Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-30
Tales of Town

The recent failure of Il bank in an
Illinois city virtually wrecked Il Rock
Island family financially. The wife
held 100000 stock in the institution.
The stock was transferred to her
name by relative. Months before the
crash came. when the bank was in
an apparently fiouriShing condition,
an offer of 100000 premium was made
her for her holdings. but it was re-
fused. Less than Il year after the
stockholders were assessed 100 cents
on every dollar they held. The hus-
band of the Rock Island woman. in
an effort to protect the holdings of his
wife, raised the money, satisfied that
eventually it would be returned two
fold. The bank could not weather
the storm, and the 100000 was lost
Twenty-Five years ago John Soren-
son. and F. c. Whitney set type side
by side in an Omaha newspaper Of
flee. They drifted apart, and had
never seen or heard of each other
until Tuesday of the present week,
when they met at the Hotel Harms,
Whitney in the role Of Il theatrical
producer and manager and Soren-
son as an insurance agent. Whitney
was here with Dolly Warden" one of
several shows he has en- tour this sea-
son. Sorenson is a railway insurance
agent making his headquarters in
Davenport. Whitney has grown
wealthy fir IN his theatrical en-
terprises. az | while his comrade of
no rIK flgy-u Inna l,nt11N-
fortune has not smiled as handsomely
on him as on Whitney. 1t was a hap
ply reunion. and after each had given
an accounting Of his wanderings
since the days when they stuck"
type together Whitney inquired Of
Sorenson how many friends he would
like to take to the show at the Illinois
theatre that night. He said the house
was sold out from parquet to gallery,
LoXes included. but that made no diff
ference, he would buy out the seat
holders if he had to pay them
premium. He would do the royal by
his old friend. no matter what the
cost. SOrenson said two seats would
be all he would care to use. He hunted
mp his friend. Simon Mcmahon. and
they took i'm the show. and had two
of the best seats in the house.
Whitney also took policy in Soren-
sons company and induced several
members of his troupe to do likewise.
Sorenson could have had the nights
receipts al the theatre if he wanted
them.
Walter Freeman. in his years as an
of the burlington. gained an
extensive acquaintance among the
travelling freight agents who make his
territory. He has quit railroadinT
and gone to selling cigars. as the
of Davenport whole
sale house. Monday while in Rock
Island waiting at Second avenue and
street for bridge line
car Freeman was hailed by one of his
old acquaintance in the railroad bust
ness who was here in the interest of
an eastern line. Freeman was called
into the Office of City Passenger Agent
+. Fl. Plummer. who was having a Wis
it from the eastern railroader. Free
man had "a grip filled with sample
boxes of cigars. He placed the grip liz
the corner of the office and he and his
friend grew reminiscent. Freeman
finally discovered it was time he was
making to fill an engagement he had.
grabbed his grip and caught pass
ing car. When ne arrived i'll Daven-
port he found that he had no samples.
The next day he learned by telegraph
ic communication that he had been
touched by his railroad friend and that
he could have the cigars, excepting
supply that had been carried off by
the easterner, by calling ut the city
ticket office here of the Rock Island
railway. 1t was Il neat piece of work,
but Freeman will probably never know
how his friends got the samples out
of the grip right under his eyes.
Col. {. &. Saunders. of Council Bluffs.
Iowa. is the Ernest Thompson-Seton of
the Modern Woodmen board of direc
tors. of whom he * one His long
suit is wild animal stories. He knows
all about snakes. too. but i, particular
~ well acquainted with the RATHER.
He spent his younger days On a farm
outside Of Council Bluffs. In his ma
tive county he is known a. the 'Ameri-
can st. Patrick" for he i credited
with having rid the locality of snakes.
Not single reptile has been seen
since he left there. II is said he does
not fear any animal or reptile.
The only animal that ever had me
bluffed." said the colonel. while talk
ing with a bunch Of friends at the
Harper house during his last visit.
was Il dog that a neighbo Of ours
owned. ] was farming IN those days.
Well. you know. I would walk Il mile
To get cut of the path of that dog
He has chased me over hills. through
the woods. and kept me in hiding for
"A day at a time. Many a meal have /
missed through fear that he would
plant his ivofies in my trousers. On
one occasion he took after me and l
did not quit running till 1 reached a.