Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1900-08-03
A FISH OF GOLD.

three men.
had aided Proctor financially in
several promising business ventures
and they all wound up in disaster,
which was not due to any mismanage-
ment on his part, but to a combina-
tion of unfortunate circumstances.
After the last collapse Proctor OBJ
tained a situation at a salary which
barely supported his family. This
went on for about two years. when
his employer failed and Tom was
again stranded. He mad been with
out employment about a month when
he called at my office that October
morning
l gave him some advice and en-
couragement, and, what was to him
more substantial, some dollars to re-
lieve his immediate necessities.
Proctor expressed his gratitude in
his blunt, homely fashion, and added
earnestly: perhaps this is the turn.
ing of the tide, Mr.. Burrows and
replied, Il hope so, with all my heart"
At that time | was a director i'm
large transportation company, and
thinking that possibly | might secure
a position there for my young friend,
we started on search at once.
On the way down town we stopped
at wholesale house to buy a ham
mock to send to a friend in Florida.
The clerk informed us that as the
hammock season was over all their
stock had been packed away on the
top floor, so we ascended to the fifth
floor i'm the elevator and then climbed
two flights of stairs, entering a room
occupying the whole area of the build
ing
a clerk was busily engaged with n
gentleman whom | recognized as Hon.
Moses Oglethorpe, ulti-millionaire,
the richest man i'm the state.
The clerk went down stairs for
something, leaving us alone-a mill
ionaire, merchant and poor man.
Sudden we We're startled by the
changing Of gongs and a commotion
in the street.
We all rushed to the window, drawn
thither by the natural desire inherent
in the breast of the average American
to witness the rush of the fire engines.
'Great Scott, gentlemenr exclaimed
Tom, excitedly, "the fire is in this
building! l smell smoke! We must
get outw We all rushed to the door,
Proctor reaching it first AS he
swung it open he vas driven back by
a sheet of flame and smoke.
mo chance to escape by the stairs"
said he. Perhaps there's fire es-
cape; you stay here while l take a
look" and with that he ran to the
front, side and rear windows. When
he rejoined our little group the an
swer was plainly written on his face.
"No fire escapes anywhere on the
building"
In that time of awful danger Tom
Proctor was cool and collected, so we
naturally looked to him to find some
avenue of escape. Ten minutes be-
fore he was the most insignificant per-
son in the room, a penniless bankrupt,
realizing his own significance more
keenly because of the presence of q
modern CrOesus.
A few moments had changed the
standing of the two extremes of our
trio, and Proctor had jumped to the
head of the class, for we were in a
situation where brains were of more
account than dollars.
He examined the room, hoping to
find a skylight, but was unsuccessful.
10 hn min H.,
thinking he might discover a coping
or cOrnice by which we could reach
some adjoining building, but with the
same hopeless result.
Then we ran to the windows to see
If there was any chance of help from
the firemen. A cry of horror reached
our ears as the crowd in the street
caught sight of us.
The firemen raised ladders against
the side of the building, but our hearts
sank, for the ladders reached only the
window of the fourth floor.
One cry reached our ears, but it
sounded like a death sentence. Some
one, evidently a fire chief, roared
through a trumpet, 'Jumpl It's your
only chance" at the same time point
ing to group of men holding a large
blanket directly beneath us.
"My God" groaned Oglethorpe, "it's
suicide to jump from this height. 1t
makes me dizzy to think of it,"
Proctor was as cool as the proverb-
ial cucumber, and talked to us as
calmly as if discussing a business
scheme in my private Office
"It's a case of roast or jump" said
he; that's the whole thing in a nut
shell. My case is much worse than
yours. gentlemen. Your families will
be well provided for, but God only
knows what will become of my wife
and children when I'm gone"
''See here, young man." Oglethorpe
exclaimed, grasping Tom by the arm.
Il can't be roasted here like rat,
and TO jump is worse! God. man,
isn't there some escape? We can't die
III e this. Why man alive. I'd give a
million dollars to be landed safely on
the ground"
As he spoke he emphasized his
words by shaking Proctor's arm, star
ing into his face with a fierce, desper-
ate expression. l glanced at Tom
for the instant forgetting our perilous
situation-and noted that. unmindful
Of Oglethorpe, he was gazing intently
TO one side; then suddenly his face
lighted up with a CLEAN of hope.
Turning quickly to the millionaire he
exclaimed, do you make that as a
bona fde offer, Mr.. OglethorpeY'
Certainly | do"
All right; accept the contract.