Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-04-20
His Inventive Genius.

~~@<~S~O@OeOS0
Copyright. 1909. by American Press Assoc
ciation.l
Johnny Bounce and l were school
mates and fast friends. Johnny was
younger than ], but stronger. Every
boy who could lick me awaited himself
Of the opportunity just for the fun of
1t. Johnny could lick most of them
and, noticing that needed friend, be-
gan to lick every boy that licked me-
This had a wholesome effect, and
was soon let alone. Indeed, am not
sure that ! did not impose on some Of
them, knowing that a dread of Johns
big fist would deter them from giving
me a deserved punishment.
When we left school to go out into
the world 1--WE were pretty big boys
them said to John Bounce: Johnny,
l want you to understand that l owe
you a whole lot. II ever get a chance
to make a stand of for what you've
done for me, I'll do it."
"Oh, you don't owe me anything,
Tom," he said. Besides, guess we'll
both get along pretty we'll"
/ didn't see John after our parting
for years. Then one day a man came
into my Office Of very forlorn appear
ance. i put my fingers in my pocket
to get out 10 cents when l noticed the
fellow looking at me with a quizzical
expression.
you don't know me, Tom?"
mo, l don't"
I'm Johnny Bounce"
My heart sank, for l knew that the
world had been too much for John
However, j gave his hand a warm
grasp, asked him to sit down and tell
me what he had been doing. He said
he hadn't had much success thus far.
but he had ''irons in the fire." some Of
which he thought would pan out very
big. / had heard of these "irons" be-
fore in connection with men who had
lost their grip on the world and knew
that instead of irons they were gases.
But / saw that John was sincere. so
did not discourage him.
You can't run thing like that,
John" l said, referring to one of his
bNACEllCbg hilhOul DGlAS SAub hlAhNu
haven't any capital to put in, but
wish you would let me lend you what
you need from time to time. I've got
$40 here In my No? Don't need it?
Well. whenever you do come right in
here and get it."
knew perfectly well that he needed
money, but could not bring himself to
take 1t from me, whose equal he had
been in everything except an ability
to punch boys heads. and in this he
had been my superior. was obliged
to let him go without affording him
relief, but took his address, resolving
to find some indirect way of giving
him money. But l was very busy at
the time and put the matter of. Be
sides, am not an inventive genius and
failed to think of any method Of lend
ing John Bounce money without APP
pearing to give it.
One morning a woman came into my
ONCE and said she had heard John
Bounce, who boarded with her, speak
$S7.45 for board. and she would like
me to tell her IL he had any property
on which she could levy. l told her
that Mr.. Bounce was a perfectly hon.
orable man. but was trying to carry
| through certain schemes without suffi-
cient capital. She left with a check
for the amount Of her bill A week
later / received a note from John re-
GREETING that the woman had thought
It necessary to adopt such strenuous
measures and assuring me that one of
his irons was at white heat. and he
would soon call and return the amount
I admired his plan of enabling me to
help him indirectly.
John never came to see me. His
pride, his sensitiveness, whatever II
was. wouldn't let him. One day a long
| while after the board bill episode /
received a note from an undertaken
! telling me that a man named John
| Bounce had died in a boarding house.
| A letter from me had been found in
money to bury him 1t was deemed adj
visable to notify me. The amount re-
| Quired was about 500.
was sorry now since poor John
| was gone that l had not been able to
do more for him. / inclosed a check
for the amount and authorized a call
| for more / did the latter as an ex.
cuse to my conscience for not attend.
ing to the matter personally. couldn'i
bring myself to such q melancholy
duty.
A few months later l received a note
from one who wrote that he had been
an intimate friend Of the late Mr.. John
Bounce, the inventor 1t was proposed
by several of Mr.. Bounce's friends e
place a headstone at his grave. There
were four men ready TO contrib
ute $50 each The cost Of the stone
would be $3.50. Knowing that 1 had
been a schoolmate Of Mr.. Bounce, be
had ventured to write to know II
would make one OF Eve. at once sent
my check for $50.
A year passed. One morning l re
ceived a note from a lawyer stating