The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-20

New York to Chicago; Can you find
any fault with that?''
/ Not a Bit" replied Mrs. Bowser.
I'VE charge the same as the rail-
roads, but reduce the time more than
| one-half. Five hundred million pas
sengers carried every year, and acct
dents utterly impossible. We take
away every pound of freight from the
and billions of dollars. Any fault to
find with that?"
None at all Whose idea is it?''
Mr.. Bowser drew himself up and slow
| ly lifted his hand and pointed finger
at his forehead and whispered:
''Mine-aH mineI 1t suddenly came to
me two or three days ago when was
! eating luncheon, and the vaStness of it
| took me like blow in the solar-plexus.
can hardly grasp it yet, but / realize
that the Pyramids of Egypt are not in
it, Columbus was not in it when he
discovered America. It's my idea-it's
Bowser's idea-the same Bowser you
have sneered at. Am 1 a fool, Mrs.
Bowser, or have I got a brain or two in
my head?"
But you haven't paid out any money
yet?" she asked.
only a trif1e. have paid a draughts-
man $50 to draw me a section of the
tubes to be used. Fifty dollars against
billion ha! hal ha Well, where do
your arguments come in? Got any facts
and figures to prove that ought to be
in an idiot asylum"
mo. You seem to have struck it at
last
Then I'll run over and state the case
to the butcher. He has always intimated
that hadn't brains enough to take care
of f1fty-cent piece. want him to gaze
at billion dollar Bowser for a minute.
By George, Mrs. Bowser-"
But he was too excited to finish, and
Mrs. Bowser did not seek to detain him.
On the contrary, she was glad he was
going to the butcher, even though she
knew what would happen when he re-
turned.
Mr.. Bowser reached his family butch |
er shop treading on air. The butcher !
was having an easy time of it as he |
waited for customers and begrudgingly |
cut out and threw aside a few bones. |
He heard the story from beginning to |
end without comment. and then looked |
up and idly asked:
MIR. Bowser, how many million dol |
lars have you got on hand?"
''Why, what has that got to do with |
the land-the cars-the stations
the machinery"
"Why-why-"
you can figure on at least half a |
million dollars per mile. and it will |
take cold cash. If you have got four |
hundred million dollars handy you |
can start your line to Chicago. If you |
haven't you'd better go home and play |
Mrs. BoWSer a Few games or euchre |
and then soak your head and go to |
bed"
''This to me, sir-this to mel'' ex-
claimed Mr.. Bowser as he turned |
whittier than the dead.
yes, you might come off the |
perch"
"Sir, you are an infamous scoundrel |
and can lick you in two minutes!"
Then Mr.. Bowser left the shop to |
walk up and down the streets. He |
scented the budding foliage-he heard |
the beetles whiz by his ears-the notes
of some night bird came plaintively to
his soul, but he needed not these
things He knew that Mrs. Bowser
had played it lowdown on him, and he
wanted to fall on her like brick
house and crush her all at once. Then
along came a young man who had an
appointment to meet some ones hired |
girl at the gate. He was whistIing and |
feeling at peace with all the world
when there was a warwhoop in his
ear, somebody grabbed him, and then
4 woman looking out of the window
saw two human figures locked in a
deadly struggle. One of them was
Billion Dollar Bowser. He wanted |
sore.-(Copyrighted, 1907. by Homer
Sprague.)