Evening journal., 1910-02-18
THE ACME
ERADICATOR
By CORNELIUS BARRY
Copyright. 1910 by American Press
Association.

When my girl marries / don't wish
her TO marry a man who is liable TO
slip up on providing. | wish her TO
have a husband who can make mon
ey. When l was your age my father
gave me a thousand and told me to
use it and my wits together. Out Of
that thousand I've made $4,000. No;
/ can't give you Grace. You're not
sharp enough"
But l haven't a father to give me
$1,000" said George. Il haven't a IA
.her at all"
"Wen. George said the other, "l'll
tell you what I'll do. I'll lend Sou a
dollar Come and see me at the end
q year. and II find you've done
sell with it I'll lend you a thousand.
zne dollar is only to try you without
making any serious loss. The thou
aSnd will be to set you up. Then II
a,ter another year you have made
yo.r thousand grow I'll throw in
Grace. ] don't mean that you must
make something out of nothing, but
you must come pretty near It."
George took the dollar and his de-
parture without making any further
remark.
Grace" said Mr.. Skinner one day
some months after this, "a man came
into the Office the other day and sold
me a bottle Of some stuff for getting
grease out OF clothes. I've spilled
some gravy on my coat You'll find
! the extractor in my bedroom closet. 1
wish you'd bring it and take out the
gravy"
Grace brought a box containing a
white paste and a small bottle. After
reading the directions for application
On the label she scraped some Of the
paste on to the grease spot on her
fathers coat. poured some Of the
gauid from the bottle on to the paste
and rubbed it with a cloth. The mix
blre formed a frothy substance, which.
On further application OF the liquid,
vas easily rubbed away. But the
grease spot remained.
1t occurred TO Mr.. Skinner that he
Sad been done by the man who had
sold him the grease eradicator. Moth
shg in the world irritated the old
gentleman so much as 70 find a man
sharper than himself Acme Grease
) Eradicatorm he exclaimed contemptu'
ously, reading from the label. III BET
, It is a swindle, ana if it is I'll 60
Tor the company that sells IT. I'll have
Ben Humiston analyze it, Humistor
was n young chemist and Mr.. Skin
rsrs nephew.
A few days later the analysis cam'
, In. It was this. "Soap and water"
, "Soap and water. eh. I reckon
san get a few thousand for keeping
e sill anyway remarked the old gentle
nan. and. sending for his lawyer. h
e commissioned him TO see the Acm
Grease Eradicator people and find ou
what they were willing to give 70
y keeping their secret The attorne
a did so and reported that the compan
s were now using a different eradicatoi
/. that they would pay nothing for 81
- crecy and we're too rich for Mr.. Skin
G ner to punish. They were turning ou
y tons Of their eradicators daily. and
g was sold in every city, town and hau
!, let i'm the country.
A few weeks after this his daughte
reminded him that the year he ha
accorded her lover TO make the dolla
he had given him sprout was about I
expire Mr.. skinner remarked col
temptuously that the dollar bad doub
less long ago gone for cigarettes
, That evening George called and ter
8 dered the loaned dollar.
"Well. George" remarked the lende
'I confess I never expected to see
n again"
'You said, Mr.. skinner that II
made it grow you'd lend me a thol
sand and II 1 made that grow you
* give me Grace"
$50 I did. boy. Well, what have yc
done with IT,"
q made a million"
"a million grains Of sandT
X "a million dollars"
& Without regarding Mr.. SINNERS pu
n zled look George told his story Wi
the dollar he had received he boug
p two cakes Of white soap for 8 cen
each. The soap he cut into candl
n and ran a wick through each candl
Five cents more he invested in a be
tie and filled it with pure water. Eff
cents more went for a table Then
went to circus and began to tai
n grease spots OFF the clothes OF the pc
pie outside the show. The spots
made himself by spllling his "cand
grease" on the clothes and on the a
& plication Of water resulting soapsu
washed It out. Such a demand W
made for the grease eradicator tn
dozens Of boxes could have been SO
IL they had been on hand to sell. b
,c George took a partner and the ne
5c night did a good business"
Sc what did you call it," asked n
1c skinner eagerly.
&c "The Acme Grease Eradicator"
&C. 'Soldw exclaimed the old man.
&C eve are now selling a real eraI
O.. Gator on the demand worked up wi
~ the soap and water. and a mill
7c wouldn't buy the plant and the bu
ness"
10 It took Mr.. Skinner a long while
lb awake from the stupor occasioned
ID his wonder, a long while TO realize th
10 George was the Acme Grease Era
Gator company and still longer to re
. i've that hc was not dreaming Tn