object with the plating on it, and found that in proportion to the thickness and weight of the copper that the film of gold was one-fourth milliont h part of an inch in thickness. (To those persons who are unacquainted with the modern aparatus for weighing material and chemicals for scientific experiments, it seems utterly incredible that instruments could possibly be made that could weigh accurately such minute objects, but it can be done; and if any of our young readers will take the pains to go to a chemist and request him to do so, he would probably be willing to show them the interesting test of weighing their own name written lightly on a piece of paper with a lead pencil.) So it will be seen that while the weighing of the piece of gold in question would present an interesting bit of information to the uninformed, it would not be considered an unusual thing to those who are accustomed to investigations along that line.

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“The experiment proved to be very satisfactory so far as testing- the ductility of gold was concerned, but the experimenter was destined accidentally to make another discovery. He found, on laying the film down on any object that, though it was so thin, it completely covered the object on which it lay, and retained its beautiful yellow hue. Chancing, however, to hold it up between himself and a light, to his great surprise he found he could plainly see through it, as if he were looking through a piece of yellow glass. To him it was a new and interesting discovery. I presume he never dreamed that the Seer of Pa/tmos, or the Power that inspired him, had announced the same fact nearly two thousand years ago, but the very moment the announcement of the experiment was made known to me there flashed upon my mind the solution of the problem contained in the 21st chapter of Kevelation, and confirmed my belief that the Scriptures are always right. If we do not comprehend them it is because our vision is yet too dim, and our knowledge is yet too limited to fathom the eternal thought and purpose of the great Creator. And boys, let me give you this word of advice. I have passed the halfway station of life’s journey, and of course have

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had more experience and a wider range of observation than any of you. This Circle, of which you are members, will be a great benefit or a great harm, in accordance as to how you use it. If, as is the case with many who take up the investigation of historical or scientific subjects, it should lead you to be conceited and skeptical with reference to religion and the Bible, then have you begun a work that will be greatly to your injury. If on the other hand you study the word and works of God together, and with a sincere desire seek to know the beauty and worth of truth in the open book of Nature and Revelation, you will build a character that will grow in strength and loveliness as the days of life pass by.

“I further advise you to beware of that class of men, would-be leaders, who are loud-mouthed and vociferous in the advocacy of any cause or principle they may represent, whether from the pulpit or platform. Such a person is more than liable to be on the side of error and will lead others in their footsteps. Truth is gentle and mild, not loud, but modest.

Truth is a line both straight and true ;

One scarce could fail to know it.

Though hid by error’s ebon hue,

In God’s good time it pierces through,

And forces the lie below it.

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“ Or trutli may be compared to what is known among assayers as the touchstone. This mineral is a hard, black, bituminous quartz obtained from Lidia, in Asia Minor (black basalt is also used). It is employed in testing* gold as follows: A series of needles or small bars are formed and numbered. No. 1 consists of pure gold. No. 2 of twenty -three parts of gold and one part copper, and soon. If one had an article which he claimed was pure gold and wished to dispose of it, if the party who was to purchase wished to have positive assurance of the purity of the metal and should insist on its being taken to an assay er for a test, the assayer would take the bar of pure gold and draw it across the touchstone ; he would then take the article to be tested and draw it also across the stone by the side of the mark made by the pure gold. If they agree in color, be knew that they were similar in purity and value.

“ In like manner, my young friends, the truth, so far as a man’s moral actions are concerned, may be ascertained. There is one pure unalloyed standard. That is the Life and Words of Jesus Christ as portrayed in the Bible. If any one holds up to you a line of action in morals, and claims that it is the truth, apply

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the touchstone of the Bible to the theories he advances. Or, if it be along the line of anything else of which the Bible treats, stand to the Sacred Book and do not be satisfied with anything that is arrayed against it. If you will heed these counsels you can safely investigate all scientific matters, without injury to your highest interests in morals or intellect. ”