The Plucking of the Jay, BIRMINGHAM'S TRADE IN COFFINS AND IDOLS.

Woodville Examiner, Volume XXI, Issue 3570, 26 June 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Plucking of the Jay,

BIRMINGHAM'S TRADE IN COFFINS AND IDOLS.

,_o— ————— A FOKER STORY.

Bv G. Firth Scott.

Jay was Ids name, and (o that lad, perhaps, may be attributed the general want of faith in his possession of those qualities which go to make up a man of the world. lie was discovered by Darrell, who, being a young man of experience in such matters, and more or less in need of ready money, at once passed the word to his special companions, with the suggestion that a brief yachting trip might be arranged with Jay as the chief guest and poker as the principal pastime. Carruthers had the yacht—the elder Carruthers, that is—the younger having the pleasure of acting as message boy to his elder—the richer—brother. Carruthers the elder had made his pile by inducing men, with more money than brains, to put capital into various enterprises,* while he put the brains into the concern, and took charge of the sterling apparatus, with the invariable result that the capital followed the brains. And while Carruthers grew richer his circle of one-time friends grew wider, and his reputation as a smart business man and financier the brighter—or shadier, as may he preferred. There was no need for him to think of the cash into the possession of which Jay was said to have lately come. He had more than enough already, but, being of Russian extraction, with an assumed Scottish name, he hated parting with money, and if he could put his brother in the way of making a little on his own account, or, if he could help him in so doing, it ranked against what the brother would look for in return for the services rendered as message hoy, and so save the elder brother’s purse. Besides, the instincts of the predator still lurked in his bones, or nerves, or wherever an instinct does lurk, and next to plucking a pigeon himself, he dearly loved to watch the operation skilfully performed by others. That the pigeon

Birmingham hay many manufacture's, great, useful, and curious, and among the most carious arc the wares turned out for sale to tire natives of Africa. These include not only arms, but idols, amulets, and even coffins. An interesting description of the industry is given in the Birmingham Daily Post. Perhaps the oddest of the city manufactures is that of coffins for the palm-oil potentates and native chiefs in Western and South-Western Africa. They- are made of solid brass, and in the majority of cases are ordered by the chiefs themselves, and used in their houses, until required for their primary purpose, much after the style that wo use a costly cabinet containing treasures. Many chieftains regard the coffin with as much reverence as the Chinese. The coffins are of huge dimensions, being from seven to eight feet long, throe feet in depth, and arc in the widest part nearly four feet across. The lid moves on a lunge, and is always provided with at least two padlocks and keys. Sometimes the locks arc fitted on the inside, which suggests that a chief may sometimes use the coffin as a bed, and lock himself in. The brass is highly burnished, and in the bright sunlight gives off a dazzling glitter, which appeals strongly to the native taste. The coffins are richly ornamented with raised ornaments, and attractively-design-ed rods run round the sides. The shieldplate bears emblazonings, and sometimes figures symbolical of mythology and of strange religions beliefs. The general effectiveness is enhanced by a number of swan or ostrich plumes, usually in crimson or gold, arrayed in sockets at intervals. A coffin will weigh anything up to 7001 b, and' as indicated, has sufficient space for several bodies. It may be the desire of the chief that his favourite wives shall lie buried with him. There is no recognised medium of currency with many of the native tribes, and trade is generally

conducted hy barter. The exchange usually' lakes tlie form of gold dust, elephants’ tusks, ]ia lid oil and mils, and vegetable gum. Not long ago a Birniingliam manufacturer received in payment for one of these remarkable coffins many 'thousands of monkey skins. They had to be realised in the London auction market.

For many generations idols for heathen worship have been manufactured in Birmingham. That they are still made is equally true, but the output is very small. So far as Birmingham and the Midlands are concerned, it is a decaying industry, and to-day orders are seldom received for gods; or, rather, this "quaint merchandise,’’ as makers prefer to speak of it. Twenty years ago there was a steady demand for idols of Birmingham manufacture. There are, of course, very remarkable metal figures, some of distinctly Egyptian pattern, others peculiarly grotesque, produced in Birmingham to foreign orders. But with these orders no indication is given that they are to be disposed of as objects of worship, although that may be the use. to which they are ultimately applied. Egyptian gods and curios produced solely for juirposes of sale to people touring in the Nile and Pyrar mids arc made in Birmingham. In their way they are remarkable productions, because they appear to bear many evidences of wear and of antiquity. Yet they are perfectly modern. By a chemical process in casting, a “two days’ old antiquity” may be given a permanent verdigris appearance. One writer even goes so far as to assort that more “curiosities” are manufactured in the city than are ever found in their native resting-place. But while vastly less business is done in Birmingham there is no gainsaying that Continental rivals are to-day doing a larger business in this direction than ever before. It is also outlet for the energy of the enterprising American, and'quite recently a large contract was given to Philadelphia and New York houses for the manufacture of Chinese and Corean idols.

