davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18

Eighteen months later, the Union
Consolidated Oil Company was dis
solved and it's stock cancelled. The
bank returned the deposits and paid
Roger Shelton eighty thousand dol
lars in interest. He feared to place
this money in bank lest some one SUI
ing him might attach it, 1and kept it In
safety deposit box Of, "a New. York
trust company. He had learned that
the two bank directors were now In
New York, and had hurried here hop
ing to purchase the tract of land he
wished; but, on reflection. he hest
tated to approach them. They would
be greatly Suspicious OF him, aid he
would not risk having the de~d taken
In the name Of any other person. He
desired to get hold of the tract lying
over the synclinal, and he would, If
necessary, give all the money he had
for it. This was the story skillfully
unmasked by Randolph Mason.
The captain, when the cat was out,
began to regret his rashness. His
secret had escaped him; it was an In
discretion to be amended by greater
caution. He was taken swiftly with a
trembling seizure Of suspicious.
"You have. overlooked the names OF
these gentlemen from Massachusetts
said Randolph Mason.
A certain cunning lodged. along
Captain Shelton's features.
II have not overlooked it," he re-
piled Il don't intend to tell them.
expect my regular lawyer to be pres
ent when these men are seen. came
to you for a plan. When get that,
my lawyer will do the rest. I don't
mean these Yankees to sleep on the
trade. The deeds and the cash will
go on the table together. When they
are exchanged, the matter will be end
ed. That's my way of doing business.
Now, what's your plan?'
my plan," said Mason, will con-
form to your way Of doing business.
Have these men here at two o'clock.
Let them know nothing of the object
Of this conference. But you, on your
part, take every precaution. Come a
half-hour earlier with your attorney.
Bring the deeds and the cash with
you. Bring also a notary. would
have you take no chance. would
have you omit no safeguard which
your instincts suggest"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18

best hostelry, directed their attention
to the stability Of the Driller's Bank.
and then carried them down into the
oil field. There they found blind
folded Fortune scattering her favors
like q tipsy Vestal That man who
whisked by the train window in a
motor from French shops had been,
yesterday, a barber. That man whose
carriage waited at the depot, with q
driver in livery and a pair of cobs
harnessed with silver buckles, two
years before had waded the river
from Ohio wet to his middle. That
man whose stone house chung to a
bluff above the car track, apeing the
architecture of the Rhine. had found,
not the lamp Of Aladdin but that
which Illuminated all lamps. The
Prince of Monaco never dreamed OF
such an orgy Of chance.
Captain Shelton counted we'll upon
his heady air. He brought forth his
maps, but he spoke little and sanely.
The topsy-turvy condition spoke for
him. He posed as one sober. careful,
far-sighted, in community of drunk
ards. Here were opportunities to be
seized. wisely held In hand and made
to produce, not casual pot Of gold,
but a great fortune lasting for q CEN
fury. He brought shrewdly to the
strangers notice the two tracts lying
within his parallelogram Of leased ter
ritory. They instantly inquired why
these tracts were not included, and
he replied that at the time the COM
pany leases were taken they could not
be had, and now he could not secure
them without the consent of the stock
holders, a thing impractlcable. He
would take these two tracts in his
own name, but such an act might sub
ject him to criticism. This was, OF
course, a lie. The roustabout from
whom Shelton had secured his leases
omitted these tracts because the own
ers demanded twenty-five cents an
acre bonus. Around these two tracts
Shelton masked his arts of suggestion.
He wished these mems fingers dipped
with his in the dish, little of their
gold on the table, wager left here
behind them on the spin of the wheel.
When the two bank directors re-
turned to New England. they took
with them the fee simple titles OF
these two tracts. They took with
them also the impression, but not the
certainty, that Captain Shelton was
merely an adventurer. Able to Judge
accurately any situation in New Eng
land, they were at sea here. The bank
in Pit+sburg was certainly solvent.
The territory advertised by Shelton
was certainly covered by his leases.
It was land where Fortunatus
drunk was swinging his purse by the
strings. Who could say upon what
passer the gold would fall!
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18
For the legal principle in
VOWED in this story see Sec. I
Of chapter 90 Of the Code Of
West Virginia, called the Statute
Of Frauds.
Carved CAPITOL With Penknife.

