The Lake County times., 1912-06-29
PROM0TER
bREEzES
into GARY

Breezy and brassy as ever. Colonel
Clark Balcome. promiscous promoter
of plausible phool schemes for acquir-
ing wealth without work, blew up
broadway yesterday. Jauntily swing
ing vertebrae cane with knuckles on
1t and wearing his silk lid at the ac-
customed tilt "Old wallingford," as his
victims call him, stroled past the
doors within whose portals stood nom
plussed creditors not willing to be-
lieve their eyes. But the coloners eff
fervescent mannerisms. his ever-ready
smile. and why, Jones, old top, this
meeting is delight to me, suh." lent
conviction.
He Walked.
But nobody dared to approach the
colonel that certain long-standing
matter er-you- know, that may be set
tied any time-but isn't. Two hotel
men. whom the promoter had lived
for many weeks without anything
more material than hot air for set
tlement. gulped twice when they saw
him. Shopkeepers and real estate men
were thrown into paroxysms of some
| thing. not mirth. Garage men were
| the most astounded of the city's COM
mercfal men. But 1T remained for a
| little family-like circle in an exclusive
| boarding house to be utterly conster-
mated.
| Around the dinner table in this e. b.
| h. last evening peace reigned and the
| hash was being eaten in comparative
| silence. A ring at the door. a quiet
greeting by the landiady before she
had seen the the visitor, and the
/ otlx -{-ly,
speech. why. Mrs. F.. II is such a
delight to me to meet you again"
That all, but it was sufficient
| The peaceful family gathering was
| thrown into turmoil. but with a mas
| ter skin the colonel entered and calm
| ed the assemblage. The lawyer, ply
| sician. the newspaper man and the
| rest were all victims of the colonel
| Each had In turn a little less than a
year ago been called aside and told OF
| the temporary embarrassment the de-
| layed remittance and each had in turr
delivered over the Ave or ten with 6
| feeling that they were being done 6
| favor. That was the artistic touch
The difference between being panhan.
died and being allowed to philanthro
pize is great and the creator greater
And Turned
Balcome can sell you anything from
a castle in Spain to his idea of how
oysters should be eaten. His is no
the talent of the common purveyor
but the genius of the superhuman
While In Gary less than a year ag,
he promoted the following schemes
among a dozen others:
Around
Morning newspaper, circulate,
throughout Calumet region. Associat
ed press service. called the "CaIume
Sun" In selling stock Balcome woul
inform the purchaser. they alway
| bought, that the advertising was as
| sured. He would show document
that were purported to be signed con
tracts between him and certain ma
tional advertising agencies. 1t wa
stipulated that they. the agencie,
would place fifteen columns of goo
national ads in the "Sun" If he woul
guarantee a circulation of 10000. TIL
rate was something like so cents a
inch. AS Balcome rode around in
. motor car Chill never paid), wor
gloves In August tnot yet settled for
had a secretary fstill looking for hi
money!, and was very congenis
: (Which didn't cost him. anything), h
! easily convinced his victim. BaIcom
was so smooth that he could, afte
. taking a man out to dinner. make hill
|. pay for 1T and not be called skate
l And Walked
, Another scheme of his was a prc
posed winter garden building. It wa