Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-05-21
HDfGo CATCHES HIN.
An Incident in the Life Of ths Onoe
Famous "JayhAwker."
Ho'" Newspaper Correspondent, Once Get
avery lad Case of :hc Biues-An I'm
diSo Transaction Win Somewhat
Disappointing Consequences.
Tsan Francisco A,ta.1

lSan Francisco Alta
An Alta reporter was chatting on the
Oakland boat with a friend the other day,
when the chattse said to him: "Dit YOU
ever see hlonie Indian." Tha reporter
sor once admitted there was something ha
had not seen, lingering on the admission
long enough to gi-e the Angel OF Record a
whack eat the incident Pointing across
the deck, his friend Indicated a clo3a-knit,
tall, business-like man who, sure enough,'
in his features a perfect image of
Blackhawk, chief of the Sacs AMI Foxes,
albeit he was blonde and sandy as tho
typical Scotchman. "know him:" said
the party of the second part. "No: Why
that's Jim Woodar,i, who is now the San
Francisco agent of the Wabash road"
In many respects Woodland is remark
able genius. He is the product of Warren
County, Indiana. from whence he went to
war i'll the Union cause, and ii was during
his service on the fell that he developed,
in his correspondence TO local papers, those
marked characteristics as newspaper
writer, which subsequently made him IA
somewhat famous character in the Journal.
istic profession. He somehow got an un-,
deserved reputation for being n studious
and uncompromising liar. Those most
familiar with him are sincere in belle vinr
that Woodland was honest and con-
scientious in his work, much of which,
however sensational. was usually found to
be truthful, and was never gossipy or
scandalous. Next to newspaper work,
W Noodard had weakness for railroad
ing, and for a number of years past ha
has had more or less interest in various
en- erprises Of that kind. After the Gloss
Of the wcr, Wcodard went to Tennessee,
got into politics and ultimately into tho
Legisla ture. BY one deal and another he
had managed to save up something like
5000. About the time his handbook
showed balance represented by thes,,
figures. mysterious individual caftsc ~
Memphis, rented rooms, and with closed
doors AMI blinded windows he pursue,t
some sort of star-chamber investi cations
and experiments about which the curious
manifested much interest, hut could learn
nothing more definite than that IittI,.
which thoy CLEANED from the my sterious
strangers frequent visits TO drug stores,
and his purchase of divers compounds.
In the course of few weeks Woodari
was taken into the confidence OF the weird
alchemist, who told fniry story of what
he had accomplished after wears of patient
toll and Industry, AMI at the sacrifice of
fortune which had been left him by his
father, then deceased. In brief, he had
discovered n process for the manufacture
OF indigo by combination of chemicals
and minerals, by which the cost of pro-
duction could lie reduced to mere baca-
telle. The solemn viSaged alchen,ist was
plethoric of statistics and pregnant Nth
visions Of untold profits. But lie was
broke, and wanted a partner to help turn
the discovery to profit. The sincerity and
enthusiasm OF the man had turned the
head of the shrewd and worldly journal
ist, AMI for the first aud probably the
only time in his life, he was a-chuinp.. He
visited the rooms of the chemist and in
spectcd the process OF manufacture He
was yet skeptical and cynical, but the
man reed to the sevcrcst tests. Pro-
vided with formula, Woodland himsc!t
went forth to the druggists. He spent
fifty cents in the purchase of compounds
with strange Latin names. With his
own eyes he Witnessed tho
Glchemist throw these into the horper of
his machinc. There was rapid turning
of n crank, sound of crushing rolls and
cogs and things, and a minute later r. re-
ceiving box at the rear of the machine held
two pounds Of lump indigo, which had
been spoutcd from the bowels of the old
machine. Woodland was astonished with
wonder. His stranger friend, with a look
OF proud satisfaction, appeared wise, but
said not n word his expression conveying
more eloquently the famous remark of
Daniel Webster: "There she stands: look
az her" Woo lard was half converted al
ready. He took the indigo to a chemist Of
established reputation AMI had it ana
lyzed. 1t proved to be tho genuine
article, so he said. The fly newspa-
per man was captured. The production
of the indigo cost fifty cents a pound.
The market price was two dollars. Hun.
dredS of thousands of pounds were con-
sumed annually. II looked like a sure
fortune in sight. He hasten ii to close m
contract for half interest, by. tho pav-
ment of $500 to the serious and clerical.
looking inventor, who took him in with the
understanding that he should share eoual-
ly in the profits, but should not possess
himself of the secret of the invention.
Two days were then spent n the manu-
facture of indigo, at the rate of about two
hundred pounds day-a profit of three
hundred dollars per day--one hundred
and twenty dollars clean income TO each
partner every twenty four hours. The
impecunious journalist was wild with de-
light. Then the senior partner dsap-
peared; also the money which Woodland
had putinto the firm. He found that he
couldn't work the machine, and after
weeks Of patient waiting for his abb
sent partner, he had the machine
taken apart. His hopes were blasted bv
the denoument. All the drugs that had
been put in the hopper were skilfully
packed in side apartment of the structure:
another apartment contained a remnant OF
what bad once been four hundred pounds
OF pure indigo, which, by an arrangement
OF belts and pulleys, had been systemati-
caliy given out of the spout while the ma
chine was being fed at the other end.
Then it dawned on the junior member that
he was the victim of well-conceived and
wcii-developed job. Years after be acci-
dentally met the swindli9g and fraudulent
chemist in a restaurant in New York. He
beat him nearly to death, but that was all
the satisfaction he ever got out Of an in
vcstment of 5000