Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-15

had Investigated the various "ologles" and
"isms" that had filed his mind before
had met him.
As George became more experienced In
mind-reading his powers grew. He soon
| was able to read what was passing in the
minds of his intimate friends. 1 have
often been surprised by some such state.
ment as HIt can't be done, old boy" or
''Better give it up and try some other
plan," in answer to some unspoken ques-
| ton of mine, question whose very exist
ence was ignorant of until | had heard
its answer. | was not the only one OF
Lawrence's friends who was surprised at
his wonderful ability. 1t became COM
mon thing for him to interrupt our conver-
sation by asking or answering unspoken
questions. At first this was extremely anus
ing but after while it became very tiresome.
With all his genius, George was apt to be-
come a bore at times, and so it happened
that he reserved his manifestations almost
solely for me, and although he might, had
he chosen, read in my thought how weary
| was of his eft-repeated story, he never
seemed to have any curiosity in that direc-
ton, and continued to play the sacrifc-
ing and amiable martyr to his prosecutor
until the time of those occurrences that
form the basis of this narrative.
Within a comparatively short time
George was able to read the passing
thoughts Of strangers whom he met. [
remember one night as we were walking
down deserted East side street we passed
a well-dressed man who was slowly walk
ing toward the river. Hastily leaving my
side George caught up with the stranger
and linked his arm in his. Accustomed as
was to the yagaries of my friend, l was
surprised, but nothing remained for me to
do but to follow. This did, and they led
me down the quiet street and into the
Bowery, where they finally ended their
journey in an all-night restaurant. While
| waited at side table | saw the stranger
devour with the hunger Of a starving man
dinner enough for small company. After
he had finished George thrust small bill
into his hand and joined me- 1t appears
that he had read in the strangers mind
that he was starving. He was out of work
He had no money, and there was no one to
befriend him. He was on his way to the
river, where he intended to end his sorrows
and his life by the same plunge. George,
as | said, diyined his purpose, and thwarted
it in the manner / have described.
As the months heightened into years,
Georges strange powers increased. At the
end of two years from the first time | met
him he not only could tell what was pass
ing through the minds of those whom he
knew, but of men whom he had never seen
and who were separated from him by
oceans. Often and often he has told me
what was going on at Cabinet meetings in
London and Berlin, only to see his state
ments corroborated by the news in the
morning papers.
Probably there never was man since
the world was created who had the same
peculiar nature that my friend possessed
Probably no other man was ever suscepti-
BILE in the same degree to the mysterious
influence of psychical force, and certainly
in George Lawrence, more than in any
other man, did this force show its highest
development
1t was nearly three years later after
first met him when he startled me by say
ing that he proposed oturn his mind-read
ing powers to some practical use. He in
tended to make money out of them. | was
startled, because that was the first trace of
practical common sense had noticed in
my friend since his pscyhical fever had set
in. 1t is needless to say that | applauded
his determination. "Do it by all means"
| said. "But how?"
Il know you will oppose my plan" he
replied. "You know l have Just 81 900 |
left from my inheritance? Well, 1 intend
to use that money and start daily news
paper"
In vain 1 pleaded with him. l told
him more brutally than l had ever done
before that he was no newspaper man.
told him that he was no business man,
and proved to him by the old logic of
historical facts that no man who was not
as an editor, or as business
ever made success of news
paper venture. No, he was determined,
and as the $1,000 belonged to him and
not to myself, l was powerless TO inter-
fere.
"You haven't heard me through" he
said, interrupting my indignant protest.
"This is my plan. / shall read what is
going on all over the world in advance Of
the newspapers. and l shall each day
write the important telegraphic news
myself 1t will be an instantaneous test.
l know it will be go in spite Of such old
grumblers as yourself"
'If you are going to make mind-read-
ing a feature of your brilliant scheme"
| said, "why don't you let your agile in
tellect wander down to Wall street ?
Read Commodore Vanderbilt's mind, or
glance for about ten minutes into the
mind of Jay Gould, and then use your
81 900 as your Judgment may dictate on
the street ?"
"That weuld be stealing, l think"
added George gravely. But George al
ways was an impracticable man.
This was late in November 1t was on
January ), 1873, that l got a note from
him asking me to call at once at his Office,
321 Spruce street. I called. He had
started his paper. That is to say, he had
bought his plant, and had his titular head
line engraved. 1t was to be called Psyckos,
and it was to be printed in one of its own
ers two rooms on the top floor. This room
was neatly furnished with type cases, and
half dozen printers sat around with the
satisfied air of men who are paid good
wages for doing no work.
These were George Lawrence's plans as
he told them to me: 81 shall wait" he
said, until something great occurs. Then
shall launch PsycRss with a great -four
ishing of bunting. must have my printers
here, in case something Unexpectedly turns
up. take my local and telegraph news
from the news associations, and my busi-
ness manager is assistant editor 1t is
something of an expense, l know. but
shall make it 60"
V
Nnur rr,ile the world at laroe has heen