The Portland daily press., 1900-09-22


efforts, but it was not until encoun-
tered the four handed lady that gave
up in disgust
This happened shortly after I had
closed my water store. Ten years ago,
having met with Indifferent success in
a business career, solely from my un-
willingness to take advantage of the
extreme gullibility and desire to be
humbugged Of my fellow creatures, I
conceived the idea of a water store.
had discovered that many men went
into a saloon for a glass of beer simply
because there was no place where they
could get a glass of waterA
Having a small, Independent fortune,
put a few thousand dollars into n lit
tie place, stocked it with ice tanks,
glasses and a marble counter and put
out a sign to the effect that drinking
water could be had there free OF
charge.
/ at once encountered the violent op-
position of the saloon element, but this
1 had expected. What I was not pre-
pared for was the hostility of the gen
eral public. AS soon as 1t became ap-
parent that l was not advertising a
new spring water or selling something
in connection with my gratuitous dis
tribution Of aqua pura, people began to
ask where the business end Of the thing
came in-what l was doing 1t for any
how? My inyariable answer-that 1
was trying to do some good in small
way and that l expected no return
whatever-met only with derision. I
became a subject for merriment in the
comic papers. Some people pretended
to imagine that / sold liquor surrepti-
tiously, and in the course of my brief
career in the water store was accused
Of nearly everything from Illicit dis
tilling to selling policy slips The POI
lice used to look in with uncomfortable
frequency, and small boys often con
gregated before my door The human
itarian idea in connection with my
scheme was absolutely rejected.
have quick temper and there were
one or two rows in my store. One man
who insulted me 1 knocked down. he
had me arrested for assault, and the
next day l closed my water store for
good.
That ended my attempts to benefit
mankind in a public way, but did not
relax my private efforts.
One afternoon I was surprised by
having a young and handsome woman
To In
the street, which was crowded at the
time, and ask If she could put herself
under my protection for. little while.
consented, and Immediately she took
my arm and hurried me along, talking
volubly and rather incoherently. I
thought.
gShe said some one was following her.
l did not see any one near who seemed
to be noticing her but one of my old
enemies, policeman. accompanied
her for several blocks. She did not
seem to want to leave the avenue. but
kept in the thick of the crowd Sud
denly she dropped my arm with a /
"Thank you" and disappeared into a
shop.
l walked on alone for several blocks, |
wondering who she could be and If she |
were not a little dlstraught, when re-
membered that was going out Of my
way and took a horse car going back /
IN the direction whence I had come.
A little later, to my surprise, the
young woman who had so recently
asked my assistance boarded the car.
She did not appear to see me; but, tax
Ing a seat opposite me, she dropped her
eyes to the floor and seemed to be lost
in thought
Now, during the short time the young
woman's hand had rested on my arm I
had noticed dt being ungloved) that 1t