Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-03
FROM BAD TO WORSE.

l tell the story as II was told TO me.
N erely promising that in every detail
/ the story is true. Jack Adams was the
owner Of cattle ranch in Texas. He
I had been born In / indiana. but when be
/. was only five years old his father, who
/ bad been farmer all his life. decided
/ TO move TO Texas. He bought section
| OF land that upon one side was bounded
| by the Brazos river. A section OF land
consists OF Gao acres. Adams pere
/ bought the land with the in
tention of growing cotton. Having
bought ii be discovered that there was
more money 10 cattle than Ia cot
ton. he bought another section. He
stocked his ranch with longhorns.
| Then be bought third section, for the
price of beef was cheering 10 those who
mad to sell and depressing 10 those VINO
had 70 buy. Finally be bought fourth
section, and then. as is proper for man
who has provided handsomely for his
family, cied. Four square miles Of land,
we'll stocked with cattle, is a large for
tune TO some men, a small one TO others.
To Jack Adams, who was the sole heir
OF his father, the ranch seemed good
thing, almost fortune. While his
faAher was alive Jack had worked
Twelve hours day. This was
not because he liked work,
though be did not object TO It,
but because IL was the rule OF the
ranch. Whec Adams pere wac put un
der ground Jack decided that it was
not necessary to work twelve hours a
CAV. There were enough men on the
ranch to do the rough work; all they
wanted was an Overseer Jack assumed
the position. San Antonio, the old
Spanish town where Santa Anna cor
rallied the Texan liberators in the Ala
no And then killed them TO the last
| man, was only q days ride from the
ranch. Jack fell into the habit OF
psying San Antonio weekly visit.
/ Prior 10 the grst visit be did not know
/ one card from the other. In short
/ time he was reasonably acquainted
with every card in the pack. As is
usual with beginners, he won at the
/ outset He saw Fl Dorado opening on
/ golden hinges. Then, when he had
been permitted to lose enough be saw it
close. Cards and stimulants are gen.
orally twin brothers. Jack Adams. who
mad drank nothing stronger than
adulterated coffee during the lifetime
Of bis father, learned to absorb mescal
without going into convnlsions. The
! cowboys on the ranch noticed the
change in the "bOsS," as they called
him. and, as was natural, grew
Iax in their WORK aud more
vivid 10 their hours OF leisure
The boss amt going 10 last a century"
said one Of them TO another one eve
ming, when Jacks 5roncbo brought him
home. mot more'n two decades, was
the answer. They were right. bu not
as they imagined. Two miles distant
from the house on the ranch Of Jack
/ Adams was another owned by Tom Har-
man. One day Tom Hartman rode up
ana found Jack just as he was setting
ont for San Antonio. "GoIng 10 have a
/ dance a. the house tomorrow night,
] Jack" be said. Niece OF mine come
70 paw US visit Pretty girl. Come
/ and ioin the family party"
Don't think I'll be back in time, &"
/ said Jack.
Jus, as you Ike" said Hartman;
"but thought I'd do tue proper thing
and tell you what's going on"
I'll be there" said Jack. Not