Smyrna times., 1906-05-16
By C. B. L E WIS

you"
''Well. what is your business?' que
ried the superintendent, although he |
had pretty fair idea of it,
ITO arrange to draw my monthly sal |
ary. senor."
For performing what servicesY'
"FOr leaving your mine in peace
"In other words, you mean to levy
tribute ON uS?
"The senior hits the nail ON the head
at the first blow. My terms are 5000
per month in cash. 1 shall call for it
myself. If accepted you will be under
my protection. If not
You will make trouble for us?'
''The Senor Barnes hits the nail
again. l like to do business with an
Americana"
Jose Favara was told that he would
have to wait few days until his prop
osition could be submitted to the pres
York. He was agreeable He went
away bowling and smiling, and Mr..
Barnes sat down and wrote a letter.
The proposition was extortion pure
and simple. The authorities could be
appealed to, and would doubtless do
something. Nevertheless the fact re-
manned that Jose was a bigger man
in that district than the authorities.
He could harry and harass. He coald
scare every peOn out of the mine in
two weeks. He could capture every
mule and driver engaged in transport
ing the ore over the mountains. He
could do lots of things to make the sit
uatiOn unpleasant, and the superin-
tendent recommended that a monthly
salary be paid. He added that 5000 per
month was dog cheap.
The president and his board looked
upon it as rather funny case, but fol
lowed the advice of Mr.. Barnes. From
that time on for two years Jose Favara
regularly appeared ON the 10th of each
month and received his salary"
Twice during that time the poems would
have struck for higher wages had he
not appeared and threatened them
with his vengeance. A Mexican lawyer
discovered what he thought was a flaw
in the title of the New Yorker and
would have made cost and trouble had
not Jose sent him word that he was
after his scalp. 1t was conceded that
the outlaw earned his wage.
Things were going on satisfactorily
when the old president died and Mr..
Nervely was elected in his place. While
the dividends were large, Mr.. Nervely
wanted to increase them. He saw a
way to do it by looping off and cutting
down. \ cut of 10 per cent was made
in wages and salaries, and the 5000 per
month to Jose Favara was cut off en-
tirely.
When Mr.. Barnes wrote that this
move would bring trouble, he was di-
rected to arm his staff and fight. When
he asked for rifles a dozen old con-
demned Springfield muskets were sent
him, but not a single cartridge. He
wrote for cartridges, but was answered
that the president would soon take a
trip to Mexico in his private car and
would visit the mine and give further
instructions in person. Mr.. Nervely
had been known in trade as a hustler.
AS president of a silver mine he deter
mined TO be a hummer.
Jose Favara called, as usual, on the
10th of a certain month to be told that
his salary was nix. He had been dis
charged. Mr.. Barnes entered into par.
ticulars with him, even to stating the
probable date of the arrival of the
president. Jose was impassive and
imperturbable. He smiled the same
old smiles and bowed the same old
bows He knew he had earned his
money, but If he felt sore he gave nC
sign of it. He went away saying thai
he might call again, and things wen1
on as usual for three weeks.
Then President Nervely arrived. L
was twenty miles over to the railroad
and he had to make this distance OF
the back of burro, but he made II
He arrived at the mine at o'clock il
the afternoon. At the poems came vi
from the shaft and announced tina
there was strike on There wer,
400 of them. Next morning Jose Fa
vara appeared. He wanted to know
II his salary was to be restored.
President Nervely fattered himsel
that he was fighter. If not an actua
fighter. then he was good buffer III
had been bluffng for thirty years ant
had the art down pat The miner
might strike, and be hanged to them
They might be out for week. but the
would then be trmbling over each otE
er to get back. As for Jose Favara, h
was an outlaw. a blackmailer, an eA
tortioner. Not another cent should b
draw from the treasury. II he mad
one little move against the peace an
, harmony OF the New Yorker the ma.
esty of the law would be invoked an
he would find himself behind priso