The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-09-24
Why His Reason TOttered
WITHOUT any reason whatever,
An Adventure with Man-Hunters.

WITHOUT any reason whatever,
Wv my strange companion grasped
nv arm with a clutch like a wise, and,
with abject terror depicted upon every
feature of his countenance, exclaimed:
Save me! Save me! They are after
me again"
"Who are after you?"I asked, vain,
ly trying to disengage his painful hold
on my arm. .
Those real estate men. They'll
shoot me. See" And he pointed out
of the car window to two ~peaceable,
looking gentlemen who were approach
ing the train with fowling-pieces
slung over their shoulders.
At this moment a small man, with
alert, nervous eyes, who had been in
almost constant attendance upon the
German, entered the s~moking-com,
partment of the Pullman and said:
Never mind, Jake. It's all right.
have got them in the next car where
they can't harm you. See, I've got my
guns with me, and no one can hurt
you while | am around"
"Vas il loaded?"
"Yes. l think you had better go to
bed now, while L sit up and protect
you"
"Yes, that would be PETER" said the
German. greatly assured.
[ felt sure that these two men were
as crazy as bedbugs, and l lit a fresh
cigar to think.
l was travelling from San Francisco
to London. and up to this moment had
seer nothing eccentric about the Ger
man except his rather grotesque ap
pearance. He and his companion were
intensely interesting characters, but
they seemed harmless. If they were
interesting before, they were doubly
so now. After awhile the little Ia re-
turned, and. throwing himself YEARLY
upon the cushioned sea- opposite me
said:
"Now that I have got my trouble,
some friend to bed, I'll take a rest
He'll not stir. l can tell you. so long as
he thinks there are Los Angeles real
estate men IN the train"
Whats the matter with him.
said.
"Off here" And he tapped his fore
head significantly. There's a boom or
at Los Angeles you know. and the rea'
estate men scared him out of his wits
You don't say 500"
Yes. About six weeks ago u de,
t~ective agency in San Francisco re
ceived instructions from a New norf
attorney to locate the whereabouts o
Jacob Schmidt, who had not beer
heard from for some time. and l wa:
assigned the task. y fine time | had o.
If. | can tell YOU" And the detectivt
m~editatively pulled great rings OF
smoke from his pipe. Get him to tel
Won about his adventures in southern
California. You will find it amusing
He's taken a great fancy to you-say:
YOU saved his life just now. He is sure
YOU couldn't be so dishOnorable as tC
have anything to do with real estate.
It was a strange story heard from
Mr.. Jacob Schmidt by piecemeal dur
ing the next few days. y story of adj
venture which might have sent many &
better man than he off his head; a tale
no one would credit who had not gone
through tlrat Los Angeles boom; one
that could not have credited had moi
the sad havoc wrought in the other
wise sane mind of Jacob Schmidt
been daily apparent as we travelled to
ward the Atlandtic seaboard-
About 90 years previous to this time
Jacob and Frau Schmidt crossed the
Atlantic. and. following the TeutoniC
instinct. they opened a corner grocery
l., the suburbs of Brooklyn. In 1So>
repor were rife of the great specu
lative fever that had seized southern
California, and of the fortunes thaf
were made in a day; and as a buyer
presented himself at hat time, jacob
Schmidt decided to sell for a snug little
sum and seek his fortune in the fan
west. All in good time the honest anc
sinple-hearted Teuton arrived at Pas
0dena. where he had been advised tc
nause and look around. To the con
Servative tourist from the effete east
the scene of pandemonium at the depot
must have been appalling. Carriages
omnibuses and innumerable buggie:
lined the curb. The carriage-mer
we're shouting, hotel-runners yelling
Int above all the din and jostling of the
crowd were heard the sonorous anC
aturdy voices of the real estate run