The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-02-14

send him to Nome. I'll get Judge Ian
dor to hold him awhile"
leave it to me. The old man is
going on q vacation, though he doesn't
know it yet"
"Good enough, Wally. I'll trust yon.
But remember, this fight has reached
an acute stage. No more mistakes
The devil of it is we never seem tG
land the knockout punch. We've
beaten this bunch of reform idiots be-
fore Winton, before the secretary OF
the interior. before the president and
before congress. Now they're begin.
ming all over again. Where is it to
endY'
"This is their last kick. Probably |
Guttenchild agreed to it so as to let
the party go before the people at the
next election without any apologies.
Entirely formal Investigation, should
say"
This might be true, or it might not.
Macdonald knew that just now the
American people, always impulsive IN
Its thinking, was supporting strongly
the movement for conservation. A
searchlight had been turned upon the
Kamatlah coal fields.
The trouble had originated in de.
partment row, but it had spread until
the Macdonald claims had become a
party issue. The officials of the land
Office, as well as the national admin
istration, were friendly to the claim
ants. They had no desire to offend one
of the two largest money groups in the
country. But neither did they want to
come to wreck on account of the Gut.
tenchilds. They found it impossible to
ignore the charge that the entries were
fraudulent and if consummated would
result in wholesale robbery of the
public domain. Superficial investiga.
lions had been made and the claimants
whitewcshed. But the clamor had per.
sisted.
The facts were simple enough. Mac.
donald was the original promoter OF
the Kamatlah coal field. He had en-.
gagged dummy entrymen to take up
100 acres each under the homestead
act. Later he intended to consolidate
the claims and turn them over to the
Guttenchilds under an agreement by
which he was to receive one-eighth of
the stock of the company formed to
work the mines. The entries had been
made, the fee accepted by the land Of
flee and receipts issued. In course of
time Macdonald had applied for pat.
ents.
Before these were issued the maya.
zines began to pour in their broadsides,
and since then the papers had been
held up.
The conscience of Macdonald was
quite. clear. The pioneers, in Alaska
were building out Of the Arctic waste
new empire for the United States,
aud he held that lair government
could do no less than offer them liberal
treatment. To lock up from present
use vast resources needed by Alaskans
would be a mistaken policy, narrow
and perverted application Of the doc
trine Of conservation. The territory
should be thrown open to the world
If capital were invited in to do its
| share of the building, immigration
would flow rapidly northward. Within
the lives of the present generation the
| new empire would take shape and
wealth would pour inevitably into the
| United States from its frozen treasure
house.
The view held by Macdonald was
o..e common to the whole Pacific coast
Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, were
unit in the belief that the govern
ment had no right to close the dool
Of Alaska and then put paddock
upon 1t.
Feminine voices drifted from thu
outer Office. Macdonald opened the
door to let in Mrs. Selfridge and Mrs
Mallory.
The latter lady, Paris-shod and
gloved, shook hands smilingly with the
Scotch Canadian. "Of course we're
intruders in business hours, though
you'll tell us we're not" she suggested
'I've just been reading the Transcon
tinental Magazine. A writer there say!
that you are highway robber and Z
gambler. I know you're rObber be
cause all the magazines say SO. Blu
are you only big gambler"
He met her raillery without the leas
embarrassment.
'Sure I gamble. Every time I talk
a chance I'm gambling. So does every
body else. We've got to take chances
to live"
"How true. and I never thought O
it." beamed Mrs. Selfridge. "What |
philosopher you are. Mr.. