The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-26
TIE EVENING STORY
Steamship Engagements.


It may have been that in the hurry
ana confusion Of getting away from
London the purser of the steamship
Bramble got things mixed up. He
knew that he had among the passen-4
gers no less than three fond American
mammas who had been trailing over
europe with marriageable daughters
ana were coming home with disap-
pointed looks, and he hoped to give one
them q last chance
However, it happened. it was known
among the passengers even before the
Branable left her dock that great man
was on BOARD 1t was Nj. Julius
Snlthers, of the Chicago Beef Trust.
and his fortune was variously estimated
at from ten to fifty million dollars.
mere were men who at first denied
that Smithers was a member of the
trust. They could name over every
packer who had ever been mentioned
IN the papers and the name of Smithers
didn't figure in the list. They were
about to denOunce him as an iYnposter
when a red headed man suggested that
Smithers might have come into the
trust on merger of some sort. There
were mergers merging all the time, and
what if the beef trust and the tomb
stone trust had consolidated their inter
ests?
The thing was as good as settled in
an hour Mr.. Smithers was man of
forty. He had lust the faintest incli-
I
very democratic for a man worth I'M
told millions. He made ackuaintaces
rapidly, and the steamer had not made
a hundred miles to the westward when
he started game of poker in the
smoking room and had for companions
a drummer, a cattleman, a ward poll
tician and the inventor Of the sausage
! stuffing machine. He was given a
seat at the captains table. 1t was
afterwards said that this was mistake
and that he had taken the place as
signed to a bishop If he hadn't been
worth millions upon millions his table
manners would have been open to crit
iciSm.
There was much to overlook in Mr..
Julius Smithers, or there would have
been under any other circumstances.
He was about the only one who didn' t
know it, and he was happy.
Within forty-eight hours those NAM
mas were laying wires. If they had
failed to pick up lord, duke or
count abroad, it wasn't such bad
thing to fall back on one of the Its of
the beef trust. Mr.. Smithers could not
only restore the family beefsteaks to
the old time prices, but he had mill
ions to spend in castles, yachts and
diamonds. These nammas had male
friends aboard who were instructed to
obtain information about Smithers- He
met them halfway and more.
Say, you take my word for it, it's
going to be the biggest success of any
sanguine reply. You Ill hear all about
it within month after we land Money
in it2 Well, I guess yes! 1 expect to
make bon-fires of fifty-dOllar bills
He was talking about the merger, of
course. His replies were reported to
the waiting mammas and they were in
troduced. The said intrOductions came
about in a careless way, as if by mere
accident.
The mammas found him hearty and
jovial in his speech. He didn't always
follow the rules of grammar. and he
sometimes caught himself just in time
be forgiven much if he can draw his
check for several millions.
It was decided in all three cases that
Mr.. Smithers would do as a member
of the family. When h e became a SON
in-law they could polish him up a bit
and gradually reduce the size of his
two watch chains and his diamond pin.
Then the daughters were introduced
4 This was also carelesSly accomplished.
That is, While Mr. SmitherS was max
I ing intervals between his poker games
/ in order to get q breath of ocean air
he would suddenly find someone in his
path and be compelled to pause and
/ be introduced. He wasn't a man with
a grain of suspicion in his composition,
and he was the soul of good nature.
/ He gave UP his poker to sit down and
make himself agreeable to Miss Blank.
you may have heard of the beef
trust" was his way of starting off tn e
| conversation. Its going to be the
biggest thing the United States ever
heard of. Cad, but that was a great
! thought of mine, and l can't help but
feel rather swe1led up over it. No
more bust-ups-no more walking the
railroad tracks for Julius Smithers.
Esq"
surprise and perplexity. They had
never heard any merger talk before
and it was as Greek to them. They re-
ported to their respective mammas that
Mr.. Smithers didn't get into college the
day he called-that his ways were
rather familiar-that he evidently had
! not attended over thousand high teas
and grand receptions, and that it would
! take a carload of Sandpaper to rub
him down, but he had a good heart as
a foundation to build on If his con-
versation wasn't exactly UP to the
notch, the wind-up was intended to
draw applause. He always finished by
saying:
| cuse me and 1 will see you again. In
fact, want to see you again. I think
I can figure it out before we arrive at
Sandy Hook to offer you the best
thing of the season, but keep that to
Mamma. what did he mean by
that2" asked the respective daughters
of their respective mothers.
why. child, how silly you are!" was
the reply. What could he mean but
one thing2"
But We have known him such a lit
tie while"
You haven't got to know a million
ARE over day or two. They are diff
ferent from other men. They have the
cash.
There were men aboard looking to
get into a good thing on the ground
floor They knew that the beef trust
was a good thing. They threw out hints
to Mr.. Smithers, but he laughed and
shook his head and replied:
Not yet, my boy. I've got the dough
to start it off, and I want all the plunks
there are in it. See me next season
"WilI beef go uD2''
Thunder. no. We expect to knock
the price down to Is cents a pound"
Then how will you make your mil
Jsors ont NJ II 7,s