Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-08-09
A FARSEEING
WOMAN
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

The history of gold mining regions
repeats itself. First we have the land
worth from nothing up to a few dol
lars an acre. Then some one digs a
hole in the ground to put in a post,
scoops out a cellar for a house, or
something like that, and finds in the
Dirt taken out indications Of the pre-
clous metal. He doesn't say anything
to anybody, but goes off and gets it
assayed. The report being favorable,
he, lets it be known that he has gold on
his property, Those who strike indica-
lions pre-empt claims and organize
companies with Il few dollars capital,
most of which is spent for printing
certificates of stock. Every foot of the
ground in the vicinity is staked out for
mines, which cross and rccross one an
oher at every conceivable angle. There
are thousands of the certificates, near
ly all worthless.
When the Clear Creek region of Colo
rado was in such a stage as this a man
whom l shall call Peter Anderson, a
SOuhS Ia w CI llOll luC SOull, SclllGu
in Denver and hung out his single.
he had a very frugal, patient wife,
who was a real helpmate to him. She
never permitted anything to be vast
ed, no matter how little value it pos
sessed, and when her husband rallied
her on saving worthless things she
would say cheerily, 1T may come in
handy just in the nick Of time"
The principal law practiced in Col
orado at that time was with the re-
%volver; consequently Peter Anderson
found little practice in his profession.
the Andersons managed to keep body
and soul together by small loans. The
husband found it dull sitting in his
office waiting for clients, so he spent
most of his time in a %neighboring bill
lard room playing pool. He told his
wife that this was a good way to make
acquaintance and thus get business.
She said she thought he was right.
The members of such communities
are inveterate gamblers. Refresh
ments and the price Of the game were
to be paid for by the loser. In addi-
ton to this, the players, all of whom
were possessed of worthless mining
stocks, would put them up to be alb
sorbed by the winner. A number of
these certificates came into Peter An
dersons possession, but none of them
ever found their way back to the per
sons from whom he won them. Every
night after he had gone to sleep his
wife would get up. search his pockets.
take out what mining shares she found
there and lock them up in an Old trunk
she kept i'll the garnet. She never
looked at the names of the companies
they represented or bothered her head
as to their value. Indeed, they were
worthless or they would not have come
so easily into her husbands possession.
Every night his pockets were searched
and emptied, but in the morning he
would not miss his loss. If his wife
had taken a few coins he might have
noticed it, but mining stocks were
quite a different matter. When he
went round to the billiard room in the
evening he would think that he had
won some shares the night before, but,
finding none in his pocket, fancy he
had been mistaken. He was a very
good pool player and had no difficulty
in borrowing a few shares to begin on.
Usually he would win, pay off the loan
and go on playing on his own capital.
If he left the place with stocks in his
pocket the next morning they would
be deposited. as usual, in Mrs. Ander-
sons trunk.
But the pool players didn't bring An
derson any law business, and the wolf
was continually snarling about his
door. However, the wolves in such
communities are usually coyotes, COM
paratively harmless, for any man will
give or lend any other man if he has
anything he doesn't need at the mo-
ment. Nevertheless Anderson's condi-
ton was not attractive, and except
when he was playing pool he was very
dispirited.
One day there was a big strike up
on Clear creek. A mining company had
opened n vein that paid many hun
IN ~ oNrldio " LIE lOu. REFER AL
derson when he vent home that night
told his wife about the strike, remark
ing, "Oh, how l wish l had some of
the stock of the company"
Il think you have, DEAR" said Mrs.
Anderson, and she went up to her
trunk and brought down an armful Of
mining share certificates. The two
sorted them, tossing them when exam
ined on the floor in their eager hunt
for the one they coveted. Presently
they came to a ten share certificate
which alone would keep them for
awhile. Then a fifty share turned up.
then another ten, then a hundred, five
hundrei-indeed, all denominations. It
was n good while before they got
through the accumulated pile. When
they did they figured up shares in the
lucky company sufficient to give them
a fortune of half a million dollars.