A clever carved model Of the Cap
itol building at Washington has been
made by Prof. George F. sayres OF
Stokesville, Va. The carving is Of
wood and was made with no other
tool than an ordinary pocket knife,
not even a carpenters square being
used on it.
The carving consists Of more than
three thousand pieces. The wood used
is poplar, white pine and white wal
nut. The height Of the building is ten
inches to the crest Of the Liberty
statue. The structure is two feet
long and about eight inches wide. The
grounds contain hundred and forty
one trees, made Of felt Of different
shades of green, which supply q beau.
tiful setting to the work.
The statue of Washington seated
and with his right arm uplifted faces
the central portco. A number OF
spectators are standing around this
statue, while others are to be seen on
the steps of opposite wings Of the Cape
.ito1. The carving il, Of course, paint
ed white, with the exception Of the
Liberty statue which; In a golden hue.
is -silhouetted against q background ~
sky and cloud ~ IA! = .s.E:f*s... ssa II
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18
Struck tie na'nsYl Ranhn wh tie
c]ended fingers d bis le1t

Captain Shelton was greatly reas'
sured; but a doubt remained.
III come, they won't SELL" he said.
That's the very trouble I'm trying to
get around"
II will get around that" replied
Randolph Mason.
Then" said Captain Shelton, you
will have to pretend to represent some
one else, and leave me to my lawyer"
your foresight is amazing" replied
Mason. Il shall leave you entirely to
your lawyer. I shall pretend to rep
resent, let US say. the stockholders Of
the Union Consolidated OH Company"
"Good!" cried the captain, that lie
will do the work."
Randolph Mason arose, and waited
for his visitor to depart.
Il think" he remarked, that it Will
do the work excellently."
sons private Office were Of most in
congruous types. My visual memory
of this conference remains clear cut,
like the climax of some drama; there
was the notary, tired old man. look
ing on unconcerned from a chair by
the door; Captain Shelton, his under
lip painfully frightened, seated on one
side of the library table with his at
torney at his elbow. This attorney
merits 4 word of comment; he was
the ablest practitioner Of his class in
New York, a class abandoned wholly
to intrigue. schooled smatteringly in
the law through attendance and ex-
perience at trials, but past masters Of
trickery; he was a little, rotund man,
bald, with a fringe Of hair running
from the top of one ear around to
the other; a face as expressionless as
wood; eyes steady as though set in by
an optician. The mans hands alone
betrayed his thoughts-they were as
nimble as the fore paws of a mink
Opposite were the two New England
ers, an uncle and his nephew-the el-
der, tall, grave, somber; the younger,
a youth, powerfully built, his face
fresh with health, his hands suggest
Ing the strength OF 1VOry-and Ran
dolph Mason, walking up and down
by the bookcases.
Mason introduced the matter with
this remarkable statement to the men
from Massachusetts,: He represented
certain of the stockholders Of the
Union Consolidated Oil Company, act
ing for the benefit Of all. The stock
holders of that company had lost In
interest on their deposits, through
Captain Roger Shelton, some eighty
thousand dollars. This money Cap
tain Shelton was now ready to return.
He wished to do so through these d.
rectors, leaving them to distribute It
in detail to the stockholders. How
ever, in the manner Of this restitution.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18
Appointed Day Of Judgment.

A horse dealer in an English town
had lent a horse to a solicitor. who
killed the animal through bad usage.
The dealer insisted on payment, and
the lawyer, refusing cash, said he
would give q bill for the amount, but
It must be at long date. The law
yer drew 4 promissory note, making
It payable on the day Of judgment
An action was raised, and the lawyer
asked the sheriff to look at the bin.
Having done 50, the sheriff replied:
This is the day Of judgment. decree
you to pay tomorrow"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18

The Anxious Seat.
Father-Johnny, 60 fetch me my
slippers.
Johnny (nervously)-Do you want
both of them or only one. dad?-Ex-
change.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18
How About Tnis7

