Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-02-10
On the Ground Floor
By DONALD ALLEN
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary Press

president of the Square Dea,
down to that day and bonr 'alli
| minute. aug
Sarah Ann Lee and her friends
| to be let in on the ground 4oo.
old times sake. They were ~ 10y
given stock at ten cents on tbe w
lar, and in year that Same -. WI
would be hard to find at sian I o.,
limited quantity was ohta;nor u
hoWever-just few of her hAo+ ~.
dearest friends. Before She 1l,
Beaver street she was presented w;tt
several specimens of ore from ~
Square Deal, and she went bo~
perfectly satisfied in her own rinS
that there were few honest maS
left in this world
Miss Lee was not a selfish wor,.
She was willing that others shou,s
share in her good luck. She viStns
this one and that one, and told onM
about it. They had to believe IN
circular when she told of her trir ~
town and showed the specimens
There were people in Mt. Airy who
had money in the bank-monov "
stockings, money in old tomato cora
money in their hind pockets II
wouldn't have come out to save the
country, but it did come out 70 IN
vest in Square Deal silver stoc,
Some families mortgaged their or,v
COW, after investing what they had on
hand, and others parted with hens and
roosters which had grown old and
gray in their service.
The ripple hit the school teacher
the doctor, the minister and the mAr,
chant That ground floor" was load.
ed with money for them. In one week
Miss Lee disposed of $4,000 worth Of
stock and carried $4,000 in cash IN
to Beaver street, Then she purcbas
ed $4,000 worth for herself and went
home smiling woman.
For the next three months she was
the toast of the town She owned the
place. Not single soul spoke of her
as an old maid and wondered if her
temper had prevented her from get
ting married. There were three
months of figuring on new houses, new
furniture and trips to Europe when
the dividends began to come in. Al
hushed expectancy hung over the
town. Every investor in the Square
Deal expected to get check from
Beaver street any minute.
And then those busybody neVspa-
pers and the paternal postofice de,
partment had to spoil it ALL The
papers proclaimed the Square Deal
swindle, and the postal authorities
took up the mail 1t was acknowledg.
ed that he had paid $4,000 for the
mine and had been sWindled, but that
didn't relieve him of the offenSe Of
swindling others. He had fed with
what money he had collected and his
victims deserved no sympathy
The next ripple in Mount Airy was
a lively ripple! 1t rippled down the
street to Miss Sarah Ann Lees house.
1t washed over her fence and up to
her doorsteps. Had she been a man
she would have been dragged forth
and the tar applied, but as she was
not she was simply denounced as
cheat, a fraud, a swindler and several
other things. She had hard time Of
it for the next week. Then she call
ed public meeting and explained oil
about things as we'll as she was aOle'
This wasn't enough, and she knew II
wasn't, and so she added that she pIV
posed to go to Idaho, visit the NINE
and see what could be done 10 Saw
the money of her friends.
This announcement brought lol.n
cheers, and when Miss Lee nnaI9
took the train the town was at th0
depot to see her off. 1t makes ~
of difference whether people are ~
ing to lose $40 or win tnouSdnu
Three weeks later there came i0s
ter-seyeral letters-a letter lot e'0i'
one in Mount Airy who had lnNe'''u
There was a check in each letteL VI
the value of the investment in Inv,
there was a general letter lroln WI, Wv
Lee to be read to all She had IeaOn
ed Idaho. She had reached 'ne ipl-s
Nothing had been heard OF the Hne. s,
abouts of the Square Deal u D0~ rho
street but she had met the man WV
sold him the mine and sWlhdleu D'-
They had fallen in love. lne' WV
to be married shortly. n.o,
A man had swindled Square , pe~,
Square Deal had swindled o'n
She was to marry the swindleF ..
swindler to keep others from ps no
swindled, "and please find cn7'A
closed" and an
And Mount Airy was saved anu
old maid had got a husband
His Comment. Ma
NV