Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-08-26
By JOHN IRVING A

will, now that you have given me a
piece Of good news. To tell you the
truth, I'm up against it hard. It's
a tough thing to say but haven't had
anything but hard luck since l got
married, a year ago this spring"
"And you are married, are YOU"
I'm glad to hear that. It's a good thing
for you, but I'm sorry if you're hav-
ing a run of tough luck. But | want
you to tell me about what happened
in the deal you were going to make
your fortune in"
WELL, that won't take lone to tell"
replied the young man. Il was the
easy mark for cid Maj. Skinner, one
of the slickest mining promoters that
ever got money for pieces of paper.
Everybody around this town had the
gold fever here a year or 50 ago and
when | got married my wife and |
took a trip up to tho wild country
just for a change. l had a months
vacation coming to me and was crazy
to see the town of Goldfeld that I'd
heard so much about. We went up,
there and that was where we first met
Maj. Skinner. The major was a man
of affairs and pretended to take a
great interest in us as a young mar
ried couple.
81 don't know how it ever happened,
but the major talked me into his net
just as easy as catching trout in the
Truckee. We had $4,000, most of
which was my wife's money. The
major had the Shawlneck mining
claim which he had capitalized at a
million dollars, with a million shares
with a par value of 81 each. He pro-
fessed to be a little short of ready
money to either promote the stock or
go ahead with the development on the
property. My $4,000 looked good to
him and he hypnotized me so that his
proposition looked like a quick way
of getting hold of a fortune to me.
The strike came and then the
financial panic. The Shawlneck was
given up as a bad proposition and
was broke. Maj. Skinner still had my
SIS, 900, and when the panic came he
picked up another piece of property
in the new camp of Rawhide that is
making him II of the richest men in
the state Of Nevada. | had given up
my job to make a fortune in Goldfeld
and when | was cleaned out and came
back here and tried to get back in
the railroad office l was informed that
they didn't care to have a man who
had been mixed up In a wildcat min
ing proposition. You see some of the
people had bought stock in the Shawl
neck on my recommendation and
couldn't blame them for being sore
when it petered out. And that's about
all, l guess"
"And you say Maj. Skinner has
struck it rich?" inquired Floyd wher
young Jackson had finished his story
Wouldn't he put your stock back o.
give you a chance in his new propo
~sition?"
mo, when l wrote him about thu
position | was in here, he simply re
piled that while he was sorry to leari
!, of my temporary hard luck, business
was business and a trade was a trade
He reminded me that the Shawlnecl
> property was still there to be worke'
! and that l might go and try to ge
some one to buy more of the develop
ment stock and put up the money TO
digging deeper"
n well you've been properly stuns
S Tommy" continued Floyd, "but mayb
we can get even. Cleland and | ha
just been talking about a little tri
through the Nevada camps. You
s story has decided me. Pm going u
a to get acquainted with your frient
Maj. Skinner. He's a man we'll wort
knowing, especially as he has got lot
s of money. Bring me in the $500
shares of stock you hold in the Shaw
n neck. 1t will give me an Gus &c
getting acquainted with Maj. Skinne
o I'll see that you get your stock bacl
but I've an idea that | will W wha
ever portion of the Shawlneck pro
If erty that Maj. Skinner now has, befor
l leave this part of the country. An
IS by the way, | will let you have $5C
If on account Of that debt Of Georg
Stewards and you a write him
t, that effect and ask him to send alon
the thousand he owes. He'll do it a
It right. Tell your wife that there Is
good chance of her getting back thi
le 5000 she said good-by to in the ne;
future and maybe we'll open UP Il
y Shawlneck again."
BIT Tommy Jackson hurried away
lie carry the good news of his meetir
lie with Floyd to his young wife and whe
I'd he had taken his departure actual
Id smiled in contemplation of the gan
he saw ahead for Floyd and himse
to play. Col. Powley was informed
re the change in plans Of his companion
that night and announced that he wou
return alone to Chicago.
The town of Rawhide was fiauntii
a itself upon the mining map of Neva'
ks and being doomed in the outside wor
re as one Of the richest discoveries Of
at decade. Though but a yearling In ag
vn it boosted an alleged irst-class hot,
to a bank, several Offices Of mining co,
m panies with high sounding titles al
Of the usual number of saloons with t
ur customary attachments Of gamblii
lis houses.
to Doc Floyd and Jack Cleland arriv
in in the camp with enough money
their pockets and travelling belts
We buy up a few mining claims, but aft
ell one look at the bank they conclud
wagon in daily use at Seghill,