The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1911-10-18
.AReAL HUMAN INTEREST STORY
A Tale That Has To Do With
Two Extremes - Bus n ess
Acumen And Credulity.

This is story that abounds with hu-
man interest; il has to do with lead
ing merchant in the community and a
pioneer whose hoary locks make US
know that Nevada's early-day settle
ments were founded a long time ago,
for his advent in these parts occurred
an even half century back when he was
a young man full of vigor and the de-
sire to do. Ordinarily this story would
occupy but little newspaper space, and
it would run in about this wise:
81. II. Kent, the merchant prince,
brought suit one day last week, through
his attorney, against Willard LytLs, cal
culated to secure possession of tract
of land three miles east of Fallon, a
trust deed to which was issued to the
company of which Mr.. Kent is mana
ger, as security for the payment of a
store bill. /"
But there is story in this instance
that is well worth the space that it oc-
cupies in this issue it is a story of ere
dulity and trust, which, pitted against
business acumen and cold-blooded ma
nipulation, is sure to lose.
To go back to the date of the issu-
ance of the deed, takes one to the days
when county business was transacted
at Saltwater to the good old pioneer
times when the voters numbered but a
few score, and every man knew the
others pedigree from the time he first
set his foot over the border of this
county on his incoming trip. Willard
Lytle was a trusting individual in those
days, as he is now. He drank then. as
now abused his innards whenever he
happened to meet up with forty rod, "
and could not be called consummate
business success. But he worked in his
slipshod fashion he raised pigs and
garden truck, and the overplus was US
ualIy sufficient for himself and the dog
that followed him to town with as great
a pride as the milionaire's groomed ca
nine runs out of his kennel to greet his
master at the outset of each hunting
trip.
In those days Lytle owed Kent, and a
means of bringing about an understand
ing of the account resulted in the for
mer giving the latter deed, which ran
to Kent in fee simple, though he agreed,
so Lytle claims, that he would. in turn,
Immediately issue to the vendor bond
for deed, explaining in soft, soapy
language the benefits that would inure
to Lytle as result of the process,
which was, oh, so simple 1t would be
the means of escaping double taxation,
etc.; in fact, the benefits to come from
the process were so manifold that
Lytle was fairly bewildered by the bril-
lance of the idea.
OF course he gave the deed, and in
due time his mind lost sight of the fact
that he was to get bond for deed 10
return. That, he came to believe, was
a mere formality of minor Importance
compared to promise, and it was for
gotten. But he never changed stores.
He marketed his hogs and other pro-
ducts through the same agency, and
continued to buy supplies at the same
place. When he had the debit side of
the ledger well down in two figures his
credit was unusually good, and at other
periods of the year he was not greeted
with the same fulsomeness. But he
went along in his usual slipshod fashion
continued to haul slop to his hogs, hoe
his potatoes, and exist in the manner
of his choice. He never knew, he says,
how he stood, except in an approximate
sense. He presumed his hogs when
marketed were credited to his account
and that he was allowed the full mar
ket price. His other products were
marketed by about the same method.
But land increases in value, and the
land that is concerned in this recital
advanced as all good land has advanced
in this valley since Uncle Sam rolled up
his sleeves and began to dig circulat-
ing system for some of the flood waters
of the Sierras. Its value as security is
now several times what it was at the
time it was given as such, if Lytle' s
story be true.
But be that as it may, Lytle is now
facing legal problem that threatens
the loss of his home. He is an old man
now, decrepit, and his struggle for ex-
istence at the longest will not be many
years. The suit that was begun some
days back cites many things, which he
AYERS are wrong, are grievousiy wrong,
and it seems to be question of verac-
a 80 l. e IL