The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-03-28
THE BAMBOO ROD.

1HE BAMBOO ROU.
On certain morning recently !
had just set my people their allotted
tasks for the day when the telephone
bell in my private room sounded.
Placing my ear to the instrument
received the usual query. Are you
Zambra's9'
YES" replied. WHO are your"
''Burt's, Queen Victoria street, +" the
answer came. Mr.. Burt wishes to
see Mr.. Zambra at once, if he is dis
engaged.
bra,",I replied; II will come on i'm
mediately."
In ten minutes quick hanson dc
posted me at the door of the million
aire financier knew John Burt
very well by repute. Mr.. Burt was
self made man, and he had made
himself-so it was whispered in the
west end and freely bruited about
in the city-to great extent at other
peoples expense. In early life he
had gone out to Asia Minor, where,
after working in an oil factory for
years, he had taken to prospecting
for oil on his own account. Right
and left he struck" it, but being a
shrewd man, possessed of enough
technical knowledge to be aware that
the mineral find often dries up as
rapidly as it is found, he did not run
his oil well himself
The millionaires offices were on
e
caravansaries near the Mansion
house, which are let out in flats.
The short. pursy, warm looking
individual who rose to greet me was
familiar enough. ! had seen John
Burt many times and in many places,
but never saw him looking quite
as he looked today. His usually
forid complexion was mottled and
fabby. and his haggard eyes sug-
gested series of sleepless nights.
''Sit down, Mr. Zambra, sit down."
he said in voice which trembled
with nervous excitement II am
pleased to make your acquaintance,
apart from the matter in hand. Tell
me-" he went ON with startling
promptness, do you believe in
thought readingf"
If your question has any bearing
on the business upon which you wish
me to advise you it would be better
if you gave me the particulars first,
/ said.
Perhaps you are right" he re-
piled. We'll, it is like this: AS you
are aware, am largely interested in
a number of oil companies carrying
on operations in Asiatic Turkey.
make good deal of money by buy
ing and selling the shares of these
companies in speculative way for
the rise or fall. For instance, if i
get cable from one of my local
managers to the effect that good
output may be expected for certain
company. buy those shares on the
stock exchange. If, on the other
hand, hear that poor return is to
follow by next mail, sell the shares
instead. You follow me so far2"
Perfectly"
We'll, the trouble about which ]
want to consult you is this; For the
last two months my private informa-
ton has been got at and made use of
to such an extent that its value to
myself has been largely discounted
in some cases nu1lified altogether.
One of the cleanest cliques in Chapel
court is either regularly forestalling
| every move / contemplate, or is act
ing simultaneously ON identical lines
in such large amounts that the cream
of my market is stolen, and in fact #
it goes on l may as well shut up shop
for good and all.
"Am to understand that you con-
fide this information to no one?"
asked.
mot a living soul, replied Mr..
Burt.
What is to hinder some person in
the telegraph Office from using the
cabled news for his own purposes7"
1.-The messages are received in ci-
pher. alone possess the key" said
the troubled millionaire. 81 don't
even use one of the ordinary COM
mercial codes. My daughter, who is
clever at that sort of thing, made a
special one for me, and keep it Sc
cret from every one, even from my
trusted confidential manager in the
next room there"
80 far there appears to be only
one solution" replied. "Some one
must be getting access both to the
code and to the cipher pessages.
Where do you keep them
THAT is the strange part of ii, {"
said Mr.. Burt. 1.-THE cipher code is
ALWAYS kept in the top drawer of this