Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-06-30
CHAPTER XII

Jack Balcomb, walking through an
alley that ran parallel with Jefferson
street, marked the unmistakabIe figure
TO Ezra Cameron ahead of him. This
alley was called Ruby street for no rea-
son that any one knew. It was lined
with the rear doors of Jefferson street
shops on one side and those of tobbins
houses on the other, and, as it was
narrow, its traffic was usually con-
gested. Il few saloons were queezed
into corners here and there and in oue
large room opening directly on the al
ley q dealer in margins maintained an
office.
Il bet a dollar you're going for a
drink" Balcomb remarked, under his
breath: but the old man passed a sa-
loon and went on. He seemed to be in
haste, and Balcomb stepped into the
middle of the alley and watched him.
until he reached the brokers office,
which he entered without looking
around.
Balcomb whistled. Worse than
drink" he reflected. and went up to his
own office
Balcomb's mind seethed with schemes
these days. He sought to give an air
of seriousness to his business by car
rying in the daily press an advertise
ment which read, j. Arthur BaIcomb.
Investment Broker" and he inscribed
the same legend on his stationery. The
solid business men of Mariona regard
ed him little warily; but he had car
ried through several enterprises with
considerable dash. and, as he cultivat-
ed the reporters. his name frequently
appeared in the newspapers. The
building of interurban trolley lines was
bringing the surrounding towns more
and more into touch with the capital.
The country banker and the small cap
italist were now much seen in the
streets of Mariona. They were learn
ing the lingo of metropolitan bust
ness; many of them had found 1t con-
venient to enroll themselves as non
resident members of the Commercial
Club, and Jack BaIcomb's office proved
a pleasant rendezvous. Here they
could use his stenographers, and the
| long distance telephone was theirs to
command The banks and trust COM
panies were a trife large for these in
terurban capitalists; but Jack Balcomb
/ accommodated himself to great and
small. Prosperous farmers, who were
/ finding il pleasant to run into the capt.
tai now that the street car passed
| their door, learned much from BalComb
who had the rosy Imagination and sub
| lime zeal that they lacked. Balcomb
| had organized the Patoka Land and
| Improvement Company to give the in
! terurbanites chance to taste the
/ sweets of large enterprises
Balcomb found a group of men
/ waiting for him in his office and he
! sent them into his private room while
/ he dictated in 8 loud tone to one of his
/ stenographers. 1t was a letter to a IA
nous Wall street banking house and
| referred in large figures to a certain or
uncertain bond deal which. from the
/ terms of the letter, the New York
| house and Balcomb were carrying on
! together. 1t was, to be sure, a letter
! that never would cucumber the mails.
/ but this made no difference TO Balcomb.
who gave it what he called the true
commercial literary finish.
He left the stenographers to them
selves with the solemn injunction that
he was not to be disturbed; then ne
entered his private office briskly and
was soon talking brea thlessly to half u
] dozen auditors. He stood with a pile
of architects sketches before him, dis
closing to his associates of the Patoka
/ Land and Improvement Company his
! scheme for an ideal fat. He smoothed
the blue prints on the table carefully
! as he said:
You gentlemen viii admit that there
! are plenty of apartment houses down
town. Every old corner is getting one.
/ Every lone widow in the community
| takes her life insurance money and
blows it into fat and thinks is safer
than government bonds But I've got
an idea worth two of the best of them.
/ I wish we could copyright it, it's 50
good"
He let a drea ~ look come into his
eyes while the grave fncorporators of