The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1896-02-29
STEMBLES INVESTMENT.


| BY CHARLES DUDLEY RHODES.
The town marshal, ex-officio editor
of the Lariat Exponent, afterwards
declared that his bad luck came that
night with the rain. 1t first came leak
ing Though the roof about midnight
| and, finding q convenient crease in his
| blankets, trickled slowly downward
| until it awol<e him with a start. Be-
| ing man of few words, he simply gave
| n grunt of disgust, leaned over to a cor
| ner of the diminutive room, seized an
umbrella, opened it, thrust it accurate
! ly under the leak, and calmly fell
asleep.
In the morning things were in even
| worse state. The bed was n minia-
ture island. the type-cases were half
filled with water, and the press, foot
power affair, stood cheerlessly in a
damp corner as if waiting to be resus-
citated from it's all-night exposure.
Even then, Hank made no remark
his first act after sitting up in his
blankets being to pull forth slowly a
huge plug of tobacco from his hip
pocket, take n generous chew, and then,
as if fortified against all manner of
disagreeabie things, to spring up and
begin putting things to rights.
There was knock at the door.
Come he shouted, gruf1ly; and
tleman whose black frocl-coat, white
collar-an unusual luxury in Lariat-
and air of quiet dignity accorded well
with his gray hair and mustache.
'']'artlon me-" he said, with IL slight
air of difhdence. but is this the editor
of the ENponent?'
Hank nodded.
II am Col. Stemble," the little old
fellow continued, atfably, ''and 1 am
up here on special business for the
Black Butte Cattle company. Now. to
come to the point, I am very anxious
to have n special edition of your paper
published to-day
Hank kicked an empty tin can under
the press, and looked hard at his boots.
cautious man.
cit wills,pay," the cattle man con-
tinued; land this will give you some
idea of my Wishes He handed the |
editor some pencil notes and a new
greenback. |
Get the paper out by three o'clock |
at the latest, and above all things make |
it interesting."
It'll do it, Hank replied, with Gus
tomary brevity; and then with renewed
energy, he resumed the renovation of
the little one-story shanty which
served as editorial Office, press-room
and home.
The old gentleman smiled to himself
as he trudged away-such n paternal,
benevolent smile as to seem almost
out of place in such an unconventional
frontier town as Lariat.
AS far as the eye could reach were to
De seen the temporary structures of
canvas and tarred paper which were |
he homes of the inhabitants. Up and
lown the railroad the first-comers had
pitched their tents. and the town
grew rough streets had been formed,
angling back to the line of low hills at
ion of being the extreme end of the
lew railroad which was rapidly push
ng it's way through Wyoming towards
he great northwest. Crouch's, down
he road, had until recently enjQ1ed |
hat honor. But one fine morning after
he first train had pushed on to the
resent site of Lariat, the inhabitants !
t. the older town had emigrated in a
.Ody, and Crouch's was no more.
Trues to the EDITORS promise, the ,
sxpohent appeared at the time named, ]
ut not until Hank O'Doughall, a man
n<whose veins ran 4 strain of thrifty ]
cotch blood, had engaged in several
Mysterious transactions with ce8fain
rcperty owners of Lariat, in excbangesi
Dr. somesready money that the e54for I
ad been .hoarding up for many q dQy. g
u
of land along thesfaNe 8
oad-an acquisition afterwafdss Sz2A s
lained by the following ann6u1ee4t q
tent which appeared in the Expous&t: t
sstve take pleasure in annoYncangfheI
rival of COD. c. H. Stemble, agenE for,
nd q prominent ock-holdsr n fher1 .
lack Butte Cattle company. 1hi6 4 s
nglish syndicate, having been struck f
18th the advantageous locaaon 5of- =
ariat, is contemplating the creation
enormous stock yards in 4our, city.
~ the shipment of cattle from thed :
owder river valley. It is Needless to
upon the great influence thats1 !.
lis deal will haveupon Lariat, the e
ar city Of northwest Wyoming, al e
70 improvements will amount to 1t J,
ast $40, Ooo." etc. @ II,
Inns all very quickly .sasisEs sssg 3