The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-14

| Alleys lawyers promptly assured
him that he had not overstated the
amount.
Il expected there would be some
! thing of the kind necessary" said Mr..
Blair in his quiet way, land so brought
this along"
This" proved TO be a small black
bag which he had brought with him
into the court room He now opened it
and spread before the judge $780, 900
in government bonds
These will answer, I suppose" he
/ inquired
The Judge. when he had recovered
! from his surprise said ne thought they
would. But" he went on, L VIII
maize ycu custodian of them with the
distinct understanding that none of
/ them shlll be used while 1t is part of
! the bond"
Your honor need have no fear on
I that score. was Mr.. Blair's reaSsuring
response. Il only brought in few
this morning for this purpose. These
are some that I will have no use for
while this matter is pending
Mr. Blair seldom drives, always pre-
I ferring to travel a-foot. When, how
ever, the distance forbids walking, ne
( harnesses up a sorry-looking nag in
/ ramshaclzle vehicle that saw its best
days a generation ago. His only son
/ and heir lives in magnificent style at
/ Belvidere. Y. j.. and drives steeds OF
: great value and beauty
why is it, Mr. Blair" a friend once
asked him that your son rides in such
splendid state while you jog along in
this wretched style?'
We'll, You see" said the millionaire,
81 never had the advantage of rich
father"
Years ago Mr.. Blair used to take an
occasional flyer in politics, and in 1865
was the republican candidate for gov
ernor of New Jersey. There was sort
of tacit understanding that he was to
furnish the money and the wire pullers
of his party were to do the rest. AS is
usual in such cases he was badly beaten
at the polls. He took his defeat good
/ humoredly and said that his experience
reminded him of western man who
drove lot of hogs from st. Louis,
where hogs were low, to Chicago, where
hogs were high, and finding that be-
fore he got there the hog market had
twisted around 50 that the swine were
higher in St Louis than in Chicago,
drove the hogs back again, reaching
st. Louis Just in time to find depres-
sion in the st. Louis market, which was
matched by an elevation in Chicago.
The man said that he had not made
much money out of the transaction,
but he had had the society of the hogs.
"Well, am like that fellow" said
Mr.. Blair. 81 have not been elected
governor, but have had the society Of
hogs"
Mr.. Blair was never bested but once
In a business transaction. and that was
by Kansas City man. Some years ago
the old millionaire concluded 20 invest
some OF his money in Kansas City real
estate. While looking over the field he
fell in with sharp, pushing real estate
Spectator named Shafcr. To all APP
pearances Shafer was man after the
millionaire's own heart, and so he en-
gagged him to secure every piece of I'M
improved property in and near Kansas
City that could be bought at a reason
able figure. Having completed his ar
engagements with Mr.. Shafer, Mr. Blair
returned east, and whenever Shafer
purchased a piece Of real estate he
would write TO his employer for the
amount he had agreed to pay and Mr..
Blair would send him draft Things
ran along smoothly FOR several months,
and then one day Mr.. Blair received
information that made him pack his va
Use and start for Kansas City without
delay. Once in Kansas City it did not
take him long to find out that Shafer had
swindled him from the first. If Shafer
bought lot for five thousand dollars
he would write to Mr.. Blair to send
eight thousand dollars. and in this
way he had already made a comforta-
bic fortune out of the old man After
learning how he had been victimized,
Mr. Blair lost no time in having Shafer
arrested. Then Shafer tried to brighten
Mr.. Blair. but his threats ONLY made
him more determined than ever. The
affair caused great excitement in Kan
sas City, but Mr.. Blair stuck to his
text, and after awhile Shefer became
so desperate that he hired ruffian TO
kill him, but the fellow was unsuccess-
full. Then Shafer agreed to restore the
money he had stolen if 9fr. Blair would
withdraw the criminal charges, but
the latter declined this proposition and
left Kansas City with Shafer under
heavy bonds. Mr. Blair's relatives
urged him 20 settle the case inasmuch
as Shafer was repentant and willing to
restore all he had stolen, but the pluclSy
old mans reply was: do you suppose
] would settle with that scoundrel now
on any condition whatever? Not by
iugfuI. The wretch tried to get ruff
fan TO kill me out there and the wretch
came plaguey near doing it too, and if
il costs me an even million | VIII hang
to Shafer till I see him behind tho bars
of the state prison" When Shafer saw
that a settlement was out of tlh ques-
ton he forfeited his bonds and has not !
been seen in Kansas City since.
RUFUS z. WILSON.
Histrustful.
Jim Thompson had just shaken hands /
rith Mr. Tucil1s Grant Jim was the 4