The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-15

est mine selling scheme on earth. ana
I lost a fortune by not %patentIns It"
Brother Ralph was working no
harder than they were In D~Ougalville.
however. L.abOrers flOcked there In
shoals and were either put into the
mines or chased down the track to the
jcers OF the rapidly growing p%opulace.
WalllngfOrd. for the time being, did
nothing but sell houses-for cash when
he could. on instruments when he must.
For 500 he could sell n house and lot
that cost him $50 and n share OF stock
that had cost him $50. lie obtained
copies of the charter. constitution and
bylaws of the Kimbely Mine ON
pany, md every time lie read them he
frowned over just II puZzling prob
lem; then he went ont and mingled
anew with his tenantry, for every
householder would be n voter In the
approaching stockholders meeting. He
got II grocer. n butcher. n baker ana
other cnterpgISing merchants 10 buy
bungalows and open shops; a lawyer
and four doctOrs-allOpath, homeopath.
OSteopath and horse-cast their lots
with him. and carpenters. brickIayers
and stonemaSons fairly swarmed to the
place.
Even in the early days. before the in
rush began. WallinSford occupied him
self very fully by spending rs much
time MS possible in and about the mine,
although nearly always under the
watchful eye Of n Of the Dougalbob-
bers. He noted one very peculiar thing
no chemist was employed, and no
body interested seemed Mt all curious
regarding the quality of the ore. When
he wanted to take some OF it away to
show prospective citizens, however,
they evinced a sudden jealous regard
for it and positively refused TO let him
have any. He obtained some. though.
through the efforts of Toad JessOp.
who brought 1t away a lump ut n time.
1t looked like any other iron ore. SO far
as WallinSford could see, but he was
very curious about 1t.
When the influx began W~allingford
became the patriarch Of the town, its
founder and father. its chief benefac-
tor and adviser, and In the first two
weeks Dougalville would have elected
him unanimously to be president OF
the United States. At the end of two
weeks, however, Big Bill Slammet
came to town. with one wife. six chill
dren, three dogs and 81, and sought 0n-
portunities for Investment Big Bill
Busying himself on the investment
proposition. Mrs. Slammed, u woman
rs faded and decrepit as Big Bill was
%flamboyant and hearty, came to Wal
lingford and obtained Il house on sheer
defenselcssness. Big Bill, having
found the only easily obtainable form
of investment In the town to be whis-
ky, invested his 81 in that commodity
for the use and benefit Of himself and
various sundry kindred spirits. Short
~ upo the heels OF this he discovered
Wallingford and Immediately made n
speech.
He was from Cindcrburg, Big Bill
was, and he knew this man Nalling-
ford of old. He was a common graft
err. this ]. Rufus person, one who rob-
bed widows and orphans and honest
laboring men like him out of their
hard earned money. In CinderDurS
Wallingford had organized a concern
known rs the Bang Sun Engine COM
pany, which company was q fraud and
n swindle from beginning to end Big
Bill fairly frothed at the mouth in
telling OF the iniquities of Wal'ingford.
and rs he had n good corner just be-
tween the Miners Club saloon and the
Merchants cafe. he had n rapidly
growing and highly Glceful audience.
WaIllngford and Toad Jessop, taking
an evening constitutional in the pleas
ant silence that comes to friends OF
long standing who have no question
Of each other. came upon the orator III
due time and were just about to join
the group when Wauingford heard hls
own name and drew Toad quickly into
the shadow of II high pile of beer ciSet
Mt the side Of the Merchants cafe
where he listened a moment.
The Dougalbobbers hurried into view
just then and stopped Mt the edge OF
the crowd to listen. Toad ran out anu
brought them back to the shadow OF
the beer cases.
"You have a bunch of hired wallOp'
ers, haven't your" asked WallinSford.
well, we don't call 'em that" re-
turned Frank hesitantly. They're our
watclImen."
"Wherc nre they 2"
wherever the most excitement Is"
returned Frank. with n grin. u recK'
on that's right here. saw two or
three Of 'em as we circlcl the herd"
II want to borrow them
81 should say you would" responded
Alec. And. stepping over TO the edge
of the crowd. he lifted up his shrill
nasal voice with:
soak i'm. boys! Soak i'm! Soak
i'm! Soak I'M"
The response was instantaneous. A
raw potato hit Big Bill Slammet IN the
teeth. lie turned, full Of rage. to dis
cover the vandal II he could. when.
from the other edge of the group Of
his beloved hearers. n clod OF raw dirt
co uOht him in the par. Big Bill con-