Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-02

Kansas City Star: There was once d
considerable merchant of New York
who freighted many vessels every year
and sent them IN ventures to distant
lands. 1t CHANGED that, 10 rescue one
OF these ventures from the hands of his
enemies. the merchant, who desired
that his nam might not appear In con-
nectioo with the matter, had ecour
10 an honest and capable fellow whose
calling was that of a middleman or the
sea, or ship broker, as they named IL.
He was much esteemed for his skill In
! these matters, and, indeed, he came by
such skill honestly, for he was a native
of the Isle of Emerald, whose people
are famed even TO the land where the
pepper grows for their shrewdness,
boldness and address.
The considerable merchant is a con-
siderable merchant still, his name is as
well known in all the United States as
if ii were Jones, and in most of the
South Americas il is known even bet
ter.
In the simple and virtuous pursuit OF
trade i'm those ferVid lands it has
CHANGED, and still chances, h a a bar
gain in rubber, guano, coffee or hides
may depend as much on politics as on
the more usual commercial factors of
barter used in the less temperamental
United States.
Therefore his merchant has been
constrained at times to go s. far al to
purchase vessels TO be used as ships OF
war.
This was a matter demanding merely
a little diplomacy, so long as the mer-
chants interests were on he side OF
the officially recognized government OF
any OF these one-night stands of re-
publics; bur one day a very worthy
speculation in the years produce of a
few thousand square miles OF coffee
plantations began to depend for it's sue
cess on the survival of the Insured
tons side Of q civil war.
Then it wasn't so easy.
The statutes of the United States
have unpleasant references to h high
crime OF fitting out armed vessels to
, prey on the peace of mind of friendly
| governments; and though the term
"hlibuster'' sounds romantic to the
young and irresponsible, it spells
"J-A-I-L." This is not alluring to con
| siderable and middle aged merchants,
who care more for the solid comforts OF
money honestly earned than for the
empty glory that is in deeds OF derr-
ing do
Still, the success of that venture in
coffee-and some ubber concessions
and a river steamboating monopoly
depended entirely on getting off a shir
TO be used as a privateer, with a
choice crew OF brave spirits and. most
important OF all, three tons OF guncot.
ton to be use1 in 81 nos interesting
| military experiment inSthe way Of be
ing fired at q government feet from
an ingenious III delightful dynamite
throwing cannon.
The ship was ready, i~nnocently
cleared lin ballast for st. Thomas
| This was a piece OF simple truthfulness
on the part of the merchant. for she
really was bound for that place. The
fact hat she was merely to enter the
harbor far enough to take ON board a
swarthy gentleman who was then and
there to invest himself with the pan
oply OF an admiral of the insurrection
airy feet was not, of course, a matter
concerning Uncle Sam.
She lay at anchor off quarantine
Staten island, with three lazy, bare
footed sailor men making a lazy jot
of painting the rusty red iron sides OF
her, Every line and rivet OF her said
Trade. Trade. Tradei. In her hold
was the pretty slender, graceful, in
genious dynamite CUR.
But the grave and reckless spirits
who were 70 make the crew OF thai
gun-where ygereR they? Unknown
unsolicited, loafing on the Bowery, Wa
ter street and West street, unconscious
of the glory that called them7
And the guncotton? 1t lay in 8
storehouse in d New Jersey town be-
hind Liberty island. with two sad oh
stacles between 1t and the waiting
ship.
Cine was that the conscientious con.
Germ which owned the explosive couit
be depended on 70 increase Its bill ii
LIT we're TO learn that The transaction
was not one that called too urgently
, for publicity. This was no theory. The
concern haJ done such things before