The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-11-29
THE MYSTERY
OF JOHN BOUNCE
A Genius Who Was Inventive
In Several Ways.

mates and fast friends. johnny was
younger than l, but stronger. Every
boy who could lick me availed himself
Of the opportunity just for the fun of
It. Johnny could lick most Of them
and, noticing that l needed a friend. be.
gan to lick every boy that licked ME.
This had Il wholesome effect. and l
was S0On let alone. -
When VIC left school to go out into
the world 1--WE We're pretty big boys
them l said to John Bounce: .Johnny,
I want you to understand that l owe
you a whole lot. If l eve get a chance
to make a standoff for what you've
done for me I'll do it,"
"Oh. yon don't W me anything.
Tom he said. Besides, l guess we'll
both get along pretty we'll"
l didn't see John after our parting
for years. Then IL day a nal came
into my office Of very forlorn appear.
ance. put my fingers in my pocket
to get out 10 cents when l noticed the
fellow looking at me with a ~quizzical
expression.
You don't know me. Tom?"
"No, l don't" #
"I'm Johnny Bounce"
My heart sank. for I knew that the
world had been too much for John.
However. gave his hand a warm
grasp. asked him to sit down and tell
me what he had been doing. He said
he hadn't had much success thus far.
but he had irons in the fire." some Of
which he thought would pan out very
big. had heard Of these ''irons" he
fore in connection with men who had
lost their grip on the world and knew
that instead of irons they were gases.
But l saw that John was sincere. so !
did not discourage him.
"YOu can't run Il thing like that.
john" I said. referring to one OF his
schemes. without being grnbstakcd.
I haven't any capital to put in. but I
wish you would let me lend you what
you need from time to time. I've got
$40 here in my No: Don't need. it?
Well. whenever you do come right in
here and get it,"
l knew perfectly well that he needed
money. but could not bring himself to
take it from me. whose equal he had
been in everything except an ability to
punch boys heads, and in this he had
been my superior. was obliged to let
him go without affording him relief,
but I took his address. resolving to find
some indirect way of giving him mon
ey. But l was very busy at the time
and put the matter off. Besides. l am
not an inventive genius and failed to
think of any method of lending John
Bounce money without appearing to
give it.
One morning a woman came into my
Office and said she had heard John
Bounce, who boarded with her, speak
Of me. She said that Bounce owed her
$S7.45 for board. and she would like
me to tell her if he had any property
on which she could levy. l told her
that Mr.. Bounce was a perfectly hon
through certain schemes without stuff
cient capital. She left with a check
for the amount Of her bill. A week
later I received a note from John re-
GREETING that the woman had thought
It necessary to adopt such strenuous
and assuring me that one Of
his irons was at white heat and he
would soon call and return the amount.
I admired his plan Of enabling me to
help him indirectly.
John never came to see me. His
pride, his s~ensitiveness, whatever it,
was. wouldn't, let him. One day a long
while after the board bill episode I
received a note from an undertaken
me that q man named John
Bounce had died in a boarding house.
A letter from me had been found in
his room, and since there was no mon
ey to bury him 1t was deemed advisa-
BILE to notify me. The amount required
about 800.
I was sorry now since poor John
gone that l had not been able to
do more for him. l inclosed a check
for the amount and authorized a call
for more. l did the latter Us an ex-
cuse to my conscience for not attend
ing to the matter personally. I couldn't
bring myself to such a melancholy
duty.
A few months later I received n note
from one who wrote that he had been
an intimate friend Of the late Mr.. John
Bounce, the inventor. It was proposed
by several Of Mr.. Bounce's friends to
place a headstone at his grave. There
were four men ready to contribute $50
each. The cost Of the stone would be
$3.50. knowing that I had been OIL
scho0lmate Of Mr.. Bounce; he had ven
tured to write to know if I would
make one Of five. i at once sent my
check for $50.
a year passed. One morning ! re-
ceive a note from a lawyer stating
that John Bounce had died a few days
before my hair stood on end with as
tonishment), that Mr.. Bounce had left
me his sole heir II wondered, that Mr.
Bounce had patented mechanical toy.
ana that a toy manufacturing company
stood ready to give $4,000 for the sole
night to manufacture q grasped my
desk for support.
This wonder turned ont g b areal.I