The times., 1898-06-26

! had arrived; they came on the same
| steamer with MIR. Dupont, but were de-
| layed in transmission.
Mr.. Dupont now had money TO burn (this
! is not altogether slang) and he set out 10
| buy saltpeter He proposed to buy only
| the large lots, but to buy them all. He
went first TO Liverpool, and found the
! saltpeter in the hands of four dealers. He
was a Mr.. JONES' who wanted some
| saltpeter.
! He called on the head of one firm; the
! dealer had so many hundred bags, 500
| pounds to a bag, so much pound. Mr..
/ Jones" bargained like a cautious man,
! who wanted 10 get his moneys worth.
| He would call again. After visiting the
/ other three dealers, he went back to the
! first. bought the stock and presented his
! check.
I'VE don't know Mr.. Jones'
| ''Wire to Barings or Rothschilds.' &"
| The reply came: Mr.. Jones has credit
! for any amount
He bought the stock of all the dealers,
and each man hugged himself with de-
| light because he had sold his saltpeter,
until he had discovered that there was
none in the market, and the price had
| advanced; therefore the balance of his
days he cursed the tricky Yankee.
Meanwhile Mr.. Jones" had bought all
the saltpeter In London at what was vir-
tually his own price. When he came TO
the last dealer however. some rumor
had preceded him, and the dealer said:
az have five hundred bags, and it is not
for SALE
"Ahr' said Mr.. jones' you are
keeping il for a curio. Good morning"
This great supply of saltpeter bought,
the next thing was 10 hire ships TO carry
it to America. He found American YES
sells in Liverpool which would undertake
TO transport 1t, matter OF some risk,
for saltpeter was contraband of war.
The loading began; everything moved
slowly. Mr.. Dupont was exasperated at
the tedious delays. for all the means of
transporta ton moved deliberately in Eng
land. AT last the vessels were ready,
and he informed the harbor master that
the ships would sail at high tide that
evening. The harbor master found 1t
impossible 10 have the papers ready-it
would take two or three days. There
was red tape here and red tape there
Mr.. Dupont was now in fever of impa-
tience. Every hour increased the dam
ger of the Government finding out that
all the saltpeter in England was about
to go over the sea; another days delay
and the ships might not sail at all. He
pressed the harbor master for the clear
ance papers. The polite official explain
ed that it would cost him his position if it
was known that he had violated the rules.
Anu HOW much IS your position
worth p,
Three hundred POUNDS year.
Mr.. Dupont looked at the harbor mas
ter attentively-he was man of over
sixty years. Then he put his hands in |
his pockets and looked out the office win |
dow, which bristled with masts of all |
nations. Now Mr.. Dupont knew his Du-
mas well and at that moment he was |
turning over in hisVnind the method the
Count of Monte Cristo used to rid a gar
den of dornice which ate his peaches.
II should like to draw a check for 93,- |
900 in exchange for the papers, he said.
The ships sailed on the next tide
When Mr. Dupont reported to the Sec |
retary of War there was a love feast in
the Office of the War Department After
the congratulations were over the Sec
retary said: How much DO we owe you,
Mr.. Dupont?"
The powder maker named the amount
of his expenses, to which he added SIS, 900
to the harbor master.
But what charge do you make for
your services in the negotiation?''
Then this Franco-American, who might |
have demanded a princely sum for his
services, bowed to the Sec |
retary and replied:
81 have had the distinguished honor of
helping the Government; I wish nothing
L hSi z Is d sequei 10 tIliS story. w nen |
the war was over Mr. Dupont, realizing
the tremendous risk run by the Govern
ment in relying upon native saltpeter. set |
himself to inventing an artificial substi-
ute, and hereafter, with mountains of
nitrate of soda in Chile and potash ey-
erywhere, the United States will never be |
IN such straits again.
In 1884, this distinguished poWder maxi
sr fell victim to his enthusiasm for his
business, and while experimenting with
1igh explosives was killed in an explos-
on.