The Nome daily nugget., 1910-11-10


 Laws. No, siree. its them old timers that falls for the sure thing guy. nine time outn ten. Why look at all these old mining consarns. warent they the ones that was roped by the com on boys for the past ten year. huh?" Peeler emmited a grunt. lit a cigaret and continued:
 Member the Fnanza Minin' Com pany? We'll. I'll tell you one on 'em that would make a dod gasted checha- ka feel like a new bon sucker"
 Al Peeler was reckoned as some what of a philosopher by the boys who hung out at the shack, and nary one disputed his word. Whatever Al said was law and no one could break the law, either He never did have much to say on any subject but when he did spout once in a while he made up for the time his vocabulary was dormant flc weighed each word he thought be- fore speaking and every statement he made was taken at face value-and that's TO pun.
 Al was busily engaged examining a grease spot on his parka while he was talking and for that reason he did not recognize Joe Hines the Finanza Min ing Company's professional affidavit man as he entered the shack and quiet ly seated himself near the glowing stove.
 Mart Owen" resumed Al. after eliminating & portion of the grease from his covering, "was operatin on Squirrel creek in them days an his prope'ty was conside'd putty valuable I allow that Peelers wealth was a reckoned in six figurs by the Fnanza people and they was some anxious to secure Mart's No. I above. on Gold Hill creek. which had been touted to be the bes' payin' prope'ty in the vicinity of Nome"
 Here Joe Hines looked up from the floor and shifted unesily in his chair but his actions were unnotieed by the assembly
 AS rse a sayin'." continued Al. "the Bnanza had designs on Mart's claim. No I. an when they got the'r machin- cry a workin' all hell couldn't stop 'em from glttin what they was after"
 Al turned his gaze toward Joe Hines who had regained his usual calm ex- terlor. Somewhat surprised. but never theless unheedfui of the presence of the Finanzas representative. Al con tinued with his yarn.
 Mart heard bout the company try in to grab his prope'ty at a bargain an he tho't the situation over. Now Mart ain't nobody's fool. He knew way down in his heart that his No. Gold Hill was not wo'th the powder to blow it up. He had prospcted 1t the win ter b'fore an although there was a leetle su'face color there was no pay deep nough to warrant the takin' out of dump. In some places the ground banned at eight-five cents. but that was very 'ceptional. Mart had tole me that he would gladly sell the claim for song or would give a good lease on 1t. But the F'nanza never heard any of these bum repo'ts bout the ground so they was still dead set on gettin hold of 1t and Mart knew it."
 "well. one day. long comes a guy whot sez he is rep'esentin' the Fnanza an that he'd like to have look at the props'ty."
 Now as Mat had 'xpected visit from some one from that consa'n what does he do. but salt the claim. Yes. siree. he puts about five hund'ed dol lars worth of pay into the ground and packs the earth over it in an xperi- enced manner"
 As Mart allows that they is no hs :m In lettin' .ha stranger inspet ire ground the representative from tho B'nanza proceedes 10 fuss bout the claim diligently like. Finally he kicks up some of the dust Mart had planted He looks 'roun' 'spiciously to see if the boys a pipin' i'm on. Now Mart knew that the game would be queered f he stood by and watched so he ducks Is nut down the creek. Seein' as how he warent bein' piped. the smoothe eeezer takes a sample of the dust and caches it in Is vest and hurries on tryin' not 10 be discovered makIn' his sitiway. But a premature sneeze spells it all as the noise srouses Mart as he was returning up creek"
 Well. what do you think or the prope'ty" ventues Mart. sorta care less like.
 Let you know later-maybe it's an right an then again mehbe 1t ain't." returns the B'nanza man.
 That's al Mart seen of the geezer for some time-almost a whole day. an just as the boy had said the sucker