The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-11-09
CHAPTER MI.

CHAPTER MI.
GTENNEa was AT the cotton COM
eM press the next morning watch
SsN Z ing the gang Of negro hands
@ con,DTcSs and load several cars
of cotton to be shipped 10 New England.
This big piece 9: !.!:tchinery and the eX-
tensive sheds ard platform surrounding
it belonged to i!iilycr and stood direct
IL across the railroad tracks behind the
( warehouse. When I, bale Of cotton was
compressed there was 2 loud escape
ment of steam and {. ciatter. Of rough
! shod feet as the negroes FASTENED to
| bind and buckle the iron tics and truck
| the bale into the open car.
Look out thar, you trifin' scamp
Kenner yelled to q negro who stood too
| near the descending press for safety.
who'd pay damages on that bale ef
I it cot stained through and through by
| hayin' you mashed on it? Jake, it
seems to me you get green hand on
every pressin' day"
"I toH dat fool niger to look out.
Marse Kenner," replied Jake, who. with
pared arms and neck and wet with per-
spraton, was bossing the others. "E9
ne git smashed ter q Jelly I reckon he'll
be more careful next time"
Just then old Hanks came out Of the
rear door Of the warehouse and lazily
picked his way across the cinder strewn
tracks. Ee did not go round to the
steps, but climbed on to the platform
like schoolboy.
"Jake, gI me match" be called out
as be fshed cigar from his pocket
and bit the end Of it
"Matchr' snarled Kenner. EFF that,
coon handled matches around this plat
form I'd bust his skull"
! ''Well, + reckon I'll not smoke any
way" said Hanks, and he seated him
self on a bale of cotton and took
small piece Of tobacco from the pocket
Of his vest and began to chew it. Say,
Jim," he went or, what do you think
| about the way Hillyer is actin about
wheat? Is he plumb losin' his mind"
II was jest a-studyin' about that my
SELF" replied Kenner. Its quar- to
me-"
II reckon you don't feel like you are
exactly Solomon" smiled Hanks,
| with the market at S1.42, after all the
row you made about him payin' S1.Oo."
ssNot exactly" and Kenner burst into
harsh but hearty laugh. That's
whar I was wrong, I'll admit it, but
| most O. what I said was jest to keep
George from maxim mistake. 1t don't
do a young feller any good to start out
with record for bad judgment. But
what's got me is Hillyers quar- excite
ment all along. Why, he is as nervous
as he can be. 1t don't look like he'd
be hathaway with all that profit on his
side. AM then, whenever thar'd be q
rise an anybody advised i'm to sell,
he'd always turn to George and az i'm
what about it-never knowed i'm that
way before = an whatever George
would say went. But the old'm is
ratified bad this mornin'."
"You say he is?'
Eyes; Z was in the Office just now
when be got the reports. Two brokers
wired that the top notch price was
SLAP and that nobody could predict
whether she'd advance or decline. Inc
old man was as white as sheet as be
handed the kilograms to George an
watched his face. That boy is simply
wonderful. Hes as cool as a cucumber
in barrel O frozen vinegar. Hes
read every newspaper bearin' on wheat
all over the country an knows the
thing from a to lizard. He's on to
every grain that's exported, every
aourin' mill that's shut down on ac-
count Of the rise-in fact, every detail
concernin' wheat in America an every
whar else. I acknowledge was ex-
cited lust now watchin' the two.
George didn't change countenance one
bit; he jest sorter laughed an said,
We'll, thars one thing certain, Mr.. Hill
yer, this strain amt a-doin' you any
good, an, as fur as I'm concerned, /
reckon we'd better try to unload
Good Lord, he said that, did he"
'You bet, an the old man got winter
an more excited ef anything. Re
member, it is jest with you, George
he said. Tell me positive, would you
sell right now if it was yore deal:'
George hung his head a minute an
then be said: Yes, Mr.. Hillyer, since
you leave it to me; I've hung on jest
! as long as I'm willin' to. 1t may
climb to $3.50 or even higher, but I
don't want to resk it. Then the old
man shot around the Office like dog
after its tail, wirin' fer cash offers. l
never seed the like. I tell you, old
man, thars some'n at the bottom o,
this"
"Whar are they now" asked Hanks.
s'They wasn't in the Office when l
come through"
Both Of 'em struck of uptown fer
the telegraph Office lickity split. They
was too anxious to wait fer messen-
ger boy to bring the reports. Ha, thar
comes George now, long by Bob's
store-see 'im?-an' right, behind i'm
is the old man. Did,you ever seeBill-
ger walk like that? Let's so over to
the Office an meet EN-"
Kenner and Hanks stood under the
awning ia front Of the warehouse
when George and the merchant ar"
rived. They all went into the Office
together.
"You think Jacobs s.. Co. are the
best to deal with, then?" the old man
was saying eagerly. Lord, my boy,
ef we slipped up now I couldn't stand
it We must trade with solid parties" ;"
"Jacobs g. Co. is all right" put IN
Kenner. ''They are as good as the
bank"
Some banks amt wuth shucks, -
said IIillyer. look 'em up, George.
See what their commercial rating is