The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-12
CROCkERS GOLDEN DUCKS.
WHY GO TO DAWSON WHEN Ell
LENsBURG IS ON THE MAPs


TAis tale l. true.
The skeptics and scoNers may examine
the proofs Of It's veraei;y by stepping into
the National Bank of Commerce and ques-
tioning the receiving teller
II happened thus:
Billy Price keeps a restaurant AT Eglens-
burg. As the Fourth OF July approached
ne decided. in honor OF the occasion, and
20 propitiate the paiates OF his customers,
70 enlarge his bill of fare. II should b
a delicacy-sugnethine out OF the common.
for Enerstursers are generous feeders and
viii pay. After a conference with his chef,
who. though no, an Epicurean himself. has
the properly aesthetic tastes Of q genuine
artist in cookery, it was decided 20 buy
ducks.
Mr.. Croker lives on the old Jordan
place. just outside the rural confines Of
RIensburg on the banks OF Wilson creek.
MI cnccker keeps ducks. That IS Mr..
Croker kept ducks. They are all gone
now. When Mr.. Price asked Mr. Croker
IL ne would sell him some ducks he said
Yes But Nj. Cookers ducks have-bad-
a bad habit Ok running bit Wild and
though long and faithful search was
made he could And only one. Nj Price
Was disappointed. but he bought the bird
for four bits and carried 1t home
The next day the chefs understudy took
the bird % dress IT. Being a rev man
he broke the craw, which would have beer,
very stupid of him, indeed. had not things
turned out as they did. AS the craw
broke something fell out Now anyone
who has lived in the Swauk knows mug
gets when he sees them The nirti-skinner
rubbed his eyes. Gee whiz," he eiacu-
lated under his breath. "If them amt gold!
Mr. Peters-Mr. Peters, come look at this
ANIMAL Here's a golden goose, Lookee
ysre.' The chef came. That" he said
with a whitening dignity 'is not an animal
or goose At al. II is a duck: web
footed, short-legged anatine bird having
lameaate mandihles: commonly known as
a duck CMr. Peters. it Is said. has studied
ornithology in the interims between por-
terhouse rare and French fried) But
lookee here" protested the understudy
"Ain't them gold? Say" and he pointed
10 three tiny nodules OF dull yellow that
lay shining amidst the wreck of the craw
To make long story short. Mr.. Peters
had finally to admit that them was gold"
and somehow or other Git must have been
the urderstudy. for he was excited the
news went abroad that there were thou
sands OF ducks roaming wild on the oh
Jordan place with their gixzaris full OF
nuggets. All the next day, X is said Mr.
Crocker spent in turning away suspic-
iously indifferent offers TO buy I'D ANY
spare ducks y might have runrin' round
tn place All those web-footed short
legged anatne birds but four had flown,
however, and the unhappy spectators hai
nothing better 10 do than wander anxfous,y
around in search OF ahem. The four that
stayed at home We're sold By Mr. Croker,
in the early dawn before the news had
gone too far abroad TO two gentlemen by
the names of Pierson and Schnebley They
paid the regulation four bits apiece for
them. From their combined craws they
gathered gold 70 the value OF 1915 Where
at Mr.. Croker narvels greatly.
The most plausible explanation OF the
strike is this: On the Jordan Place a
we'll has been dug recently. and the ducks,
no doubt. in pecking around In the newly
turned earth picked up and swallowed the
precious pebbles. II has been suggested
by some faceiaous wag that a syndicate
be formed for the digging of wells along
the banks of Wilson creek and the fos-
tering of a duck ranch. Moral courage
would seem to be the only reasonable i'm
pediment in the way.
The $5.76 In geld may be viewed in a
glass bottle on the desk Of the receiving
teller In the National Bank of Commerce