Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-13
Tom Daly's Column


trusty pen Qet no frivolous cOmpositor
drop the front "t' off that adjective) and
sitting upon the edge Of his chair, with
one ear elevated TO catch the first distant
whistle Of the overdue Santa Fe train
for which he was waiting, wrote an edi.
torial, whats the Matter With Kan
sas?" which is now n classic.
out of that same western wonderland
yesterday came VIII M. Maupin, official
publicity man of the State of Nebraska,
and between trains, spilled into our re.
ceptive ears many true tales that tickled
like fiction
We were fussng over our handbook
and worrying about the vacuum there
when he came in, and he took that for
his cue:
Come out to Nebraska" said he, "and
first thing you know, perhaps, the money
will roll in so it will keep you awake
nights. Let me tell you the story of the
three young men
"In the fiery furnace-Shadrach, Me-
shach and Abednego," said we.
NO. said he, there's fiery furnace in
the story all right, and the names Of the
young men are almost as strange, but
they're different. They are Show, Modi-
sett and Jeef
SHOW, Modisett and Jeef in the sum-
mer of 1914, were just out of college,
where they had specialized in chemistry.
They went to work in a packing-house in
Omaha, but while they worked there with
their hands their brains were otherwhere.
They thought and talked long about the
possibility of extracting potash or some.
thing just as good from the all1ali lakes
of northwestern Nebraska. They were so
hopeful that Modisett and Jeef started
upon a prospecting trip, leaving Show
behind TO hold down his real job and sup.
ply them with money for board and
meals. For six months the two lads
fooled away their time testing out the
silt and mud in the lake bottom. There
was nothing there. Then 1t occurred to
them that the potash might be held in
solution in the water. 1t was even so,
and their dream opened before them. But
it took them a year to interest capital
to the extent of $4,000, and they got
that upon the solemn agreement that the
officers of the company were to get no
SdldIleS anu no ulNluenQS were 10 Do pdlu
until that $4,000 had been paid off
Just two years ago they began min
ing the potash, and here's where that
fiery furnace comes in. The process of
reduction entails three bolings of the
lake water and its admission finally to a
large cylinder, which slowly revolves as
the water tricltles in. There is an intense
oil flame projected into the far end of
the cylinder, instantly reducing the
potash in the water to crystals, which
are afterward reduced to powder, and
there you are!
Now, then, hold on tight to your chair!
In nine months they paid off that SIS, 900,
added $350,000 more to the equipment,
and for the last fifteen months they've
been paying dividends at the rate of 70
per cent per month-get that, 70 per cent
s35O,OOO
And two years ago when they were
starting all this had a couple of hun
dred dollars to invest, which might Just
as easily have gone there as where it did.
"The three young men? Oh, they're
along. Each O. them is pulling
down an income of from $4,000 to $4,000
per month"
The gentleman from Nebraska paused
and looked at us, and, in concert, the
two of us sighed. He drew from his
pocket sheet of paper apd said: IF
you have the knack of making money,
Nebraska is the place for you; but even
if you can make nothing more valuable
than poetry, Nebraska is the place-if
your home and family happen to be al
ready established there. It's train-time
and I leave this with you. Give me two
start before you read it,"
And this is what he left upon our desk:
PUe been teasted and teted and toasted
In this city of old William Penn;
PUe been fdttered, mud.Spldttered and
roasted
Nol0 I long for Nebraska again.
For her tCtde.spreading cornfelds, brolCn-
tUdUing,
For her prdirieS, her cattle and stUine-
You're got great State lCorth your
racing,
But it's good old Nebraska for mine!
PUe read of your mining and milling,
LiketUiSe Of your queer politics;
And confess am rather untCiHing,
IN the latter induStry' to mir.
Instead of your tcdrd murder cases,
yedrn for the green of our sod,
WAY back on Nebrdska's qCide spaces
Where think zee get closer to God!
grant you the land Of the Quaker
Is l0ondrouSlU beautiful, fair;
A come trtie" dream Of its Maker-
Bat Nebraska! 1 long to be therel
with its tar-bendin0, clear blue hort
sOn;
with its cleGH-HUin0 lUomen and men
Say, Tom, do you think it's surprisin'
That / long for Nebraska dgaing
WILL NJ. MAUPIN.
Nice question that to ask a man!
But listen here, Nebraska man,
There's just a word we'd yell at YOU.
before you run away.
n,,r ,{4,y Sbnuys "a ro,.oo,,,