The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-16
HONOR AMONG THIEVES.
One Way of Getting Out of an Un.
promising Mining Venture.
Washington Post.)


Honor among thieves a Wall stree
broker snorted CONTEMPORARY. ''Oi
course there isn't any. And it doesn't
matter whether one is talking of com.
mon pickpocketS Or those sharp fel'
lows that-get their money some other
way.
Let me tell you of an instance
heard of this afternoon. There are two
men who, while they are not partners
have joint control of large business
One of them got mixed up in mining
company out west somewhere.
He put $40 00O into it before he found
out that il was no good. 1t nearly
made him sick abed when he knew the
truth, but he didn't say word to his
| business associates.
ION the contrary, he suddenly be-
came absolutely communicative
about his mining venture; so much sc
that his friend suspected that some
thing was up. Pretty soon Jones, well
call him, the owner of the mining stock
began to ask the stenographer to stay
after hours so as to dictate letters to
the managers of the mine. These let
tiers he always insisted upon mailing
himself after they had been copied in
private letter book which he kept
locked in his own particular safe.
Brown, his associate, noticed all
this, and tried to pump the stenograph-
er, but it did no good. One night he
had to return to his Office for some pa
per that he had forgotten, and, glanc-
ing around, saw Jones' private letter
book lying on the table.
The temptation was too much for
him and he took a hurried glance
through it. He saw numberless allu-
sions to the discovery of bonanza, I'M
told millions IN sight, got TO keep it
quiet until everything was arranged
and ali the stock corralled, etc.
That was enough for Brown. He
never said a word TO Jones the next
day, but quietly, very quietly, went TO
work and started to buy all the stock
in Jones mine that he could get hold
of. He found that one curb broker
was the only one that seemed to know
anything about it, and that the stock
was firm at above par
Little by little he got the stock in
during the next four weeks. In all
that time he went down to the office
at night just twenty-four times and
found Jones letter book carelessly left
out just twice.
Jones letters told the manager that
some one was trying to get control of
the stock, accused him of bad faith
and so on. At any rate, it confirmed
Brown in the belief that he was going
TO make pot of money, and he kept
on buying mining stock until he had
about $4,000 planted
He was beginning to get feverish,
but didn't care to ask his business as
sociate anything about the property for
fear Of exciting suspicion. One
morning he got down to the Office
late after bad night of worry. When
he opened the door and said good morn
ing to Jones, Jones face was wreathed
in smiles
What's up" says Brown. You're
as clipper as spring lamb.
Matter answers Jones, with
gLrgling laugh. You remember that
Mixed Ale Consolidated Mining and
Smelling company that l told YOU
about putting some money into a while
ago? Well, | thought l was bumped
good and hard on that deal, and Just
as was about to write Fins: Good
bye, on the account in my private
ledger, some sucker comes along and
little by little gets hold of all my stock.
reluctantly parted with the last share
of it yesterday, and instead of being out
$4,000 | am ahead just $50, 900 on the
deal. More power TO him, whoever he
is! L wish him joy with his Mixed Ale
Why, isn't the property all right?'
All right! Why, they put a shot
of dynamite in the pay streak a while
ago and blew all trace of it into king
dom come. About the only use that the
owner could make Of the shaft now
would be TO fall down it and break his
neck
Brown turned pale. He swallowed
hard few times, turned on his heel
without word, and entered his own
ONCE and slammed the door. | don't
know what he said or thought when
he was alone. but you can imagine"