The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-02

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
A half dozen or more men were seated
around the stove in the combination bar
room and Office Of the Traveller Rest. the
leading hosiery Of McGrawville. when Sam
Perkins. the hack driver. made . remark.
IT see q tack hammer to-day he said.
that didn't only drive the tacks. but picked
'em up and held EN- to be drove"
Huh. that's only one Of them masgotized
tack hammers" scornfully commented Cy-
rus Brown, the coal dealer. You en- buy all
you want for 10 cents apiece. and q box Of
tacks thrown in"
What kind of a tack hammer did you
say. Mr.. Brown?' inquired Professor Biggs.
the school teacher. with an evident pur-
pose up his sleeve.
"Maggotized is what I said. Mr.. Profess
sor," replied MI. Brown. slightly sarcastic.
And magnetized Ia what you should have
said," the school teacher added. in mild re-
proof and correction.
We'll, mebee I'd oughter." admitted MI.
Brown, but I mean Just the same thing.
and I guess a man can't go for wrong In
what he says II he means all right"
Don't know about that" ventured Mr..
Perkins. II called a man q liar down to
the depot the other day. meanin' he wal q
lawyer. and dinged II I didn't have to
apologize or git q waliopin'. bein' he was
about two sizes bigger than I was and a.
gritty ss sandpaper."
speaking Of tack hammers." said .
guest Of the tavern. and = stranger in town.
reminds me of Q magnet ! came across not
long ago when I was prospecting In Colo
RADIO"
Tho regular STAFF Of stove s~urrounders
pulled themselves together and s~traightened
up In their chairs to hear the stranger
had to say. Stories were their evening de-
light, and anybody who had anything new
to tell was sure Of having the most careful
and considerable hearing. Besides. this
stranger In town had been about for two
deys at least. and SO far had not mentioned
to any one VIVA his business was. Mystery
II . consuming attraction under any circum-
stances. and II II especially 20 In commune
ties remote from the districts Of continuous
occurrences which serve to distract and d.
vert the human mind and attention.
'a0abriel's trumpet!' exclaimed the Post
master: you don't mean to say you've
prospected In Coloradof I swapped . horse
once for q thousand shares Of stock in .
gold mine out there. and I've been waitin'
for dividends ever since"
"How long agoT' inquired the stranger.
''Oh. about fifteen yearA I gusn."
"Um-er." hesitated the guest, the horse
has been lead some time. hasn't he?
He ought to be-" said the hack-driver.
He was II years old when the p. n. traded
him. and everybody round here thought
he'd ought to been arrested for obtainin'
gold mines under false pretenses. But you
60 on with your story. Thatn's old. and
we want . new one"
The guest smiled and proceeded.
As I was saying" he said. when I was
prospecting In Colorado not long 8 I dis
covered . magnet. or rather I assisted In
its discovery. that would be . fortune to .
man II he had Il where he could utilize its
possibilities. Ny partner n I started out
from Denver with q burro load Of provi-
sion0 and tools. and with our minds made
up to find q fortune or let the burro die in
the attempt. We struck on to the north
west. without any particular place In view.
because . miner never knows where the
luck 10 going to strike him, and IN the
course Of . week W were Ia . part Of the
mountains where the foot Of . man o.
mule had never trod. ~ far - there were
any signs showing. nj our fortune ap-