Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 October 1887 — Left Alone with the Money. [ARTICLE]

Left Alone with the Money.

The affairs of Montenegro were conducted in a very peculiar fashion when Lawrence Oliphant visited it, some years ago, says Youth'n Companion. On arriving at the little town of Cettinje, the capital of the principality, he found that it contained no hotel, but that room was made for the rare stranger at a lodging-house containing one or two spare bedrooms. Having been put in one of these chambers, he found it simply furnished, and, as there was no table, his dinner was spread upon a large chest which it contained. While he was enjoying his repast the door suddenly opened and a stalwart Montenegrin stalked in. Says the traveler: “He addressed me with great politeness in his native tongue; at least I gathered from his manner that he was polite, for I could not understand a word he said. “I rose and bowed with much ceremony, addressing him fluently in the English language, upon which he drew an immense key from his pocket and pointed to the lock of the chest, thus giving me to understand that he wished to open it. “In order for him to accomplish this it was necessary for me to remove my dinner, an operation which was speedily performed. As he seemed a frank and engaging sort of person, without any secrets, I looked over his shoulder while he opened the chest, to see what was in it. “To my astonishment, it was full to the brim of bags of money. Not only this, but my strange visitor opened one of them, and poured out a handful of gold. “ VVhen he had counted out what he wanted, he tied up the bag again, replaced it, locked up the chest* helped me with many Sclavonic expressions, which I have no doubt were apologies, to spread my banquet again, and, with a final polite salutation, vanished, leaving me alone with the untold treasure which he had thus revealed to me. “The absolute confidence placed in me, an utter stranger, appalled me, and I went to sleep vainly trying to unrival the mystery. “It wa3 not solved until next day, when I acquired the information that the chest upon which I had dined contained the entire finances of the principality, and that the Montenegrin who had unlocked it, and vacated his chamber in my behalf, was its chancellor of the exchequer.” Sceews that are too small for separate treatment may be cleaned from rust as follows: Take a pound of screws and place them in a small box—a cigar box will do; put a small quantity of oil on them and shake for a minute; then put a piece of cotton waste in the box and repeat for a minute ; finally, put a handful of sawdust in the box and shake for another minute or so, and remove the sawdust by sifting it from the screws in a fine sieve. The screws will come out well cleaned.