Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-12-12

That was the home of Montague Sill
yer, my old instructor, now retired
from business. / knew Monty would
stake me to web money if | could
show him a fly buzzing round in the
locality. Bill Bassett said all towns
looked alike to him as he worked
mainly in the dark. So we got off the
train in Los Perros, a fine little town
In the silver region.
Il had an elegant little sure thing
in the way of a commercial slung-
shot that | intended to hit Bassett be-
hind the ear with. I wasn't going to
take his money while he was asleep.
but / was going to leave him with a
lottery ticket that would represent in
experience to him $5,755-I think that
was the amount he had when he got
off the train. But the first time I
limited to him about an investment, he
turns on me and disencumbers him
self of the following terms and ex-
pressions:
Brother Peters, says he, 1t amt
bad idea to go into an enterprise of
some kind, as you suggest. | think I
will But if do it will be such a cold
proposition that nobody but Robert E.
Peary and Charlie Fairbanks will be
able to sit on the board of directors
I thought you might want to turn
your money over says /.
1 do, says he, frequently. I can't
sleep on one side all night. I'll tell
you, Brother Peters, says he, I'm
going to start poker room I don't
seem to care for the humdrum in
swindling, such as peddling egg-beat.
ers and working off breakfast food
on Barnum and Bailey for sawdust to
strew in their circus rings. But the
gambling business, says he, from the
profitable side Of the table is a good
compromise between swiping silver
spoons and selling penwipers at a
Waldorf-Astoria charity bazaar
Then says I, Mr.. Bassett, you
don't care to talk over my little busi.
ness proposition?'
Why says he, do you know, you
can't get Pasteur institute to start
up within so miles of where l live.
bite so seldom
so BaSSett rents a room over
saloon and looks around for some fur.
niture and chromos. The same night
| went to Monty Silver's house, and
he let me have 5000 on my prospects.
Then l went to the only store in Los
Perros that sold playing cards and
bought every deck in the house The
next morning when the store opened
| was there, bringing all the cards
back with me. l said that my partner
that was going to back me in the
game had changed his mind; and !
wanted to sell the cards back again
The storekeeper took 'em at hall
price.
Yes. I was $75 loser up to that
time. But while l had the cards that
night l marked every one in every
deck. That was labor. And then trade
and commerce had their innings, and
the bread | had cast upon the waters
began to come ba' in the form OF
cottage pudding with wine sauce.
"Of course | was among the first to
buy chips at Bill Bassett's game. He
had bought the only cards there was
w bC lltbNI III lONIl, anu i hubW lH6
back of every one of them better than
know the back of my head when the
barber shows me my haircut in the
two mirrors.
When the game closed | had the
six thousand and a few odd dollars, and
all Bill Bassett had was the wander.
lust and black cat le had bought for
a mascot. Bill shook hands with me
when l left
Brother Peters, says ne, 4 have
no business being in business. I was
preordained to labor. When a No. |
burglar tries to make James out OF
his jimmy he perpetrates an impro-
fundity. You have a well-oiled and
efficacious system of luck at cards.
says he. Peace go with you. And
never afterward sees Bill Bassett
again"
We'll, jeff" said I, when the Auto.
lycan adventurer seemed to have di.
vulged the gist of his tale, Il hope you
took care of the money. That would
be respecta-that is considerable
working capital if you should choose
some day to settle down to some sort
of regular business"
Me- said Jeff, Virtuously. "You
can bet I've taken care of that six
thousand"
He tapped his coat over the region
of his chest exultantly.
Gold mining stock" he explained
every cent of it. Shares par value
one dollar. Bound to go up 500 per
cent. within year. Non-assessable.
The Blue Gopher mine. Just discov
cred month ago. Better get in your.
self if you've any spare dollars on
hand"
Sometimes" said I, these minea
are not"
"Oh, this ones solid as an old
goose" said Jeff. Fifty thousand dol.