in this instance, happened to be a Jay only made the pastime more pleasant, by reason of the variety in the class of the victim. Jay was somewhat of a mystery* even to Darrell, the only thing clear about him being the'fact that he had suddenly and unexpectedly conic into a round ten thousand pounds. Darrell was quite clear on that point. He was one of the impecunious fellows just smart enough to be useful to a man like Carruthers the older, and poor enough to be extravagant and always in debt, and so available to carry out the wrok his patron gave him, at a, comparatively speaking, low figure. Carruthers the elder had secured a clerical appointment for him in the offices of the Timbuctoo Gold Mining and General Exploration Company, Limited, a concern which was controlled by Hiram Mokerston, .a business ally of Carruthers the elder, and therefore a man he had to watch. And Darrell did the watching—for both sides, and drew payment accordingly. Now, it was in the offices of the Tirabuctoo Gold Mining and General Exploration Company that Jay had come as aii ordinary—very ordinary—employee. The ■avork which was required of him he did willingly and for a very small salary, Hiram Mokorston believing in small salaries for all, save himself and his particular friends. Jay had naturally uot been received at the start by Darrell and Darrell’s set, but after ho had been a few months in the service of the Timbuctoo Gold Mining and General Exploration Company, Limited, ho on ated some surprise by suddenly resigning his appointment. The surprise was intensified when it came lo lie whispered round the office that Jay had come- in for a good thing, and that a very handsome sum stood to his credit in a City bank. Hiram Mokerston offered him treble bir- burner salary and a tenth of his work to stay mi !>i tiie service of the company, and pointed out the benefit it would be to a young man to learn City finance under the able guidance of so much older and more experienced a man. Darrell, passing the word to Carruthers, was commissioned at once to cultivate file acquaintance of Jay, which he did by taking tbc young man out to lunch where, by chance, Carruthers the younger also appeared. From the lunch, an invitation to an evening at the rooms of C;uni tliers the younger‘was the next stop, ami when the evening came, and after a few hours at cards, Jay went home considerably poorer in pocket, it was generally understood that there was a soft thing on the board, for Jay had not only lost his money, but failed also to obtain the value of it in experience. There was no doubt of that when he urged Darrell and Carruthers the younger to accept his hospitality at lunch the following day. The lunch came off. So did a mild gamble all the afternoon after it, with Jay always a loser until such time as the amount of alcohol that was forced upon him upset' bis balance to an extent that a cab home was all that was left for him. It was alter that, lunch and afternoon that Darrell suggested the yachting trip. “Why, it’s there for the taking,” lie said, referring to Jay’s 1 ten thousand. “Two or three more chaps to keep the tiling going, and you and I playing our own game, are bound to clean him out, even if we don’t pick up a little from the others.” “It looks promising,” Carruthers the younger replied. “Wc will see what can be done.” The “Sea Mew,” the smart little steam yacht Cnrrulliers the older had acquired through a wide-awake manipulation of the rights of a. mortgagee, was nee ring the Southhampton wharf after a wry successful run from the mouth of the Thames. It was the occasion of the trip which Darrell and Carruthers the younger had arranged for the benefit of Jay’s education, and in the saloon a choice party sat round the table engaged in giving the pupil a final lesson, for be bad expressly stipulated at the commencement of the journey that he should arrive at-. Southampton in time to enable him to catch a particular train lo London—an appointment, a mast important appointment, as he expressed it, making it imperative that he should return to town by a certain hour, 'ike condition was easily agreed to, for tiie parly Carruthers had brought together was a party of accomplished gentlemen, and the time occupied in the run from the Thames to Southampton was ample for gentlemen of their skill to carry out such a palatable task as teaching a young man of money the easiest way to lose it. Poker had occupied their attention all the way, Jay expressing n partiality fur the game as the one. he most desired to learn, thoroughly. The elder Carruthers had not played, hut spent a good deal of time vi.ifcliing fhe games, and also in seeing that the yai hi s reputation for hospitality was well maintained. Now, as the yacht was approaching the anchorage, his attention was entirely occupied with the game, for it wa's at an acute crisis. Throughout the trip the scheme prearranged between Darrell the younger and Carruthers had never had an opportunity of eventuating successfully. Tire luck had been more than usually astonishing and disconcerting, for it always happened that Jay, by the merest chance, escaped from the toils spread for him. The elder Carruhtere, v al eking the game, was more than once forced to remark upon the marvellous luck which followed a beginner, a remark the appropriateness of which Jay always disputed, urging in support of his objection that-he was, if anything, a loser, and was certainly no* money in pocket -by bis so-called luck. It was questionable whether anyone was much of a winner, but there was a particularly handsome jackpot on the table when the

