The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-08

ship until | had their business said
Talbot 81 just guaranteed them stor-
age, waterproof. practically hreproot'
dustproof and within twenty-four
hours. | guess most Of them thought
was crazy, but as it didn't cost them
anything they were willing to take
chance"
"Then you didn't raise your $4,000
from them in advance payments"
marveled.
Certainly not That would have
scared off the whole lot Of them. But
1 got their agreements. | told you 1t
took me two hours. Then | walked
up the street figuring where I'd get
the money. OF course | saw I'd have
to divide the profits. / didn't know
anybody, but after awhile | decided
that the best chance was to get some
advice from an honest and dMnterest.
ed man. SO asked the first man met
who raa the biggest gambling place
in town. He told me Jim Rocket"
"Jim RecketT l echoed. He's the
man l was to leave change for my
gold slug with"
"Recket keeps the Eel Dorado, next
door in the tent. He impressed me as
q very quiet direct, square sort of
fellow. The best type of professional
gambler in matters of this sort gen.
orally is.
"T am looking for a man. said L,
who has a little idle money, some
time, no gold mining fever, plenty Of
nerve and a broad mind. Can you
tell me who he Isl?
"He thought a minute and then an
swered direct, as knew he would.
"'Sam Brannan,' he said.
"'Tell me about him.
"'To take up your points, said Reck-
out with a shipload Of Mormons as
their head, and he collected tithes from
them for over year. That's your idle
money. He has all the time the Lord
stuck into one day at clip. That's
your "some time" He has been here
in the city since 4S, which would seem
to show he doesn't care much for min
ing. He collected the tithes fromthose
Mormons and sent word to Brigham
Young that IL he wanted the money
to come and get it. That's for your
nerve. AS for being broad minded
well, when delegation of the Nor
mons, all ready for n scrap, came to
him solemnly to say that they were
going to refuse to pay him the tithes
any more, even If he was the Califor-
MIA head of the church, he laughed
them off the place for having been so
green as to pay them as long as they
had
al found Sam Brannan finally at the
bar In Dennison's Exchange"
"What was he llke?" asked Johnny
eagerly. an bet l heard his name
fifty times today"
"He is u thlckset, jolly looking, curly
headed fellow, with thick neck, a
bulldog jaw and big voice." replied
Talbot. "Of course he tried to bully
me, but when that didn't work he
came down to business. We entered
into an agreement
"Brannan was to furnish the money
and take half the profits, provided he
liked the idea. When we had settled
1t all ! told him my scheme. He
thought 1t over awhile and came In
Then we rowed off and paid the cap
tains of the ships. 1t was necessary
now to get them warped In at high
tide, of course, but Sam Brannan said
he'd see to that He has some sort OF
a pull with the natives, enough to gel
days labor, anyway"
Warp them in?" | echoed.
"Certainly. You couldn't expect the
merchants to lighter their stuff Off ir
boats always. Wen beach these ships
at high tide and then run some sort oi
light causeway out to them. There's
no surf, and the bottom Is soft. It'll
cost us something, of coarse, but San
and l figure we ought to divide three
thousand clear"
"I'd like to ask Il question or so.'
said /. "Whats to prevent the mer
chants doing this same hiring of ship
for themselvesr'
"Nothlng," said Talbot, "after th'
first month"
"And what prevented Brannan, afte
he had heard your scheme, from goini
out on his own hook and pocketing al
the proceeds?"
"You don't understand, Frank" salt
Talbot impatiently. Men of our staml
don't do those things"
"Ohv' said /.
"Thls," said Johnny, "made 1t abou