Adventure Magazine Cover — page 193: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Camp-Fire Camp-Fire, brought forth a number of interesting translations? Yes, and remem- ber that Edgar Young confessed he and a friend had thrown it overboard in the South Atlantic as a hoax? Well, that seems to settle it, doesn’t it? Only it doesn’t. For the original sender writes indignantly that Young’s message could not be the one he has because the latter was found before the date on which the hoax was pulled off. Here’s the letter from our Nova Scotian comrade—at least such part of it as it seems right to make public. I pointed out to the writer that Edgar Young’s address appears In every issue of the magazine. , Nova Scotia. While not disputing Edgar Young’s veracity or intentions, I note that he says he did this in 1910 and I was a miner full grown and earning men’s wages at a coal-face at that time. It was in 1909- 1911 we Nova Scotia miners had our twenty-two months’.strike for U. M. W. recognition. OW to the point I can not understand. Edgar Young says he wrote a message purperting to be from Blackburne in 1910. Well, this old chart was found when I was a school kid and I left school when 16, and am 36 years old now. My uncle died in 1894 and he and a chum found this old bottle in 1889. So how does that rhyme with Comrade Young’s statement? It’s queer that there are two old about the !ucality of the bay and rivers indicated; also a good clear spring in a line with that tree and the anchorage; also that tree, which I have found and identified—by markings, which are similar to some on the old chart which Edgar Young no doubt can describe. What I can not understand is how he wrote it in 1910 and it was found in 1889, as I have ascertained by going over some files of old letters. Now, I’m not boosting this thing for publicity. I’m on the “lone” trail in this thing and have reason to believe that there is a rich find for some one. If, however, Edgar Young can describe that old chart and explain how it was written in 1910 and found in the Fall of 1889; also how I knew of it and took it to the high school principal here when a school kid of 14 or so and was a man of 27 when it was written, that’s too psychological for me to comprehend. [ would like to get hold of that old account of that pirate Blackburne as I think I’ve located the old fellow’s favorite rendezvous. I wonder if Edgar Young can tell me where to get it. Also I’d like to correspond with him to see if he can fully describe the locality drawn on that chart in my possession. If his claim is authentic and true, then the whole thing is a hoax perpe- trated and invented for the purpose of misleading and deceiving. It certainly accomplished its pur- pose if so, for I know I’ve spent hours untold in corresponding about it and had offers to buy it from folks who could decipher part of it and not all (so they said), but were particularly anxious to see the original. 179 This has been no joke in our family.— —— ——. And here is Edgar Young’s reply: Brooklyn. The first thing that occurred to me when I read what that fellow had to say about the Capitan Blackburne manuscript was to shut up like a clam. He has his dates wrong and seems set on making a liar out of me. My first decision was to let that MS. remain a mystery and I was advised by a close friend to say nothing about it, even if I had written it. Fate seems to be mixed up in this and I was unable to follow my better judgment and remain silent. ‘[ HERE happens to be living proof to support the details I gave you in the former letter. This . is the man who was with me and helped concoct the MS. Right here a funny thing comes in. This man and I parted in anger in Nicaragua in 1913 and have not spoken or written each other since. The cause of our disagreement was very slight and I have always kept track of him through > others, for he was a true-blue pal, one of the only two I met up with. We made the trip from Colon down the east coast of South America and back up the other side, working in all the countries en route. He remained to work in Ecuador and I came to Panama to work for the Panama Railroad until he arrived. We both went to Nicaragua, where we worked as officials of the National Rail- ways, I as auditor and he as general storekeeper. We separated after some seven months. He blew up first and came to New York and I blew up later and came to San Francisco. Later he returned to Panama and went into the con- tracting business and was civil engineer for some Panama Government work. I understand he is now employed by the Panama Railway, or was the - last time I asked about him. I am pretty sure he has kept track of me, in fact, I know he has, for a friend has passed along comments he has made on stories of mine that appeared in magazines. | POSSIBLY owe him an apology for the words passed between us in Nicaragua, for he was really trying to keep me from making a fool out of myself, which I later did. But I do not intend to write him an apology now at the present time to get him to uphold a statement in regard to a fool MS. we placed in a bottle in 1910. Even- if I did, proof obtained in this manner would be worthless. The best thing I can think of is to run the explanation I have given in Camp-Fire and - right with it run the later letter of the man who has the MS. at the present time which makes a liar out of me. I am willing to appear in the réle he has placed me. I am pretty sure that —— will come forward with a statement if he happens to see the letters, which he no doubt will see. If he does not, I will still be satisfied. However, I feel pretty sure he will not let that fellow put the Kobie on me. [N THE meantime I have framed the card in a little frame I got at the five-and-ten and have it hanging on the wall over my desk. I remember the exact words that passed when the MS. was written. Part was written by each of us. I made the arrow pointing down stream, —— made the little house in the corner and the anchor. I Gomichooks.co