Geese are supposed to be symbolic
Of all that 10 foolish"
well, 60 on" ~. : ~
But you never see IN old gander
hoard up q million kernels Of corn and
then 60 around trying to mate with Q
gosling."
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18

Rudsjy Interrupted.
This II tho parting Of the wayD-s
'sWho left the switch open?"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-18

A0 AN0" AAAeA<sAA~A (OOA IAO A0OA0J
out in packs. counted it and put it
back; then he reached over on the
table, took the brass key, locked the
satchel, set it down on the floor be-
tween his !eet and tucked the key
into the pocket Of his waistcoat The
attorney put the executed deed into
his pocket, wrote the consideration OF
one Thousand dollars into the other
deed and pushed it, likewise, across
the table. The elder New Englander
spread out the deed before him and
carefully read it, his foreflnger NOV:
ing slowly slong each line. When he
came to the end, he fixed his eye
glasses a little more securely to mis-
nose, took UP pen and dipped 1t into
the ink-pot- At this moment, Ran
'dolph Mason, standing behind him,
leaned over swiftly, picked up the
deed and tore it in two.
Instantly Roger Shelton threw him.
self across the table, grabbing for the
leather satchel. The younger New
Englander, amazed at this violent in
cident, but inst:nctively determined to
protect the MONEY now in his posses
sion at any colt, gTipped the handle
of the satchel with his right and, r1s-
ing little, struck the Rennsylvanian
with the clenched fingers of his left.
The long body Of Captain Shelton slid
back, across the table, crashing his
chair. The little bald attorney was
Immediately on Bis feet, his fingers
twitching like live electric wires, but
his. face still ,as <xpressionlesss z az
wood. He saw instantly that his client,
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10
FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1912

This is certainly a very unusu-
al spring. SO much cloudy,
stormy weather at this season of
the year is not within the men,
DRY of the oldest resident. But
then it is an abnormal year all
over the country. Think of the
floods they are having along the
Ohio, Missouri, and Mississippi
rivers. After all, the mountain
valleys of Utah seem pretty good
by comparison, and we ought to
be able to put up with the wealth
er conditions as they exist here
without complaining.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

S. j. Bevan of Ogden, former
ly a resident Of this city, was a
visitor in town last week, and
while here took the opportunity
to renew acquaintance among
his many local friends. During
his residence here Mr.. Bevan
ssas an electrical contractor. The
telephone line from this city to
Lund was constructed under his
direction. For several years,
however, he has been giving his
attention to dry farming and the
of dry farm machin-
cry. He has made a speciality Of
power for blowing, and
in discussing the matter with
RECORD reporter said that in
his opinion gasoline engines were
the only practicable engines for
use in this work, being much
more economical than steam. He
says that gasoline can be pro
cured at a cost of seven cents a
gallon, suitable for use on the
latest style engines, and that one
engine and equipment if proper
ly handled, will pillow three acres
Of ground each day. A suffic-
lent quantity of gasoline can be
carried to supply power for sew
eral days, while to operate the
same equipment with steam
would require the services of at
least one team and an additional
man to transport the coal alone.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

Lame back is usually caused
by rheuamtism of the muscles
of the back, for which you will
find nothing better than Cham
berlain's Liniment. For sale by
Palace Drug Store.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

The athletic exhibition given
under the direction of the Young
Mems Mutual Improvement AS
ISOLATION at the Ward Hall last
Friday night was witnessed hye.
large audience.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

Mrs. Jethro Palmer and Mrs.
Kumen Jones entertained the
fifth grade of the West Ward
Primary at Mrs. Jones' home
Monday. A delightful time was
had.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

George A. Berry of Kanarra-
vile was in Cedar City last Fri
day, on his way to and from the
Republican county convention.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

Mr.. A. l.. Kimball made a fly,
ing trip to Modena in his aut 4
mobile, going out Wednesday
and returning yesterday.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

Poor appetite is a sure sign
of impaired digestion. A few
doses of Chamberlain's Stomach
and Liver Tablets will stregthen
your digestion and improve your
appetite. Thousands have been
benefited by taking these Tab
lets. Sold by Palace Drug Store.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

B. F. Knell, the proprietor Of
the Knell business block in this
city, and the owner and operator
of an automobile line between
Lund and this place, is making
the trips between here and the
station quite regularly, notwith-
standing the deplorable condi-
tion of the road. His new Great
Smith machine appears to be do
ing him excellent service.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10
SUPPLEMENT.

