Telegram-herald., 1889-07-25

Gle proprietor knew thst o. 3eep tnela ne
aust cater g. theH E...ages as "sl ~ -
lt.lr love of high r.ay
fohn ier.stoae was bora eIlcure.
s,s the KITCHEN # --rf Cus wAs Qaile
- t1l-eh 81 . temptation - him IS as
gaming ta1les though he Vas pretty
luckv II cards. for Be had cool heal
and eusck eve Col Mortimer won
much More money, however. Ihaf be
49, card sharper John did nos suspect
~ this time. but he kne~< very well llat
b. >s4s proleezl ouai gambler and that
ths Mutual Dividend Mining company
wa.s one II The biggest rames he ezer
played The olfices az g.ns com psny were
ID Pine st4eet. near Broadway. aud they
were fitted up IS lUxunously - The
Club Ia the latter establishment Col
Mortimer MAS q silent partner. lbe nln-
Ing company offices were furnished IN
the heaviest black walnut that wood " a.
the fashion them, and tie furniture and
partitions were made of TIE same ma
terial and pattern The conpany's mono
gram " as carved IN the chairs and over
TIE mantei piece. II was ground IN the
glass aud wOr ked ia the door mat.
There was a whole suite Of Offices
one outside for the clerks. a private one
for Col Mortimer. with Presidents
Room" engraved on the nickel door
plate. another for the Secretary, John
Hurlstone and large room. with long
table down the middle fsuked by mas
sive chairs. for the Directors. A por-
trait OF Col Mortimer hung over the
fireplace, and a map OF Colorado, show
ing the situation Of the mine, took up
third OF the opposite wall In 4 hand
some velvet lined cabinet screwed 70 the
wall between the front windows reposed
specimens Of the ore ,ent east by the
compauv's engineer. Nhat rich speci-
mems they were. too, The silver fairly
hulged out OF them. One shelf Of this
cabinet was devoted L. ricks Of solid
silver. When Col Mortimer got hold of
n doubtful investor he took him IN this
room and showed him the cabinet.
There's the stuff. my good sir, and
there" pointing 70 the map-''is where
it comes from. You see that district
picked out in blue-well. that belongs 10
the Mutual Dividend Mining company.
] am not going 10 press you 10 invest;
bv Jove I'm not sure we want TO sell.
With n mine throwing out tons of such
ore every dav. it's rank nonsense 10 sell
the stock. But I'm bit Of n philan-
thropist myself, and when I'm making
money | want others 10 make it. too.
| don't think, however, I'll offer another
dollars worth of that stock. We won [
talk mines any longer. but well taste
some fine old brandy.I keep here for
just such judges as you. You'll admit
that this is as good glass Of cograc as
YOU ever tasted. There, how's that?
And here are some choice cigars. Don't
betray me, they re smuggled. A friend
Of mine, a sea captain, brings them 10
me from Havana.) Let us sit here be
fore this genial fire-what is prettier,
now, than soft coal fire.-and discuss
cognac and cigars. They are much more
interesting subjects than mining shares;
don't you think soT'
In this way Col. Mortimer drew the
poor flies into his net. They would dis
cuss the cognac and the cigars, and end
By begging the colonel. for the old friend
ship he bore them, 10 let them put a few
thousands into the Mutual dividend.
This they always succeeded in getting
him to do, though with great reluctance.
need not say that the colonel confined
himself to the cigars rather than to the
brandy He did not object to drinking out
of business hours, but when he was play
ing for such high stakes he had to keep
ais wits about him.
Just how much John Huristone knew