Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30
AN EYE FOR STUFF
~ HIS Jobson story had its beginning
nearly two years ago. One even

~ HIS JOpSOn story Hau i'S cee'ii'i-e
nearly two years ago. one even
j ing, along toward the wind-up OF
1905, the Jobsons' friend. Mr.. Kaystreet,
dropped in on them. Mr.. Kaystreet is
real estate man.
Say Jobs" Mr.. Haystreet had remark
ed, on that occasion. want to more than
double little piece of change within
couple of years?'
stop that smoking had been Mr.. job
sons reply.
But Mr.. Kaystreet had protested tbat he
wasn't smoking. He knew of a couple of
lots, choice ones. in a certain new subdi-
vision, that were on the market because
the man who'd bought0 them had gone
broke and needed the quick coin. The lots
| were to be had for 500 per.
Its like hitting the poor devil with,
hunk of gaspipe and taking the lots away
had said. That's where the boom's go
| ing to be working bggern timber wolf
within the next yea or so. Watch and
see. If you feel like sticking in $500 now
I'll come pretty close to guaranteeing
| that you'll pull out inside of two years
with 81 800 at least"
| Mr.. Jobson had tanned Mr.. kaystreet.
| But after Mr.. kaystreet's departure that
| time Mrs. Jobson, who hasn't any bad
kind of an eye for this stuff, had made an
| observation or so to Mr.. Jobson.
Really" she had said, what Mr.. Kay
| street said about those two lots i'm
pressed me-
oh it did, hey?" Mr.. Jobson had re-
piled. Huh! Well, it isn't any such a
| hard thing to put a dent in putty that /
know Of
But" Mrs. Jobson had gone ahead.
Mr.. Kaystreet really Is a very shrewd
he"
Say, I'm getting some sick of this way
you've got OF plugging for that Kaystreet
idiot every time he hobs in here or when
ever his name is brought up, Mr.. job
son had broken In.
OH" Mrs. Jobson had replied, II
wasn't thinking SO much of Mr.. Kaystreet
as of what he told you about those two
lots. I've heard before that lots up in
that subdivision were very nice"
oh, very NICE hey?" Mr.. Jobson had
cut in. 81 s'pose II you had 'em you'd tie
pink ribbons all over 'em, wouldn't you?
A man 'ud have swell chance of duck
ing the poorhouse if he listened to stuff
about lots and things that women con-
slider very NICE
But" Mrs Jobson had ventured, i've
heard from a number Of sources that
property up in that direction is bound to
| that if Mr.. Kaystreet thinks that
"Oh, there you go with that Kay
street slush again." Mr.. Jobson had blurt-
ed out. II suppose If Kaystreet had
four or five lots situated on one of the
| southeastern canals of Mars, you'd be
Fostering me to dig up my hard-wrung
savings and invest in few of 'em just
because Kaystreet stopped oyer and got
enthusiastic about EN-
''Oh. no." Mrs. Jobson had continued,
but, as say, those lots out there
Those lots out there. madam" Mr..
Jobson had broken in, oracularly, ARE
out in the woods, and that's where they'll
still be long. years after you and 1 gre
sleeping under the panses."
But" Mrs. :Jobson had tried to in
quire. isn't the tendency of Washington
to grow"
''Oh. never you mind about the tendency
of Washington to. grow, madam" Mr..
Jobson had cut in at that point. That's
bite Off that spends nearly all of her
waking hours reading the works of the
Duchess and Mrs. Braddon.
"oh. we'll" Mrs. Jobson had replied.
Everybody knows that Washington Is
expanding as rapidly as any"
That's all right about Washington'ss
expansion. madam" Mr.. Jooson had
poked in at this juncture. Everybody
out of the way Of a house falling down.
that these real estate people are out after
the coin and that they don't care a hang
where or how Washington expands so
long as the old mazoofh drifts to their
pantaloon pockets.
But we ourselves know" Mrs Johson
had argued, several people of very
moderate means who have become really
well-to-do investing in these subdivisions
that nobody thought anything of
That's all right, too Mr.. Jobson had
declared, with his grouchy judicial air,
but those times have passed. The
things been overdone for several years
now. Was time when a man with
little capital could turn over his money
and pick up some pretty good things In
suburban real estate around Washington,
but that's all over now. Things been
overdone, 1 say. No chance on earth
now"
But" Mrs Jobson had argued again.
wasn't it only last year that the Pell-
mells made all that money selling some
lots that"
Say, look a-here. will you can this
my paper?' Mr.. Jobson had demanded at
this stage of it. Il suppose I don't know
anything about this real estate gag in
this mans town. eh?-is that the way
you've got it settled in your mind? /
tell you that they're overriding the thing.
They're stalking out punches of land out
in sections where you can shoot buffalo
and antelope and grizzly bears and things
if you wait long enough for EN- to bob
around, and then they're lacking high
sounding names to those subdivisions and
asking folks to buy lots in EN-. Pretty
soft for those fellows-but I'm not going
to bite. It'll take about two thousand
years for Washington to grow out to
about nine-tenths of those subdivisions
that've been mapped out already, and
the fellows that've put their good coin
into lots IN those subdivisions for invest
ment will be sitting biting their thumbs
from now till doomsday before they'll
ever get out one-eighth of the money
they put in, much less pick up a profit
on their transactions. l guess l knew
what I'm talking about"
''Well," Mrs. Jobson had said, rather
wistfully, on that evening nearly two
years ago, Il suppose you know. and
all that, but you've got a thousand dol
lars or so handy that isn't fetching any
thing in, and 1 only thought
You'll oblige me, madam, by permit
ting me to read my evening paper In
peace, or else I know where to go to find
peace Mr.. Jobson had growled as a
final squelcher, and Mrs. Jobson had
piped down.
The other afternoon. on street. Mr..
Kaystreet strolled up to Mr.. Jobson and
gave him a mighty wallop on the back.
Hello, there, old soldier, said Mr..
Kaystreet heartily. Doing any good for
yourself?'
Making a living Mr. Jobson replied.
wei. it's a wonder you do that much,
considering what a poke you are on
occasion, old man." said Mr. kaystreet.
Say, member those two lots out in that
subdivision that begged you. with tears
running down my cheeks, to buy for
800 apiece about two wears ago."