The Washington times., 1906-03-04

z 7 is we'll that hay fever and
colds do not obtain in the
healthful vicinity of Cactus
City, Texas. for the dry goods
emporium of Navarro &
Platt, situated there is not to be
sneeZed at.
Twenty thousand people in Cac-
rus City scatter their silver coin
with liberal hands for the things
that their hearts desire. The bulk
of the seni-precious metal goes to
NevarrO & Platt. Their huge brick
building covers enough ground TO
Craze a dozen head of sheep. You
can buy of them a rattlesnake-skin
necktie, an automobile or an sS5.
latest style ladies tan coat in
twenty different shades. Navarro
& Plat first introduced pennies
west of the Colorado river. They
had been Tanchmen with business
heads, who saw that the world did
not necessarily have TO cease its
revolutions after free grass went
out.
Every spring, Navarro. senior
partner, fifty-hve, half Spanish. cos
mopoIitan, able, polished, had
gone on" to New York TO buy
goods. This year he SHE'D at TAX
ing up the long trail. He was un-
doubtedly growing older; aud he
looked at his watch several times
q day before the hour came for his
siesta.
Tim" he said, to his junior part
ner, you shall 90 on this year to
buy the goods"
Platt looked tired.
I'm told" said he. that New
York is a plumb dead town; but
I'll go. / can take a whirI in San
Antoine for few days on my way
and have some fun"
Two weeks later a man IN a
Texas full dress suit-black frock
coat, broad-trimmed soft white hat,
and lay-down collar "a inch high,
with black, wrought iron necktie-
entered the wholesale cloak and
suit establishment of Zizzbaum &
Son, on lower Broadway.
Old Zizzbaum had the eye Of an
osprey. the memory of an elephant
and a mind that unfolded from
him in three movements like the
puzzle of the carpenters rule. He
rolled to the front like a brunette
polar bear, and shook Platt's hand.
And how is the good Mr.. Ma
varro?" he said. The trip was
to long for him this year, so? We
welcome Mr.. Platt instead"
"A bull's-eye," said Platt, "and
I'd give forty acres of unirrigated
Pecos county land to know how
you did it."
Il know" grinned Zizzbaum, Just
as / know that the rainfall in El
Paso for the year was 2S5 inches, or
an increase of Is inches, and that
therefore Navarro & Platt will buy
a $4,000 stock Of suits this spring
instead of $4,000. as IN a dry year.
But that will be tomorrow. There is
first a cigar in my private Office that
will remove from your mouth the
taste of the ones you smuggle across
the Rio Grande and nke-because
they are smuggled-"
1t was late in the afternoon and
business for the day had ended.
Zizzbaum LETT Platt with a half
smoked cigar, and came out OF the
private Office to Son, who was ar
ranging his diamond scarfpin before
a mirror. ready to leave.
"Abey," he said. you will have to
take Mr.. Platt around tonight and
show him things. They are Gus
toners for ten years MIR. Navarro
and I we play chess every moment
of spare time when he came. This
is good, but Mr.. Plat is young
man and this is his first visit to
New York. He should amuse cas-
ily."
"All right" said Abey, screwing
the guard tightly on his pin. I'll
take him on After he's seen the
Flatiron and the head waiter at the
Hotel Astor and heard the phono-
graph play Under the Old Apple