The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27

Built Up Fortune For Han Who D5d
Not Have a Cent.
Duluth Herald.O

Il owe all have-and I possess at
least S2.60-to newspaper man. and
am always sorry when I cannot turn a
reporter against a good story" said
George A. Davidson, a promoter. who
IS heavily interested in Indiana and
Texas oil fields, as he blew a cloud or
cigar smoke at an imaginary mosquito
on the roof Of the Spalding
Accepting and lighting a black per-
fectO offered him, the reporter listened
while Mr.. Davidson swung idly back
and forth in his rocker and continued:
years ago I had made few thou-
sand dollars in getting in on a timber
deal down in Illinois. but. like most
young fellows, I failed 90 realize that
good things do not always last, and
after the money stopped flowing in I
kept UP the pace that I had adopted
when a SEQ bill looked ike a tip to a
waiter. I suppose nearly everybody
has had a taste of the consequences Of
this sort OF thing. so I need hardly say
that within a couple Of years was not
only where I had started from, but
was deeply in debt J. in sheer desper-
alton, continued to pile up the indebt-
edness while I vainly plunged around
endeay0ring 20 make a strike Of some
kind before my debts gave me a knock
out blow.
Then my creditors began to bother
me. and I was afraid that they would
shut myself and family Off from obtain
ing the necessities of life ] still had
sense enough 10 see that the end eoGld
not be far off. and I decided to run over
to ST. Louis and see if an old friend
could not put me on the track Of some
thing good. I found my friend in bad
shape. and he told me that I could do
him q favor by holding in trust Tor
r-gH
lands which he was afraid his creditors
would get FOR "a song should he be sold
out through the bankruptcy courts.
About this stage OF the game
would have stopped at nothing short
OF murder. and readily agreed to be-
come the owner Of the property. Tho
bills Of sale We're properly made out
and in due course OF time I became tho
Owner Of several thousands Of acres OF
land. 4Tv ST. Louis friend had an Office
hoy whose brother was a reporter. and
vvheu ] arrived at the hotel that even
inc 7 found the reporter waiting for
me- Meanwhile my Louisiana posses
sious had grown 20 enormous Value in
the transfer Of Information through The
Office boy telephone, city editor ana
reporter and about the first question
i was asked was whether or not liaa
raid some hundreds 81 thousands OF
rect my friend acknowledged That I
had done so. and TO back up the first
lie gave figures TO prove II.
THE next morning my name was az
the head OF q column and a hair Of IN
formation which made me a million
aire. at least in type. / went home the
next day TO get away from the persons
in st. Louis who might be too inQuis-
tive The news OF my purchase had
preceded me, and when I arrived my
creditors met me with the glad hand
and showed that they wanted 20 keep
me on their books. Along about this
time one OF the bankers in the town
discovered traces Of oil on property he
owned~in Indiana end he asked me to
got IN on the ground floor. but I held
aloof. as I ala not want people 90 learn
that ] was worse than a bankrupt.
Seeing that ] wouia nor pat money into
the thing. bet wauting my name for