The daily Alaskan., 1915-10-02
James Pike
 Of PikevilIe
By EVERETT P. CLARKE

The Pikeville gold fields were discoy- cred and exploited by Jim Pike, who was as big a rascal as ever lived. There was not an ounce of gold within two miles of the place except what Jim had put there from some other mine, but 1t was enough when mixed with a certain red ore there was on the property he had staked out to sell to others to convince hungry gold hunters that he had struck 1t rich.
 When therefore he gave out that he had several hundred acres and couldn't work more than one acre himself every body cianlored to buy small slice of his surplus. It required a lot of per suadlng to indnce him to sell and every time he sold lot he seemed to be heartbroken. ''There goes a for. tun," he would say, just because I haven't the funds to get It out O the ground"
 Nevertheless Jim was always per suaded, and if the would be purchaser hadn't the cash to buy with he would lust as a favor-talle anything he could get. He sold one man who was down on his luck a lot fifty feet by fifty for revolver. This transaction was talk cd about, and any man who had horse, watch or an old fiddle would go to Jlm Pike and buy bit of ground with it
 But none of these investors got any gold out of their lots. First there was grumbllng; then there was curslng, and at last therr was putting together of heads. and the opinion was promulgat' cd that Pike had swindlCd the pur- chascys. Those who had bought the bcst and largest tracts for cash con suited as to how they could get their money back; those who had bought with cats and dogs were not so wrought up. but among the whole thcre grew up a disposition to prevent Pike from getting away from the place with tho booty.
 Pike had deep insight Into human nature. It was his opinion that those who have been swindled once might be swlndlcd again, Moreover, ho believed that !t Is easier to SSiudle commit nity than an individual. That's tho plan." he said, "on which promoters work. If Tom Is satisfied that cer. tain scheme Is a good one Dick is ready to follow Tom, and the two together bring in Harry. Tom, Dick and Harry bring in the multitude"
 So MT. Pike concluded that having by one swindle made nucleus for another, be bethought himself what that other one should be. The object of bis second scheme was not to take any more money out of the citizens of Pikcville, for be had got about all there was. What he desired was to get away with his pluudcr
 He gave out that in the kindness of his heart he had taken many odds and ends for bis property for which he had no use. He had decided to lump them and raille them. He thought there were Sl.OOO worth of them, but l ic would call it $500
 Those who had invested money in Pikevillc lots scorned to invest In | Pike's lottery. Those who had lost nothing of moment. thinking that these neighbors had bought with more val uable articles than himself and that l the collection would be u fine thing to have, took shares. In this way 300 shares wee sold to the most guIlihle | of the population. Pike not only took the remaining 200 shares himself, but l pledged himself if he won to put the names of those holding shares in Il hat and let little child, blindfoIded, draw name. To the person whose name was drawn he would turn over the ar i ticles rallied for.
 This seemed so fair, so generous, that it caused quite a revulsion In | Plke's favor. Those who had sneered at him did not do so any more for fear of exciting hostility against them, selves. Indeed. there were several fights between scofers and sharehOld- CTS in the lottery.
 1 While the shares were being sub scribed fer the articles to be rallied were exhibited. In Pike's yard were two horses, both blind, a COW, three dogs and a goat In hls living room were fishing rods, musical instruments, several articles of furniture. some rugs much wOrn-and small articles of every description down to n jewsharp.
 When the collection had been eX- hibited long enough, to give every one a sight, though too short to enable any one to judge of its worthlessness, it was announced that the drawing would take place the next evening at ' o'clock. A little girl six years old was blind folded, q plug hat with 800 names in it-2OO being Pike's-waS placed be- fore her, she put in her hand and drew out the name of James Pike.
 Mir. Pike stepped forth and said that be had understood there was some error in the names in the hat. that they would be carefully examined and T