West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-01-05
BUTT|NG INTO SOCIETY.
Hank Smith Cut Ice La Circle
CITY, but Was Not Worth
Beaus In Boston.

N"'N NNh NuAhN VI NY OiN ihlCnu,
Hank Smith, and his wife Kate.
Kate Boots she was before he mar
ried her-and how they tried to butt
their way through the upper crust.
Hank and were boys together
in Missouri, and he stayed along
in the old town after lef.. heard Of
him on and OFF as tending store a
little and farming little and loafing
a good deal. Then | forgot all
about him until one day few years
ago when he turnde up in the papers
as Captain Henry Smith, the Klon.
dixie gold king, just back from
Circle City with a million in dust
and anything you please in claims.
There's never any limit to what
miner may be worth in those, ex-
cept his imag inalion.
was little puzzled when
week later my Office boy brought
me card reading Colonel Henry
Augustus Bottes Smythe, but sup.
posed it was some distinguished
foreigner who had como to size me up
SO that he could round out his roast
on Chicago in his new book, and |
told the boy 10 show the colonel in.
I've got a pretty good memory
for faces, and I'd bought too much
store plug Of Hank in my time not
to know him, even with clean
shave and plug hat. Some men
dry up with success, but it was Just
spouling out of Hank. Told me
he'd made his pile and that he was
tired of living on the Stag heap;
that he'd spent his whole life where
money hardly whispered let alone
talked, and he was going now where
it would shout. Wanted to know
what, was the use OF being a mob il
a fellow wasn't the nobbiest sort of
a mob. Said he'd bought a house
on Beacon Hill, in Boston, and
that If I'd prick up my ears occasi-
only I'd hear something drop into
the Back Bay. Handed me his
new card four times and explained
that it was the rawest sort Of dog to
carry brace of names in your card
holster; that it gave you the drop
on the swell every time and that
they just had to throw up both
hands and pass you the pot when
you showed down. Said that
Bottes was old English for Bots
and that Smythc was new American
for Smith; the Augustus was just
fancy touch, sort of high card
kicker.
/ didn't explain TO Hank, because
it was congratulations and not ex-
plantations that he wanted. and ]
made it point to show a customer
the line of goods that he's looking
for And / never heard the full
particulars OF his experiences IN the
east though from what learned
afterward Hank struck Boston with
bang all rigAt
lie located his claim on Beacon
Hill between a Maynower descend
ant aud Declaration signer's great
grandson, breeds which believe that
when the Lord made them he was
through and that the rest OF us Just
happened. And he hadn't been in
town two hours before he started
in to mrke Improvements. There
was a high wrought iron railing in
front Of his house, and he had that
guided first thing, because, as he
said, he wasn't running a receiving
vault and hc didn't want any mis-
takes Then he bought a nice open
barouche, had the wheels painted
red, hired a niger coachman and
started out i've style 20 be sociable
and get acquainted Left his card
all the way down one side OF Beacon
street and then drove back, leaving
il on the other. Everywhere he
stopped he found that the whole
family was out. Kcptt mp a week,
on and of, but didn't seem To have
any luck Thought that the men
must be hot sports and the women
great gadders to- keep on the Jump
go much. Allowed that they we're
[ The Iivelest little lot Of heas that
I be had ever chased Decided TO
| quit trying 90 nail 'em one at a time
and planned out something that he
rcckoncd would round up the whole
bunch Hank sent ont a thousand
invitations to his grand opening, as
| he called it. left one at every house
within mile. Had brass band
ON the front steps aud fireworks on
the roof Ordered forty kegs from
the brewery and hired a fancy mixer
TO sling together mild snorts, as he
called them, for the ladies. They