Arizona republican., 1904-11-06
By David Graham Phillips.

By David Graham Phillips. (Copyright by $. S. Mcclure Co) Soon after Fenimore Dayton be- came a reporter his city editor, sent him to interview James Mountain. That famous financier was then approaching the zenith / of his power over Wall street and Lombard street. It had just been announced that he had absorb cd" the Great Eastern and West ern railway system-of course, by The methods which have made some men and some newspapers a habitually speak of him as "the 4 royal bandit" The city editor AH had two reasons for sending Day \ 4 gon-first, because he did not like him; second, because any other fR man on the staff would walk about for an hour and come back with the report that Mountain had refused to receive him, while Dayton would make an honest eff fort. M Dayton turned in at the Equit- F able building and went up to the R 1oor occupied by Mountain, 4 Ranger SG Blakehiu. He nodded ts a the attendant at the door Of Mountains own suite of offices, trolled tranquilly down the aisle between several rows of desks at which sat Mountains personal Jerks. and knocked at the glass ez loor on which was printed MT. z MOuuraiu'' in small gilt letters EA "Come.' It was an angry voice Mountains at it's worst.
 Dayton opened the door. Mountain glanced upl from the mass of papers before him. His red forehead became a network of wrinkles and his scant white eyebrows bristled. And who are you?" he snarled.
 My name is Dayton-Fenimore Dayton" replied the reporter with a gracefully polite bow. MT. Mountain. l beEeve?"
 IL was impossible for Mir. Mountain altogether to resist the impulse to bow in return. Dayton's manner was com polling.
 And what the de9-what can I do for you?"
 I'm a reporter from the
 What" reared Mountain, leaping to his feet in a purple, swollen-veined fury. How dare yOu enter here?"
 ''But-why uot?" Dayton looked sur- prised. No one tried to stop me"
 "ImpudenCe,"
 Pardon me-nOt impudence.' Day ton smiled agreeably. "Impudence is unsuccessful audacity. For example. if you had failed to get the Great Eastern and Western, they'd have said yoG were impudent to try. As it is. 9T ft a f.f to get here-perhaps-''
 Mountain listened with a grim smile. lie saw in young Dayton the signs Of a quality he especially. admired-he couldn't help sOftening toward him. "I stand corrected" he said grufiy. Then he laid his hand on the young mans shoulder and pointed toward the large room. Do you see those clerks?" he demanded.
 -'I dO." said Dayton
 There are thirty-seven of them-aud that big numbskull at the door makes thirty-eigh l employ those thirty eight men to save me from-audacitS such as yours. Yet here you are-ir my private office! How do you explaiI it?"
 Dayton laughed-his laugh was very contagious. II don't know, I'm sure he said. Perhaps if they were the sOr of men who could outwit me, they'd b, doing my work and I'd be doing theirs"
 Mountains eyes smiled. The longe he looked at Dayton's refined yet res olute face the better he liked 1t. "Si down." he said in an ironic tone O mock resignation. But be quick an, be careful not to irritate me with ques tOns that are-audaciOus. My diges Jion is poor, and, therefore, my tempe is nOt-what it might be-"
 That is the first recorded story O Dayton's colossal cheek" Now fo the last One-the one since which hi s'cheek" has been thought of and spok en of. admired and envied as "Napo leonic daring"
 He soon rose to be a notable specia correspondent. One winter afternoo at a musicale in the studio of hi friend, BrOwnlee the artist, he met girl with whom he straightway fell i love. She was Elsie Grant, the onl daughter of Mrs. James Wickfor Grant. She had spent most of her lii abroad, and her mother was even the negotiating for an Italian prince wh thought well of Elsie and also of Inc large dot. And then Dayton had con and he was never the man to shy obstacles
 He beguiled her mother into not sec ing what was going on. He made loN to her daughter in a straightforwar way. To Elsie, who then could thin only in terms of the Almanach de G tha, it seemed the way of a Rudolp of HapsbUrg issuing from his barre mountain farm in Switzerland to COT Quer men with his sword and wome with his smile, and to found an en pire. When the Grants went abroad March he succeeded in getting a ro' ing European commission from h newspaper and went in the san steamer. He put the issue sQuareIy b fore her the day before they landed ne did not speak of love until she ha given him the right, not only by el coura ginG him, but also by making plain that she passionately wished L.