Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
WASHINGTON is said to be the center
w &c Good c4or;oc Dorhar,c IT &c because

X/ASHlNGION is said to be the center
v" of good stories. Perhaps it is because
they are told by men of national Importance
and seem to readers like getting them first
hand. If public men were not quite so seri-
Gus, there would be many more stores
floating about the country credited to them.
Here is one told by Charles E. Magoon, who
was Governor of Cuba during the last inter
-vention by the United States:
Some years ago when was practising law
in Nebraska, in the days when people were
anxious for railroad extension and other
forms of development there came to the
State one of those men that have genius
for getting their living easily. He was sleek,
we'll fed, and well dressed, important, and
full of business. In short time he organ
lied a railroad company,-none of your
small concerns, but one with title that
was high sounding like the Midland & Pa
cifc, or something like it.
The Midland & Pacific procured right of
way free, secured free grants for terminals
and sidings, turnoutS and stations, and also
tOwnsiteS. Legislative charters were granted
and State bonds. voted. More than that,
every other form of bond was also literally
bestowed. County bonds, city bonds, village
bonds, township bonds, school district
bonds, in fact every kind of bonds that
could be issued, were turned over to the
Midland & Pacific and its enterpriSing pro-
mOter.
Then the railroad itself was bonded for
the cost of construction and rolling stock.
Stocks equal to the amount of bonds were
issued and sold to any person who had the
money or could mortgage his property and
obtain money.
Some sort of road was graded, some track
was laid, enough to call for the delivery of
the securities and insure marketing them.
Then the whole thing collapsed. Many
suits were instituted and the promoter was
brought into court as a witness.
when did you come to this State?' he
was asked.
= "Ten years ago." was the reply.
why did you come to this State?' was
another question.
ITO do the people good, was the rather
unctuous reply.
well, you certainly have, remarked the
attorney.
OSCAR w. TOWNER was boomer in
~ North Dakota back in the territorial
days, and was extensively engaged in rails
ing wheat. One spring he was returning
from Missouri to Dakota after one of those
seasons when crops had failed and prices
had fallen. On the train was man return
ing from Florida who was exuberantly en-
thusiastic over the possibility of fortunes in
rIOI1Qd orange SIOEtS. I1c OlllpdIcu OIdIlSc
growing with wheat raising, and pointed out
the profits that would surely follow invest
ments.
Towner listened with interest and, look
ing far away across the melting snow on the
Dakota prairies, said, "A man ought to
have big wheat farm in North Dakota
where he can spend his summers, and big
orange grove in Florida where he can spend
his winters And after pause he added,
"And national bank at St. Louis-so that
he could draw both ways
EVERY politician feels that he is compe-
II tent to discuss the tariff. Every editor
can write on the subject. And yet the
most expert tariff makers will confess that
they do not know all about it. Oscar w.
Underwood, chairman of the Ways and
Means committee, has formula.
"The tariff is not an exact science" re-
marked Mr.. Underwood. II have been de-
voting much of my congressional life to the
subject, and find that in writing a tariff bill
all you can do is to get all the facts you can,
study them as closely as you can, get the
best expert opinions you can, and then guess
as close as you can"