Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-11-28

Ihe Town Company mad no tltle,
and perhaps never would have. 1t |
branded the entire enterprise as
the most gigantic confidence game
that had ever been perpetrated on
an unsuspecting public.
1t further recited that the swim
ding operations of the irresponsi-
BILE and restless town boomers"
of Waterville were exceeded in
of adroitness only by the mining
operations in and about Butte City,
Montana. According to the arti-
Gle, the mountain sides of Butte
City were perforated with aban-
doned prospect shafts. Hundreds
and thousands of dollars of East
ern money had been expended by
local managers in riotous living
and debauchery. The calm was
made that it was safe estimate
that for every thousand put into
prospect shafts in anil about Butte
City, not more than twenty-five
cent piece had been taken out. 1t
spoke Of the inhabitants of Butte
Ciy and Wateryille as plebeians Of
the lowest sort and condition Of
life.
The worst cut to Fred, however,
was the closing paragraph. 1t
stated that the habit of promoters
of these Western towns was to bride
correspondents Of Eastern papers
and that many were weak enough
to fall, which was not only unfor-
tuate for the journal publishing
these fattering falsehoods, but a
base injustice to Eastern investors
who were led captive with their
savings into Western "booms"
through the Vaccinations of I'M
priIncipled correspondents for
Eastern papers.
The article had evidently been
written by one particularly ac-
quainted with some single town,
and who thought he knew the en-
tire continent-some one who had
so many ideas about nothing that
he had but few, if any, about a
tangible something.
If Fred had been nonplussed up
on receipt of the assistant editors
letter, he was now stunned. He
thought very little of his own in
vestment at Waterville, but rather
Of what his old associates on the
: Banner would think Of him, fol-
he regarded the article as direct
thrust at himself and his integrity
A man may be critical without con
demning, he may even suspect 8
friend without sacrificing him OF
the evidence Of mere doubt.
After waiting a few days, anc
receiving no further communica-
ton from the Banner office, and
feeling too Inundated to write tc
his city friends, until time had
dulled the blow, he concluded to
go to Waterville, and see if he
could make arrangements with the
} Town Company whereby he could
at once return the money invested
by his associates in Waterville lots
The more he thought of the arti-
Gle in the Banner the more indig-
nant he became. "There is not 8
manufacturing or any other kind
of an institution in the East rich
enough" he said to himself, etc
stand such wholesale boycotting as
that to which this Western coun-
try is constantly subjected by the
Eastern press. 1t is not conserv-
alive. I have not been long in the
West, it is true, but my respect fol
it and its people is growing. Even
Chicago, with all her greatness. en-
ergy and achievements, is belittled
by the press of the Eastl
By birth | am a Gothamite, and
by education | am an Eastern man
but my patriotism for Americs
and all that is American has never
allowed me to turn up my trous-
ers when there is heavy fog in
London. l owe Englishmen be-
cause they are loyal to England
and the Union Jack, and the Eng
, lish love the American who is clan
nish to America and the stars and
stripes. Bowling to the golden cali
of precedent is a scorpion whip Of
pain on the bare shoulders of the
J broadcast patriotism and persistent