The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-12
.Il,at.s / calico min.s the man

IN
! Toad fattened his face against the
| glass in a vain attempt to look back
ward, then he hurried to the e door.
A curve and a hill hid the spot from
| view. What kind OF n mill? he ask
ed doubtfully upon his return.
"a calico mill" repeated the line
man. Didn't you notice the acres and
acres Of calico grass around there"
Toad, with another glance ut the
| rear door, shook his head sadly and
looked out the window in the hope
that he might see i stray sample OF
calico grass. He was still ut that vain
and Improbable employment when
Wallingford walked past on his way to
| the smoking compartment.
Say. boss" he hailed Wallingford.
do You know calico grass when you
see it,"
I'm afraid not. Toad" replied Wal
lin.ford. smiling. Why
There was so much Of 1t back where
we stopped" explained Foad with n
troubled brow, land / didn't see it.
They put OF the machines for n calico
mill there. you know"
WaIiingford turned with n puzzled
expression t. the bony faced paSsen.
ger. who looked up at him and laughed.
Hes such u smart lookin' kid |
couldn't help tryin' to see how much
he'd stand for" the lineman pleasant
~ observed. and Toad wheeled instant.
IL to bend upon him a clear and indig-
| nant glare.
"Ore crushing machinery, isn't it,"
guessed Walllngford.
Iron" replied the other with n nod.
surveying with interest and approval
the important looking big man, whose
round pink face spoke so plainly Of
cheerfulneSS and good living.
Much OF 4 depQsit?" inquired Wal
ltngford, with the instant interest of Il
man commercially inclined.
"They say it's a wonder. The Dou-
galbObber brothers own 1t, whoever
they are. They're hustlerS. Next
week n spur track is to be put in back
to the mines" He paused and smiled
over the magic of things. "Dougalrille!
There amt n Twin soul bnck there
now. but in n month it'll be n good
sized town, out hustlin' for electric
I!S1tS ana trOlIey cHES.
ALSO it will have n real estate boom
| and six Saloons" agreed WallingfOrd,
nnd passed on to the smoker.
Toad followed him. Say" observed
| Toad in IL panied tone. that man back
there" here he pulled down Walling-
ford's ear md whispered into II, "why,
he's n liar."'
]. Rufus W'allingford, respectable
and prosperous real estate dealer. and
| his messenger boy, valet, companion
and friend, Toad .Iessop, finished their
business in the northwest in four days.
| On the return trip Wallingford had
mileagc torn of as far rs bleak barren
Dougalville only. He had expected to
| stop between trains and survey the
| consequences as mere raw material,
but he found there q tiny telegraph
| station and waiting room which had
been showed Off a freight car intact.
/ apparently even to the operator, for
| that f%unctIonary was inside; he found
a roughly built frame shack labeled
"Kimbely mine-Ofice;" he found Il
gang Of railroad laborers putting down
n half graded, wabbly spur track, and
! up the ruvine into which it was a
cd he saw, against a background of
! Soiled little tents, a swarm OF
ants setting machinery in place nj
another swarm digging an impressive
looking hole in the ground.
From the same train by which Wal
lfngford had arrived there descended
n drove of clay festooned laborers, and
rs these, by common impulse, surSed
| Immediately toward the office" Wal
lingford watched the accommodation
creak upon its jolly way toward the
happy land of taXis and bathtubs n
push buttons. For relief from the in
tolerable landscape. which would not
alter nor decay, but lay in its nat
sterility forever and ever, he watched
the sitting of the clay hung lAborers,
who were admitted into the office one
Mt a time and came out again with
little slips of paper in their hands, TO
trudge up the ravine toward the him
belly mine and more clay.
When the last one had returned 10
his native element Wallingford walk
cd slowly across to the office. but to
his SuTlHISt Ht lOhlld ~ NNHNN
ing loud voices. however, he stopped
and listened in perpleXity. Suddenly
from around the corner OF the build
ing there dashed two of the clay dec
GRATED callers, followed by half a doz
en- well muscled gentlemen who looked.
highly unnatural without striped cloth
ing. These, bowling n choice collection
Of epithets, explosives and blnsphemtes'
and, STOPPING to pick up missiles by
the way. we're followed by a man with
blood colorcd hair and big. fiat, out
standing ears almost as rcd. who was
so bow legged that a beer keg could
have beer rolled through his wicket.
This man was evidently the general OF
tho pursuing army, for he directed 1t
not only with energy, but with rancor.
"Soak 'em" he cried in n twanging
voice. "Soak 'em, can't you! Soak
-. .anI. ,nu, coOLy 'am cnnk fnmV'