The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1913-04-02
said. as I INDUCED in a left handed

This Is serious business"
1T will be more so when Uncle Sam
gets after you"
"Jeelns do you ever turn to the finan-
ciaI pages of the Sunday papers:"
always the first thing. That's
where II swindlers get their point
ers.'
Sure. You may see as Elny rs ten
silver mine frauds any S,,niny. They
are to catch the unvary. Tley do
catch eIn. The ai!u"in- ADVERTISE
ments bring desolation. despair and
suicide to many Il home. 1t is simply
awful. JeemS-awfuI."
while your oil well is 0. X. and
right end up. what are the dividends
to stoc%kholders?"
"They will he 35 per cent"
And what is the stock selling for?'
only IA per cent. l am letting a
small share of the public in on the
ground floor"
"Noble man! You want my help. l
take it,"
They Are Partners.
Mr.. Saunders gazed at the opposite
wall for a moment and said:
"Jeems. l want the aid of an up
right. honest young man. He must be
a good talker. He must have a taking
way with him. Instead Of advertising,
| 20 from town to town and make
some personal explanations. l want
some n to divide the territory with
me, and offer you the place."
"Do YOU always start in by attending
u prayer meeting?"
1T is a good rule. 1t determines
your standing at once you see."
And what do l get out of it?'
"One-half of what you SELL"
THAT fits ME, and if we don't take
the last red cent this town has got you
can call me Names"
II like your ambition and enthusi-
asm, but you must keep levity in the
background. You will talk with min
listers. You will say that besides TAX
ing them in on the ground floor l make
the heather a cash present Of $1,000
a month. Also, the same donation to
the fund for aged minister's"
Il took you for that kind of a man."
I said.
You will talk with widows. You
will tell them that an investment Of
500 now will bring them a fortune
later on. You will talk with elders and
deacons and hint at church spires and
church golden opportunity as was new
er held out BEFORE"
You mean oily opportunity" l sug-
yested.
Jeems Gets the Coin.
He smiled family and vent n
"Try it for thirty days and see how
you like it. We ought to be able to
work three towns in that time. BY and
by there is a small class you must by
no means O~verlook-the old maids.
They have money laid away. They
dote on speculation. They want more
cash that they may marry rich. You
are young and fair to view. A little
Don't promise marriage: promise big
dividends instead. 1t is better that an
old maid should lose her cash than her
heart"
We got to work next morning. The
first Il l interviewed was the minis
ter to whom had been introduced the
night before. He had been Stung three
times in Wall street. and he had fake
silver stock in the house. but when l
told him Of the fountain of oil and
what was to be done for the heather
and his class he came up to the mark
like a little man and borrowed fifty
bones to hand me.
1t was so with the deacons and eld-
ers. SC with the business men. so with
the %spinsters. wove romance for the
latter and owe out the cash. The vii
lase blacksmith was about the only
person who doubted my word. He had
just got back from Texas, and he swore
that my story was false and that l was
a fraud. He was gently chided by sew
eral citizens for not knowing a good
thing when he saw 1t, but he was obsti-
nate about it and threw me forth out
Of his shop.
When we had worked three towns
and laid in much wealth l asked Mr..
Saunders for my share Of the loot. He
put me off for a day, but l watched
and saw him go to the bank. At II
O'Clock at night l arose and walked a
mile out OF town. At midnight he
came along. with his suit cast in his
hand. and l held him up for his last
dollar. Truly the ways Of men are
strange ways. l had struck oil with
out leaving the state. Keep your eyes
peeled is the best policy. Mr.. Saunders
now works alone.