Carteret Academy - Carteret Yearbook (Orange, NJ)

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THE CARTERET 27 spoke that his father recognized him. The reunion cannot be described, for the joy of the older man was unspeakableg so much so, in fact, that tears came to his eyes. Robert's pride in having made good overwhelmed him as he stood before his father. Robert's genius for business soon made itself felt in the New York house 3 and, under the guidance of his father, the firm of Robert Tilford 85 Co., thrived as never before. Not many years after Robert's return, his father retired, giving Robert the sole management of the business. SPANISH GOLD It was a warm summer evening of the year 1797, when Capt. John Rubois stood surrounded by a group of pirates who were preparing him to walk the plank. He was returning from burying his treasure, when he was captured by a band of notorious pirates. He refused to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, and was going to be made to walk the plank. Before they could secure his arms, he drew a small bottle from his pocket and threw it overboard. There was the report of a gun and he fell Writh- ing to the deck. As it was dark, it was impossible to recover the bottle, so its contents were never discovered by those who sought it. are 4 in in is is Charley Bryant, a young chemist of about twenty-two, came out of the clear Bermuda water and threw himself upon the warm sand. He lay there chatting with some friends of his and running his hands through the sand. He struck something hard and pulled out a small bottle. It was tightly sealed and contained some white paper. Upon seeing this, he went to his bathhouse in search of something to open it with. After work- ing with it, he dislodged the cork and produced a piece of dirty paper. As it was very old it had to be handled very carefully. There was a dim writing on it, but all he Was able to make out was the Word treasure. He dressed quickly and jumping in his car, soon reached home. He used chemical after chemical until finally the message same out. But the rest was very indistinct and all he could get out of it was about a-n island, a pit and a fire. He had tried every chemical but one, and this had to be used by dip- ping the paper into the liquid and then holding it over a flame. As he held it over the flame the following message came out: Lat. 24 16 4, Long. 122 18 24. One mile inland to edge of pit, two miles west and down twenty-five feet. The rest was torn off. Charley hgured that it must be an island about five hundred miles north of the Philippines, and although he had a very good position, he did not feel that he could afford to finance such an expedition. That evening

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26 THE CARTERET Robert was now in a desperate situation, for, if he did not get a steady job pretty soon, he would starve. An idea suddenly came to him, as he was sitting in a small public park of Rio, which was his only refuge. He had experienced just what he needed. He had undergone so great priva- tion that his self-respect rose in rebellion, and he determined to find a way out. Suiting the action to the will, he made straight for the business center and instinctively entered a counting house which bore the name of his father's firm. He had at last overcome his scruples and decided to apply for a position in his father's house, under an assumed name. Here, Robert started work with enthusiasm that he had never before displayed. He began at the bottom of the ladder and, in a short time, was head of the department in which he had started, for he showed a natural ability in business. He was known as Bill Alban. His good work was recognized and duly rewarded. When he earned his own money, Robert was not so free to spend it. At the end of three years he had acquired a thorough understanding of the banana business, and had been gradually promoted, until he was now assistant manager, and had made a host of friends, for he had become very popular. Robert's chance to make a name for himself had come. He had con- tracted for 'a large shipment of commodities that the firm had not hereto- fore handled, and the resident member of the house had his misgivings as to the wisdom of Robert's undertaking. But, as everything in Roberts early life had seemed to go wrong, conversely all his endeavors seemed to turn out right after he had come to himself. These shipments proved very profitable, and Robert got into considerable correspondence with his father regarding them. When the last vessel had discharged its cargo in New York, Mr. Tilford, Sr., concluded that Mr. Alban was needed in the firm, believing what he had done to rejuvenate the South American house, he could do with the New York end, if he were transferred and given the management of the business. What was Robert's surprise, therefore, to receive a cable to report to the New York house at once, as he had been made a member of the firm and would be given charge of the entire management. Robert could hardly hold himself in bounds, so de- lighted was he to contemplate meeting his father under these conditions. One morning, therefore, about two weeks later, a handsome well- dressed young man appeared at the office of Tilford 85 Co., and presented his card bearing the name William Alban. This gentleman was immedi- ately shown marked deference while he waited for Mr. Tilford to dispose of a caller. He wa-s finally ushered into the presence of his father, who. at first, failed to recognize him, for he was now some four years older, had gained weight, and looked older than he was. It was not until Robert

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28 THE CARTERET he Went to call on a friend of his who had inherited a great deal of money and was always ready to enjoy some excitement. He sailed for New York, where his father, upon hearing of his plan, warned him that he was going on a wild-goose chase, but he was not to be stopped so easily. The third day after his arrival in New York, ten fellows started out on the Overland Limited bound for San Francisco. Immedi- ately after their arrival, Charley Went in search of a craft. The only one that came within his price was a three-masted schooner. One fine June morning in 1921, she sailed out of San Francisco Bay on her long voyage. The good weather lasted but for two days, and then storm after storm pushed them far from their course. Finally a water- logged and weather-beaten ship touched at the town of Aparri, which is on the extreme northern point of the Philippines. Here they inquired of an island to the north. One old man said that a ship had once been wrecked on the coast, and the crew had told of an island of fire far to the north, but besides that, he knew nothing. They all laughed at this, but Charley remembered that there was something about a fire in the instruc- tions and he thought that perhaps there was some truth in the story. When all was in readiness they set sail and were soon a good way towards their destination. On the night of August 29, the man that was stationed in the top yelled out, Light away to port. At first as they approached, it resembled the reflection of a distant fire, but as they drew nearer it took the form of a burning oil tank. When they were within a mile of the island, for there was no mainland in that latitude or longi- tude, they heard a muttering and rumbling like that of thunder. Could it be that the story of the fiery island was true? It was two o'clock when Charley decided to investigate, and if possible, learn what it was before daylight, for if there were natives on the island, they would probably see them coming, lie in ambush, and kill them all. They rowed very quietly and as soon as the boat touched the beach, they jumped ashore. They Worked their Way through trees and underbrush until, to the surprise of all, they came upon a plain which was about a mile in diameter. In the center was a huge pit about an eighth of a mile in diameter, from which shot flames and small particles of lava. As soon as they made certain that there was no danger, they returned to the ship to try and get as much sleep as possible before they commenced their Work in the morning. Early the next morning Charley went ashore with the men to com- mence the search. As the heat was so intense and as the men had so much to carry, they wore only pants and shoes. First, they went one mile inland and then two miles west. It was a terrible trip, climbing over rocks and