Mrs. j. w. Walker presented
her husband with a son last
Monday.
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

''sso~. ~. sls ..s..''''o P~A IN0No'
The unfOrtunates were taken
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

himself on the side of the
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

how ,sS;s,sS CL~s~~L~~
Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-05-10

-" bill receivable,...
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
Slide Fire Escape.

A new type Of slide fire escape, which
can be combined with a stair fire es-
cape in the same shaft or allotted
space, has been designed by a Cana
dian inventor. The general arrange
ment Of the slide is the same as that
Of an ordinary stair escape, with a
landing ut either end. The slide runs
straight from one side OF the tower or
shaft to the other, then turns BY
means of a banked up curve and drops
to another level in the opposite direc-
ton. The features claimed for this ar
rangement are that persons using the
escape can be admitted at every floor,
that the banked turns correct the pace
Of the sliding persons in such manner
that they are sliding no faster on the
last lap than on the first and that a
choice Is had Of either the slide or the
stair escape as a means Of reaching
the ground.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
Will Sell Indian Lands.

BILLINGS, Oct. 3. Although the
date for the sale Of the appropriated
lands on the coded portion Of the Grow
reserv alton IL still more than three
weeks distant, prospective purchasers
are beginning to arrive in the city for
the purpose of getting "arst-hand"
information regarding tracts. To-
days trains brought more than 80
men from lpoints In Nebraska, Mis-
souri,, Iowa and the Dakotas, and
hotel reserv atoms have been sought
by many others who will arrive within
the next week.
Regarding the interest which Is be-
ing manifested throughout the middle
west in the approaching auction, one
OF the visitors said local citizens
probably have no conception Of how
great it is, and predicted that hotels
and rooming houses will be entirely
inadequate to accommodate the thronf
which will be on hand while the salt
10 In progress. OF $50, 900 acres which
will be disposed Of about half II
adapted to dry-lsnd agriculture, ant
the visitor mentioned said that eastern
people have been convinced that kini
Of farming IL . success.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
A NEW WHITE METAL.
ArssntaI, an Alloy Of Silver and Alu.
minimum, 10 Acid Proof.


A metal or alloy of very high class
qualities has recently been evolved.
after many years of research and ex-
periments, by William A.. McAdams.
says the Scientific American. This
new metal will be named 'argental,"
because it is an alloy Of silver-and alu-
minimum, the affinity of which is pro-
duced by chemicals and rarv minerals.
and il is par excellence as a substitute
for silver, having all its qualities ex-
cept weight.
Argental has been produced to CON-
pete with silver, and for general man.
ufacturing and industrial uses it is in
many ways far superior to silver for
the a that, being alleged with
aluminium and cast by means Of a
patented compound and molds or dies,
it has many times greater strength
than either silver or aluminium. 1t is
white like silver and not leaden or blue
like aluminium.
The silver in its composition prevents
the aluminium from being attacked by
| ordinary alkalies, and the aluminium
prevents the silver from being attack.
ed by ordinary acids. The alloy can
| not be affected by nitric acid, and il
| will not tarnish or oxidize by exposure
to the atmosphere or gases. Its spe
| cifc gravity Is only one-third that OF
| silver and consequently three or foul
| times the quantity Of manufactured ar
| ticles can be produced from the same
weight as that Of silver, such as watcf
cases and movements, forks, spoons
bells, tableware, ornaments, hardware
specialties, typewriters and similar
machines, not mentioning a number OF
other incidental articles.
Comparing argental in weight will
other metals. we find that it is one
fourth the weight of copper. one-fiftl
that of iron, one-fourth that of gol(
and one-sixth that Of platinum.
The alloy can be cast, die cast, roll
ed, spun, drawn into wire, milled. en-
CINE turned and turned in he hes
n and the finest Of threads cut OF
it. It takes a fine polish.
This metal Is simply pure silver al
loyed with aluminium by means o
chemicals and rare minerals. In tn
case of argental the silver Is alloye'
with aluminium in order to produce
neutral metal which is proof agains
ordinary acids and alkalies and also t
gain great strength and lightness.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
The American Flax Industry.

