The daily Alaskan., 1904-03-26
The Value gf Bluff
IOrlglnaLl

IprlGlnaLl
 When was boy, I had a great de- Iire for a military education, but, as had not the influence needed In those days to secure one, I went to work in bank. The president a civil war vet eran, noticing that had military tastes, talked to me a great deal about his campaigns. What a commander needs" he said. "is resource-a keen sight to see his requirements in things about him. I knew a general who once, seeing a man fishing on cotton bale, was struck with It's buoyancy and con celved the Idea of making a floating bridge of the bales"
 I had been In the bank two years wben through the failure of another bank a run was started on ours. l was then eighteen years old, but precocious. When the bank had stood two days run. 1t was evident 1t could not pull through a third. The night before that dreaded third day the directors met at the bank. l was perched on a high stool where l could hear them talk, but heard no feasible plan for the morrow. It occurred to me to try a bluH game I would not have dared to propose 1t to the managers and would have been laughed at if l had Putting on my hat I went outside and, pushing my way through the crowd, gained the street. where ! hailed a cab. AS ] got in l instructed the coachman to drive off at a ganop. He did so, and we were watched by the crowd. many of whom knew was an employee of the con- cern.
 The driver pulled up after we had gone about a mile and asked for in- strucuons. We were standing in front of a coal yard, and In the office was a light. got out of the carriage, went to The office and found a man working over his books.
 "Have you any nut coalr asked.
 "Yes."
 "Any sacksW
 "Yes."
 CT want five sacks Of nut coal"
 "AH right I'll send 1t in the morn ing. What address?"
 "I want it now"
 "Now? This is no time to do busi- ness"
 l argued with him tlll he consented to fH five gunny sacks with nut coal which l directed him to charge to the president of the banG- for had DO money-and. taking three sacks into the carriage. leaving the other two on the box with the driver, | directed him to drive back to the bank When ] reached 1t I called to a policeman, who was there Co keep the crowd in order, asking him to guard the treasure. He called others. and in a few minutes three men i'm uniform surrounded the carriage. Then we lugged the five sacks of coal into the bank. When | had dumped the last sack on the aoor went into the presidents room, where the meeting was suu in session, and asked him for S2 to pay the hacknan. He looked at me surprised and asked where I had been, whereup0n ] told him the story.
 Iueyer saw such change in mans lacc In my life "Y0u little brick" he exclaimed taking me by the hand. You may save this bank. and if you lo- Drive right away again and bring Eve more sacks. Here is a ten dollar 5in Want any more? No? Well, go ahead and the Lord be with you.'
 found the coal office where I had been closed and had to get coal dealer out of his bed for the next lot, but l secured them and took five more bags back Co thc bank, reaching it about 9 o'clock in the morning. More than half the crowd had gone by this time. hay Ing had confidence restored by the first five bags Of coal After ] had got the second lot inside the directors adjourn. ed the meeting and, led by the pres!- lent, went out chatting merrly, wear ing every appearance of having got in old enough Co last a month.
 The next morning the bank opened ls usual. but people who had been there the night before mingled with the crowd spreading me report that ten sucks Of gold had goue in and that the bank was an right Many left the line leading to the cashiers window, and
 -rorc noon there were not a dozen people waiting to draw their accounts. The bank was saved
 After 8 o'clock l was sent for Go go into the presidents office Most of the directors were there, and every man in turn insisted upon shaking hands with me. Then the president made me the following address:
 Young man, you were cut out for general, and a general you shall be; lt least you shall have the fitting for one. A man, or, rather, a boy, who can stop run on a bank with nut coal would know enough in war to make a retreat leaving Quaker guns in posi- ton and campfres burning. We're go- Ing to get you a cadets appointment to West Point if every man of us has to leave the business till the works accom- plished. You can go back to your desk now, and as long as you stay here your salary is double what it has been"
 The congressman of the district was applied to in my behalf, and as he had promised the next years appointment to another he agreed to make me alter