The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-01-11
Saving a Fortune.

copyright, 1908, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
When I was at Cinnamon that enter
prising town was 40 miles from any
railroad and a hard place to get away
from 1t was a desirable place to
leave, since the population was COM
posed of gamblers, cutthroats, dis
pensers Of alcoholic drinks, miners
and storekeepers, mentioned in order
Of Importance. The only respectable
family in the place was that of George
Jones, who kept a general store, and
as he was the only man who never
sold anything on trust all the money
gradually found it's way into his cot
fers. It was like washing gold. The
dirt was constantly shaken up among
the citizens, the metal sinking to the
bottom of Jones pan.
Every one knew that Jones was
gathering a snug sum and that he
wished to take it and his children to
a respectable place. Every one was
waiting for him to make the attempt,
relying on the road agents when he
did so to relieve him of the funds
while on the route and start them
again In circulation. Furthermore, the
road agents were waiting to carry out
this praisewerthy object
One day a red flag appeared at Jones'
store, and it was announced that he
would sell the remnant of his stock at
auction. He sold on sixty days credit,
%To4
notes fell due and were collected he
proposed to leave Cinnamon with his
family and his fortune. There was
not a thousand dollars worth of goods
left, and these Jones sold to anybody
who wanted anything on his credit
plan. Everybody wanted goods so
easily obtainable, and Jones in few
hours exchanged the stuff for notes.
] While Jones was thus giving credit
| for money credit was due Mrs. Jones
| for being a very shrewd woman. A
week before the falling due of the
notes she issued invitations for a
'fsuarry," to which every one in town,
including gamblers and road agents,
was invited, to celebrate the departure
Of the Jones family on the day after
the said notes fell due. Her husband,
generous man, made it known that if
any of the debtors found it inconven-
lent to pay up at maturity the matter
would be left open for a reasonable
time. These two propositions en-
HANGED the popularity of the Jones
family, and the cutthroats got their
horses and their guns ready to return
the family fortune to circulation.
1 had clerked for Jones and was
ready to do anything in the world fol
him, but he didn't trust me till the
last minute, though he told me to be
ready on short notice to go somewhere
with him. I was not included in Mrs
Jones' invitations for her "suarry,
which surprised me. had room op
posite the Jones house, and the nigh
the party came Off I watched the
( throng go in and knew by the gradual
~ increasing sounds coming from with
; in that the guests were getting cheer
full. By II o'clock most of them wer
} drunk, the worst element being lai(
out on the floor where they had SUM
in their exuberance Of spirits.
could see through the windows Jone
! opening champagne, his wife SERVING
eatables and the children carrying tn
luxuries to the guests. Then I say
J Jones himself, drunk as lord, plede
ing his guests, while his wife took u
the corkscrew, which he was no longe
able to WELD
I had been told to remain In m
room ready for orders, and at midnigh
1 saw Jones emerge from his house an
come across the street, and, walkin
]. straight as an infantry sergeant, b
= headed for me. When be came unde
i. my window he called to me softly.
went down, and, taking me throug
the back door and the yard, he stoppe
before two horse team standing 0
the street beyond. Jones told me
get In and take the reins. I did S,
and as we drove off he strapped
q brace of pistols around his waist an
laid two more at my feet at the DO
tom of the wagon. On the outskirt
of the town we stopped for minut
a at a house while Jones lifted into Il