The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-16
|GlLLlSPIE IS
EXPLAINING
THINKS NEW YORK MAN MUST
BE a COUSIN or His.
BURNS IS STUNG
Hack Driver cashes "Phony" Check.
for $e5 --!"BiIly"' Conner Getting to
Pc ! Regular Globe Trotter-Wants
TO Bet Real Money.

I0r Soo--ssl6elIiy Conner Getting to
1e 4 Regular Globe Trotter-Wants
to Bet Real Money.
From Saturdays Daily.
T.. "A. Gillespie, a well known live
stock commission man Of this city, is
having a hard time explaining the
following dispatch, dated New York,
which appeared recently in an east
ern paper:
award Of the contract to build the
Rondout siphon, a part Of the $751;.
100000 undertaking for the city's new
water supply, to the T.. "A. Gillespie
company Of New York and Pittsburg,
was made today by the board of water
supply. Its bid was $6,290,803.5O.
There were five other bidders. The
tunnel is to be four and one-half
miles in length, and in several places
700 feet in depth. -Four and one-half
years are given to complete the work.
The Billings commission man was
puzzled when his friends first sprung
It on him, but now he is wise and
just smiles and says, He's a cousin
of mine..' u
Conner Holds Record.
BILLY" Conner, formerly general
agent for the Chicago Great Western
railroad, who makes frequent trips. to
Billings and has many friends here,
is willing to post a bet that he has
covered q route which is uneQualed
by any individual since the tie up Of
Montana railroads.
Billy says he covered the following
route within the past few days and
until somebody stands ready to cover
his bet he will not divulge his time.
From Miles City to Billings, thence
to Fargo, and from that city to Great
Falls; from Great Falls back to Fargo
and from Fargo to Jamestown and
thence to Butte. He did all this try
ing to find out a road over which he
could travel without running into
something except hard luck.
Since he has severed his connec-
ton with the railroad company MI.
Conner has engaged In the sheep bust
ness in the western part of the state.
Jake Was Friend in Need.
Jake Burns, a well known hack
driver Of this city, is about the sorest
man in Billings on the subject Of
cashing checks. Jake favored anew
found friend the other night by en-
dorsing a check for $65' drawn on q
st. Paul bank. He even went so far
as to cash the check for the man at
one Of the local cafes. When the st.
Paul bank wired back that the check
was "phony." Jake decided that he
was "stung," made good the amount
and now he is looking for that man.
Jake is not the only victim Of the
smooth stranger. "A woman who con
ducts a house in the restricted district
.fell' for 500.
The checks were Autographed, and
as Jake expressed it were written in
"get the money sstyle.v They we're
drawn in favor Of one Wilson, and
bore the name Of the manager Of q
well known contracting firm that has
been doing railroad work in this sec
ton for some time past. There was
nothing on them to indicate that they
were worthless, but on the contrary
everything appeared to be regular.
Az the stranger left Billings soon
after cashing the checks, there Is no
clew 70 to his whereabouts. although
he told several persons that he was
going to Butte and others that he
war bound for Dallas. Tex. One thing
is certain, II he Is wise and has ever
seen Jake Burns in action he won't
return to Billings very soon.
A copy Of the cipher Of the Ameri,
can state department, used in private
correspondence between Washington
and the various American legations
and embassies, was stolen recently
from the American legation at Buch-
Arrest, Roumania, By 8 French en-
ploye. who escaped to Co~nstantinople.
Butte citizens do noe appear to have
shown their usual enterprise lately,