The daily Alaskan., 1909-05-05
For Cash Down.

and halted for drink of water. He didn't stop because he had any idea that he could sell as much as a nutmeg gratcr. The house WAS frame, un- painted. weather beaten and gloomy, while the barn and sheds were of logs, the fences gone to decay, the fields grown up to weeds. and the whole out it spoke of poverty and shlfucssness. Years before the house had been built for a roadside inn. but travel had been diverted to another road, and its own CT had abandoned the place. Shiftlcss Joe Plnchly had come along with his slattcrnly wife and "SQuattcd" there and raised just enough corn and tur- nips to keep going They were sitting on the rotting vcranda smoking as the DeddlCr drove Up.
 If you had any gumption about you' you could make $1,OOO out of this place this summer" he said.
 "Tvc broke my back here for four years and almost starved to death,' re- piled Joe.
 But you lack gumption, you see. Gumption means knowing how to let uD on farming and take hold of some thing better when it's right at your door. Lord. man, but what chance you have wiSe2d"
 i've allus told Joe there was money buried somewhere around hcrc,' ob- served Mrs. pinchly as she removed her pipe from her mouth.
 Buried money be hanged! It's right on top of the ground. It's right before vour eyes. It's in the house. It's ly- ipr around loose and waiting to be picked up. If you'd had gumpuoh would be riding in your own carriage today. You didn't have it. You had to wait until came along to show you where the money iS.'
 And you'u show uS!' exclaimed husband and wife in chorus as they rose up and looked around.
 That's lo be seen. First l want to look tb,S old house over l want to see every room in it. Then l want to have a square talk with you. You are sick of staying here. and am sick Of lin pcldlmg-uot but what it's noble profession. but it doesn't furnish the opportunities for hustling man."
 There was a talk lasting for two hours. The pcGdlcr drew up a paper, and tue three signed it. When he de parted Joe Piuchly and wife were feel ing quite balmy. They hadn't found any money, but they were noddinG their heads at each other and grinning. There was village five miles to the east of them and another six miles to the west. and in both of them weekly newspapers were published. Before night next day the pcddler had inter viewed the editors. The editors had a hair raising story of haunted house. There were a score of other papers in the county. The pcddlcr didn't stop until he had called upon half of them He also stopped travellers on the high way and talked, and he talked to peo' ple in villages, and inside of two weeks 10000 people had heard the news that Joe Pinchly's old farmhouse was haunted. The reports were awesome and grewsomc and hair raising.
 1 People are never satisfied to simply talk about a haunted house if within reaching distance of it. The peddlcr had provided for their coming. He had sunk his cash capital in buying pro- visions. When the rush set in he was there to welcome it. All Pinchly and his wife had to do was to shake their heads and look mysterious and sell pies and sandwiches to hungry sight seers. Boiled eggs and hot tea and cof' l fee could also be had at price. There were twenty different rooms and a eel ! lar and garret to the old house, and | the charge for taking visitor through them all was 30 cents. They were talk on in groups of six at time. If they merely desired to see the family bed room. where score of mysterious noises had been heard at night, togeth' CT with the room where the peddler had been hauled out of bed by q ghost, 1 1t was only 9 cents. The night noises, as the peddler stated and the Pinchlys affirmed by mods of the head, consist ed of groans. sighs, footballs, tappinGs, whisperings and large and well se- l Iected stock of other hair raisers.
 In one week 200 people came in wag- ons. Some brought their food. and some bought it. They camped about the house and paid their money to be conducted over it and then drove away to send others. During the second week they began to come by rail and were driven over from the village. The fare was $l each The peddler had seen to that; also to his divyy. Some ! of tbOSe who wished to remain all