time came for the last hand to be dealt, and excitement ran high when the cards were dealt by Darrell, and everyone decided to stand in. Whether it was that marvellous hands were dealt or that everyone had decided to play one huge bluff at the last, Carruthers the elder, as onlooker, was unable to decide; but from the start betting went away at a great pace, and soon the table was glittering with the accumulated sums staked, and the appearance of cheques amongst the cash testified (hit the strain on the purses of some of the players was beginning to tell. Darrell, receiving an expressive look from Carruthers the younger, was the first to throw in his cards, and the example once set going, others followed. Jay, sitting with his cards in a pack face downwards on the table in front of him, was evidently in the highest excitement, betting freely and promptly directly ft came to bis turn to speak, and manifesting the gnalest interest. Tiie yacht came to its anchorage, and a Reward came and reported that boat was alongside ready to convoy him to the wharf, but Jay appeared to be entirely oblivious to everything save the game. Player after player dropped out, and the betting rose higher and higher, until at last Jay and Carruthers the younger were left. “YouJl have to' hurry if you want to catch that train,” Carruthers the elder said, very quietly. “Oh, shall IP” Jay exclaimed. "Oh, just have my bag brought, will you? Yes, I raise you double,” he added to his opponent. Round the table the others stood, or -jui, watching the contest keenly* The steward brought the bag, and placed it beside Jay, who took his attention off the table for a moment to open it. Carruthors the younger doubled the sum again, and Jay raised it on similar terms, and Carruthers the younger doubled it again, and something like a catch in the breath sounded amongst the onlookers for .the stakes wore now well in the thousands. “If you must catch that train,” Carruthers the elder said, quietly. “By jove! yea, I must,” Jay exclaimed. “Tell me. May I ask just one question?” “Ask as many as you like,” Carruthers the younger replied. “May I? Thanks. Then, what is the very highest hand one can hold?” “A royal flush in hearts,” Carruthers the elder said. “That’s Ace, King, Queen, Knave, and ten of hearts?” Jay asked. Carruthers the elder nodded. “And it beats everything?” Again Carruthers the cider nodded. “Then I’ll raise you ten thousand,” Jay exclaimed, fiercely, to Carruthers the younger. For a moment the other wavered, and then threw down his cards on the table, and, itith a deep, rasping curse, rose from his scat, and •walked to one of the port holes, and looked out. “By jove! I’ve won,” Jay cried, hilariously, as, with a quick—a remarkably quick—movement, he swept the stakes from the table into the bag at his side. 1 “Good-bye, you fellows,”, he added. “Dine with me Friday, and I'll give you all your revenge. Sorry to have to go now, but I really must.” Carruthers the elder was the only one who had words with which to answer him, but Ja.f did not give himself time to notice the coolness of the others as he hurried out of the saloon with his wellfilled bag, and went over the side to the boat, and away to the shore, the train, and London. When he had gone there was a murky atmosphere in the saloon, as men, in » the anger of defeat, began to murmur at their losses. Some were uneasy in their minds that the cheques they had put-on the table were not alwas filled in so cateas they might have been, for excitement had run/high in the last hand, and that, backed by the lavish hospitality expended during the trip, tended to confuse them menially. Only Carruthers the elder fc< emed 1o be collected and cool. “Sr. lam could face luck like that,” he was saying, sympathetica lly| "Just fancy the little beggar gettiug a hand like that at the finish.” As he spoke he wont to the table, where the neatly packed five Cards which had . been dealt to .lay lay face downwards. With a flip of hie finger he turned them over, and stepped- back with an exclamation. The other men, watching him, followed his glance, and also uttered ex-r dentations,-for there on the table lay the “royal flush” with which Jay had won—two of clubs, five of spades, seven and throe of hearts, and two of diamonds.