The fax industry of the country has
reached q stage OF considerable impor-
lance, but the product is not made use
of in the production of linen, but in
the manufacture of linseed oil. 1t is
said that at the present time about
800, 900 acres of land r given up to
fax growing. A problem OF the In.
dustry is to make ONE use Of the
straw, which now goes wholly to waste,
this amounting to about 1000, 600 tons.
Experiments have been made In the
direction of paper making with the
straw and this proposition has mel
with some degree OF success, but the
scheme is not commercially practi'
cable.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
Canals and Vessel Size.

G. e. Grunsky in his report to the
International congress Of navigation
concludes that a limit should be set on
the draft Of seagoing vessels, that
government aid should not be extend
ed to the building or operation Of sea-
going vessels with a draft exceeding
1922 feet and that the maximum d.
mansions Of seagoing vessels built or
operated under government subvention
should be fixed by international agree
ment along the following suggested d.
mensions: Length w all, 900 feet;
breadth, 105 feet; draft; 1922 feet.
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
INGENIOUS FIRE HOSE REEL.

that the hose upon it is ready for i'm
mediate service without having to be
entirely unwound.
The water connection is at one OF
the bearings Of the drum, the reel be-
ing constructed with a wrought iron
center having a bored waterway. The
hose used is Of a n~oncollapsible type,
and there is always a clear waterway
without danger of kinks, no matter
how much or little Of the hose is un'
wound,
The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-10-09
HIGH COST OF FARMING.

At this time when the magazines are
filed with the contributions OF profess
sional reformers aud political dema-
gogues, adding constantly to the ''high
cost of living'' liter AZURE, it is inter-
esting to get the views OF q business
man of experience, sound intelligence
and keen observ rvs alton. Such q man Is
B. F. Yoakum, chairman Of the board
OF directors Of the Frisco railway, who
presents some new aspects OF the prob
lem In the current number OF the
Worlds Work. In the fret article
of q series Mr.. Yoakum discusses the
high lost of farming and draws atten'
ton to q number of rather astonishing
propositions which have not been
touched upon by the theorists and
Chautauqus specialists.
Oddly enough, Mr.. Yoakum does
not at once hoist the tariff as the
chief enemy OF the American people.
But he does get right down to the
groundwork in setting forth where
improvements should be made. He
asserts that the American dollar has
shrunk too much. Taking the pur'
chasing power of the dollar in 1891
at 100 cents, the came dollar today.
applied to the purchase OF the neces'
stiles of life. would buy only SO cents
worth. While wages and income Of
the farm have advanced to some ex.
tent, says Mr.. Yoskum, they have no'
kept pace with the decline in the pur'
chasing power of the dollar.
The principal element in the higf
cost of farm production, Mr.. Yoakuu
says, ia the big bill the American
farmers must pay every year in in
terest on mortgages and money Dor
rowed to carry on their operations
The annual interest bill Of the Ameri
lean farmers is about S51O, 0O0, 900
The total value of the wheat crop o
the United States for 1911 was S543,
OOO, 900. Practically, the interest &C
count of the farmers ate up the tota
wheat crop of the entire country, &C
cording to this exhibit.
Mr.. Yoakum would, first OF all
establish some practical system where
by the farmers of the country cOul'
secure all the money they need at
rate Of interest as low as that enjoye
by manufacturers and merchants. H
goes into an exhaustive discussion g
various methods in vogue in Europ
and points out where a Germa
gardener, for instance, a borro'
money at less than 5 per cent, Will
an American wheat grower has to pa
as high as 10 per cent for money t
pay for harvesting.
Surely here is something for th
American people to think about. MI
Yoakum is not a politician nor Office
seeker. He is a business man wit
ideas OF his own, and 1t must be az
mitted that he has presented q stron
case in favor of better financial COZ
: ditions for the farmer, assuming th'
his figures are correct.