The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-29
CHAPTER XIV.
The Usual Method.
<HE cab driver who brought the
nroSpprOrS hi, nrnSi,1pnt OF tlIp

|, prosperous big president OF tue
Earth and his prosperous
friend to the Hotel de Iscnnis.
sance received $40 tip. The bell
boys who carried in their elaborate
lugg. ge received $40 each. Before
dinner was over the jOvially smi!iitg
big man was spoken of about the hotet
as Spender WaIlingford, and the pro.
Drietor himself went mp TO see Whit
was the matter with tue thermostat
I'll have the head engineer up here
In just few minutes" announced Mr.
Blount. who was bullet headed man
upon whom dress suit sat with some
shame. III you want anything in the
town let ma know and Ill get it for
you. Mr. Wallinsfurd."
~ don't think you're going to give
me a chance TO want anything re-
turned Wallinyford pleasantly. by
the way. though. Ill probably need
some information. /, Do you imagine
that It would DG difficult to promote II
biz public amusement park here:"
Mr.. Blount considered the. matter
grdvely.! finn shook his head. Il
couldn't tell you about that" lie admit
ted. "You see. that's all politics here.
The only two amusement parks we
have are run by county commission
or and IN alderman of opposite poll
tics, and they're both backed by the
traction company. which Is all politics.
This is the only city in the country
That has two healthy political gangs,
and nobody knows who's going TO lose
next time
~ could give you a guess" intcrpo-
lated Mr.. Wallingford's black haired
and black mustached and black frock-
cd friend when you hit town like
that the voters lose"
They lose any place. . agreed
Blount. with a laugh, They'd ought
to lose. f5r standing for what they do.
I've, no Liare sympathy for them thep
I have, for n deacon, fiat tries to buy
counterfeit money and gets a box. Of
sawdust It's SO. especially fierce be-
cause these amateur grafters are lot
Of rabbits. have no respect for a
holdup man that will shiver while he's
going through your pockets. They're
planning to steal the courthouse right
now, but, they're, SO scared | think they
sleep with all the lights turned on"
/ wallIngford chuckled in huge en-
joymcnt. i've heard Of stealing a
grindstone and hot cook stove, he
observed. "but stealing courthouses Is
a new speciality on me-" -
alt ought to be easy" asserted
jBlount, still disdaiIful of his local
ordinance thinkers. They've just built
a profitable new courthouse, and the
old one, which occupies the finest busl-
ness situation in town, is to be sold
next Saturday. A bunch of these
burglars want to buy 1t in for about
half of its value and open beer hall
cafe, but they're afraid TO grab 1t be-
fore election for fear it will swamp
them at the polls. and they're afraid
to wait till after tho election for fear
they won't get a chance at it."
"That sounds interesting, but it
makes my scheme look like feeling a
rattlesnnke's fangs to see if they're
sharp. Id like to meet some people
who can tell me exactly how the land
lies."t 'al t. :,
'I'll bring you Charley Jackson" Of.
fered BIount- safe knows SO much.
about politics that he's changed hia
party four times and always landed ON
the winning; side" - .f
When the proprietor had gone MIR.
,NvaIllngCord's friend Daw came out OF
his modest retirement, and he came
out grinning.
you've always been n quick pro.
ducer, Jim" he confessed. but Won
dug up that public amusement parS
thought so. suddenly that it's dizzy
yet. Would you run one?'
81 wouldn't run anything unless It
went some place in n hurry" asserted
Wallingford. laughing. ~ had to Talk
to the man. though, didn't |. and |
don't know any more entertaining con-
vcrsation than lie"
"That's right agreed Blackie adj
mirlngly. "It's the only thing there's
no limit to. This town don't look so
bad. Jim" ia at.
cts a pleasant town. approved
waIllngford ut can't have much over
100000 population. ret the hotels,
churches and banks look like real
money. and we're paupers.
II told you that Fannie objected to
my investing 100000 in railrond.
scheme to put another little crimp in
the baus,roll, of E: H: Falls" patiently
explained Wallingford, $50 took the
$1,000 I had already drawn out for MS
to go on that little hunting trip. turn
ed the balance of the bank roll over to
Fannie. brought YOU along to com:
.plete your. education. and now I'm
hunting that 100000. Let's so and
show ourselves and throw away some
more money. There hasn't reporter
asked about us yet"
Charley Jackson wis man who had
but. two worries in life: BE could not
understand why sleep was ever in:
vented; nor why all the places did not
stay perpetually open. He had lanEhS