The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-12

Roebuck to destroy. He II his God
were in constant communication; his
God never did anything except for his
benefit, he never did anything except
on the direct ounsel or command Of
his God. Just now his God is COM
manding him to destroy me. his conf
Dental agent in shaping MANY a vast
industrial enterprise and In inducing
the public to buy by the million its
n stocks.
invited the angry frown of the Roe
buck God by saying: And l bought In
the M~anasquale mines on my own ac-
count"
"On your own account!" said Roe
Duck. hen he hastily effaced his In
voluntary air of the engineer startled
by sight of an unexpected red light.
Yes" replied 1, as calm as if l We're
not realizing the tremendous signifi-
canoe of what 1 had announced. II
look to you to let me participate on
equal terms"
That is. 1 had decided that the time
a come for me to take my place
among h kings of finance. l had de-
cided to promote myself from agent to
principal. from prime minister to king
Il must. myself, promote myself, for
in this world all promotion that is solid
comes from within. And in further
ance of my object 1 had bought this
group of mines, control of which was
vital to the Roebuck-Langdon-Melvill
combine for a monopoly of the coal of
the country.
Did not Mr.. Langdon commits
him ana 0O his frie ens 'ne inouir rol
Roebuck. in that slow. placid tone
Which yet, for the attentive ear. had a
note in it like the scream of a jaguar
that comes home and finds its cub gone.
But I couldn't get them for him." 1
1.-The owners wouldn't sell
until [ engaged that the National Coal
n Railway company was not to have
them"
"oh, I see," said Roebuck. sinking
back relieved. we must get Browne
to draw up some sort of perpetual. ir-
power of attorney to US for
you to sign"
tut 1 won't sign it," said I.
Roebuck took up a sheet Of paper and
began to fold it upon itself with great
care to get the edges straight. He had
graSped my meaning; he was deliberat-
in-.
For four years now" I went on. you
people have been promising to lake me
in as a principal in some one of your
deals-to give me recognition by maxi
me president, OF CHAPMAN of an
executive or finance committee. 1 am
an impatient man, Mr.. Roebuck. Life
is short. and l have much to do. So I
have bought the Manasquale mines
and 1 shall hold them"
Roebuck continued to fold the paper
upon itself until he had reduced it to a
short, thick strip: THIS he slowly
twisted between his cruel fingers until
it was in w pieces. He dropped them,
one at a time. into the waste basket,
smiled beneyoientfy at me. You
are right" he said. "You shall have
you want. You have seemed such
a mere boy to me that. in spite of your
again and agsdn proof of what
you IRE 1 have been putting you off.
Then, too" He hated, and his look
was that of one surveying delicate
ground.
1.-The bucket shop?" suggested 1.
Exactly" said he gratefully. Your
brokerage business has been invaluable
% us. But-well. I needn't tell you how
people-the men of standing-look on
that sort of thing
II never have paid any attention to
po1npous ~pretenses," said l." and I
never shall. My brokerage business.
go on, and my daify letters to in
BY advertising I rose; by adj
vertfsing I am a power hat even you
recognize; by advertising alone can I
keep that power"
you won't need that sort of
power. Adapt yourself to your new
surroundings. Overahs for the trench;
business suit for the Office"
IT shall keep to my overalls for the
present. said 1. They're more COM
Portable. and"-here 1 SMILED signlf-
at hi1n-''if I shed them. I might
of business is never to give up what
you have until your grip is tight on
BETTER"
mo doubt you're right" agreed the
white-haired bic scoundrel, giving no
sign that I had fathomed his motive
for trying to hint" me out of my
stronghold. Il will talk the matter
assured. my boy, that o will be sat
He got up, put his arm affec-
tionately round my shoulders. eve all
like you. I have a feeling toward you
as If you We're my own son. / am get
ting old. and I like to see young men
about me, growing up to assume the
responsibilities of the Lords work
1t will seem incredible that a man of
my shrewdness and experience could
taken in by such Shiny stuff as that
Il who knew Roebuck as only a few
knew him. 1 who had seen him
at work, as devoid of heart as an empty
in an empty web. Yet 1 was
taken in to the extent that I thought
he really purposed to recognize my
to yield to the only persuasion
that could affect him-forre. I f.n-
cied he vas actually about to put me
where I could be of the highest use
fulness to him and his associates, as
we'll as to myself. AS if an old man
ever yielded power or permitted an
other to gain power, ven though it
were to his own great advantage. The
avarice OF age is not open to reason.
1t vas with tears in my eyes that I
shook hands with him. thanking him
e~motionally. 1t was with a high chin
and a proud heart that I went back
to my offices. There wasn't a doubt in
my mind that i was about to get my
deserts, was about to enter the
circle Of high finance"
That small and exclusive circle, into
which I was seeing myself admitted
without the usual arduous and unequal
battle, was what may be called the in
ring-a loose, yet tight. com
bine Of about a dozen men who con-
trolled in one way or another practi-
cally all the industries of the country.
They had no formal agreements; they
held no official meetings. They did not
look upon themselves as an association.
They often quarTeled among them
selves, waged bitter wars upon each
other over divisions Of power or plum