Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-04-08
remedy this state OF things by erecting

remedy this state or things by erecting
one completely furnished with all the
newest mechanical inventions of the age
The estimated trife of one hundred and
sixty thousand pounds will be raised by
the Great Tontine,' and that is simply
the issuing of sixteen hundred shares OF
one hundred pounds apiece. For every
hundred pounds share you take you must
nominate life, not less than sixty years
some person who has attained that age
any one you like; but he or she represent
ing the hundred pounds share must have
attained the sixtieth birthday"
And you may take as many shares as
you please?" asked Fortescue.
Quite so,' continued Carbuckle; "and
name one life for the whole lot, or give
a different name for each share. Now,
you see, it Is considered, that as all these
lives start at sixty years of age, in twenty
years there will be very few, If any OF
them, left"
And the holder of the last life takes
the pool cried Gerald Fitzpatrick. 1T
would be rather exciting to find ones self
one of the last half-dozen left in"
Don't interrupt Gerald" exclaimed
the barrister pettishly II want to make
Fortescue thoroughly understand Mr.. Sal
sburys great conception. The sixteen
hundred shares being all taken up, and
the names attached to them being all care
fully registered, the Great Tontine' be-
gins. With the capital thus acquired the
opera house Is at once commenced, ana IN
about two years should be finished and IN
full swing. AS soon as that takes place
five per cent per annum is to be paid to
the shareholders. As the lives lapse nom
inators lose all interest in the affair, and
the rental is divided amongst those share
holders whose nominees are still living !;
consequently, those fortunate enough to
have made long-lived selections find their
income increasing annually. The last
eight, for instance, will be drawing thou
sand year interest on their hundred
pounds share the last two will have IN
creased to four thousand year, whlle
the shareholder who has nominated the
final life becomes the proprietor OF the
whole"
THAT is exactly what say" interpos-
ed Fitzpat trick. 81 call it making very
suitable provision for your old age. Any
of us for instance, putting in our hun
dred pounds now, there is prospect OF
coming into eight thousand year at nifty
or thereabouts."
"a very distant prospect very dim
and hazy prospect" said Lakington, smll-
ing. "No, upon the whole, Gerald, Ia
rather trust to picking out the winner OF
the "Wokingham's' tomorrow, and put
my hundred on that, than put 1t into the
Great Tontine.'
Yes" rejoined Carbuckle meditatively
"a hundred pounds is good deal or
money to put into such an everlasting lot
terry as this"
But replied the ever sanguine Fitz-
patrick, "look what price it is Treble
events are nothing to this. have my lit
tie scheme. and it is worthy Of Salisbury
himself. What do you say, my brethren.
TO a pool at cards? We put in twenty
five pounds apiece. Draw card each
of you; the two highest first play togeth-
er, then the two lowest, and then the two
winners; and l propose that whoever
wins the pool be solemnly pledged to in
vest that hundred in the Great Ton
tine"
The game was played and Lakington
won.
Remember, Lakington," said Fitzpat-
rick, "you are pledged to put that hum
dred into the Great Tontine.' l have the
strongest presentiment that you will even
tually win it. 1t will be so like the luck
Of the Fitzpatricks to have chucked eight
year out of window. Anyway,
I am the first of the family who ever
staked as much on hand at cards. And
now I'm off to bed; can't do the family
estates any more mischief after that l
shall dedicate the next twenty years or
80 of my life to the framing of compen-
sation bill to be presented to Viscount
Lakington. the then owner of the new
Royal Italian Opera House.