The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1900-10-24
lis START IN LIFE
ooon AND WAS THRUST
- >, INN BY ACCIDENT.

wouldn't Have Hap
ln'i n shortsishted Real Es-
ened = ...,eer Had Not Forgotten
\. eyeglasses
NV start in life to the fact
0"o ostimable old gentleman forgot
~ VIC eyeglasses in his pocket one
pit ~ sofd a prosperous business
quiz, ,, q sister city. 'Its rather a
L' story" he went on. land III
rioos % - briefly as possible. A good
u 1s ago, when L was young
ny - Ok or thereabouts, l drlfted
oT .,,isrille in search of a job that
o'otprialize, and the upshot OF 1t
4hot I found myself practically
'- IN = strange city. Up to that
~ : Nod always worked for small
e. ! and had never succeeded in. ac-
Ss S'oting as much as $50, but l had
p Dhi1ing faith that if l could once
' LID Of a modest stake l could
Inch out for myself and MAKE some
Oney. Ian ros wander
o "So,t with only two or three silver
, a in my pocket, looking for
l ua, tn 90 to work at anything that
l INF offer. l dropped into a big
stairs room where some real
.'to was being sold at auction. A
~, crowd was present, and there
!, on indescribable feeling of ten
IN +bp air that warned me some
,nn unusual was about to happen.
~ IT I was standing there, only
.nolv interested, the auctioneer, who
mite an elderly gentleman, put
a niece of improved city property
II oftpr n considerable pause receiv-
hid Of 5000. | could see that the
ao,,noss of the amount excited sur
Lso and | was also aware of COM
ation in one corner where half a
o,on nrevious bidders were gathered
Dcatber in an excited group. They
0ompd to be quarreling about some
binc and meanwhile the auctioneer
las Indignantly appealing for a re-
pectable offer
Make it $500" he shouted. Does
nv gentleman bid $1,000? He looked
irectly at me, and l made a gesture of
pDial Thank your he exclaimed,
really to my surprise. The gentleman
YER there bids $1,000, and, if l can
lplp il, no combination of buyers is go
he to be allowed to dictate prices at
his saler With that he suddenly
Knocked down the property to me.
mo sooner was this DONE" continued
he story teller, than a great uproar
protests arose from the group in the
orner They insisted that they had
been given no chance to bid, but the
buctioneer stood firm and, calling me
10 the platform, requested my name
ind address and a 20 per cent cash de-
post On the $1,000.
by that time l realized, of course,
That some extraordinary chance had
thrown fine piece of property into my
bands at fraction Of it's real value,
and | did some quick thinking. I've
Sent a messenger for the money l said
Is c0Olly as l could, and I'll have it
fere in 10 minutes
The auctioneer looked at the clock.
VI right he replied, I'll give you
! bat limit
Then took a desperate chance. l
Nhed through the crowd, which was
3Heady interested in the next sale, and
fckoned to a little fat man who had
'feel one of the loudest kickers a few
pOments before.
Look here said. drawing him
ESlde. DO you want to be my silent
partner for an hour or So?
What d'you mean? said he.
l gave him the truth in a dozen
Eofds' Now let me have that $500
epOSlt money, l added, and we'll
la r the profits, whatever they are
Inc little man looked at me shrewd-
This is a big joke on all of u.s. he
~ grlnning, and guess I'll risk the
.lea'
AT the same time he counted out
!" and put it in my hands. I raced
VA 10 the desk with the cash, clinch-
ae sale and before noon had the
Fru IN my possession. Then, to make
"us story short, my silent partner
i,ieu me $1,000 cash for my interest,
~ as $1,000 looked about as big as a
EOuH'aln at that stage of the game I |
oupty accepted. That thousand, for
&r"ateiy placed, gave me the start that
~ Kept me going ever since.
nuI what about the eyeglasses, did
say Why, the auctioneer, as l
VI "afd learned, was very near
II H'eu' and on the morning to which l
q ne mad forgotten his glasses. That
or, WY he mistook my gesture of dis
~ VA LOT sign of assent and forced
!" spite of myself, into a good
T., | never understood the exact
lis in al a, uhess of the deal, but the
snoan, 'ue rough were that a CLIQUE
81 kaon tutors had formed a combine
he ,nia uown prices, but, owing to
SbmntIn UNDERSTANDING, failed to bid
.Srpd IT,, VI The property which Sc
he auctioneer was on to the