Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1908-191?, 1909-09-02
By JOHN IRVING DAY

truth. I'm up against It hard. It's
a tough thing to say but ! haven't had
anything but hard luck since got
married. year ago this spring"
And 'ou are married. are you?"
I'm glad 20 hear that. It's a good thing
for YOU. but I'm sorry II you're hav-
ing run of tough luck. But | want
you to tell me about what happened
i'm TIE deal you were going TO make
your fortune in"
We'll, that won't take lonG to tell"
replied the young man. Il was the
easy mark for cid Mai, 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 n trip up to tho wild county
just for change. | had a months
vacation coming to me and was crazy
to see the town of Goldheld that Id
heard so much about. We went up
there and that was where we first met
Mai. skinner. The major was n man
of affairs and pretended to take
great interest in us as a young mar
rled couple.
Il 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 $1,000, most of
which was my wife's money. The
major had the Shawlncck mining
claim which he had capitalized at n
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 n quick way
of getting hold of fortune to me-
The strike came and then the
financial panic. The Shawlneck was
given up as bad proposition and I
was broke. Mai. Skinner still had my
$4,000. and when the panic came he
picked up another piece of property
in the new camp of Rawhide that is
making him one of the richest men in
the state of Nevada. had given up
my job to make fortune In Goldfield
and when | was cleaned out and came
back here and tried to get back in
the railroad Office | was informed that
they didn't care to have man who
had been mixed up in wildcat min
ing proposition. You see some OF the
people had bought stock in the Shawl
nack nn NV recommendation anl I
couldn't blame them for being sore
when it petered out. And that's about
all. guess"
And YOU say Mai. Skinner has
struck it rich?" inquired Floyd when
young Jackson had finished his story.
wouldn't he put your stock back or
give you a chance In his new propo-
sition?"
mo, when | wrote him about the
position | was in here. he simply re-
piled that while he was sorry TO learn
OF my temporary hard luck, business
was business and trade was a trade.
He reminded me that the Shawlneck
property was still there to be worked
and that might go and try to get
some one to buy more of the develop
ment stock and put UP the money for
! digging deeper
We'll. you've been properly stung.
Tommy" continued Floyd, but maybe
we can get even. Cleland and | had
just been talking about little trip
through the Nevada camps. Your
story has decided me. I'm going up
to get acquainted with your friend,
Mai. Skinner He's man well worth
knowing, especially as he has got lots
of money Bring me in the $4,000
shares of stock you hold in the Shawl.
| getting acquainted with Mai Skinner
I'll see that you get your stock back,
| but I've an idea that | will own what.
ever portion OF the Shawlneck prop.
erty that Mai. Skinner now has, before
| ! leave this part of the country. And
by the way. | will let you have $500
on account of that debt of George
Stewards and you can write him to
that effect and ask him to send along
the thousand he owes. He'll do it all
right Tell your wife that there is a
good chance of her getting back that
$4,000 she said good-by to in the near
future and maybe Wen open up the
Shawlneck again"
Tommy Jackson hurried away tc
carry the good news of his meeting
with Floyd to his young wife and when
he had taken his departure actually
smiled in contemplation of the game
he saw ahead for Floyd and himself
to play. Col Powley was informed OF
the change in plans of his companions
that night and announced that he would
return alone to Chicago.
The town of Rawhide was Haunting
itself upon the mining map of Nevada
and being doomed In the outside world
as one of the richest discoveries of q
decade. Though but yearling in age
il boasted an alleged first-class hotel
a bank, several Offices OF mining com
panies with high sounding titles and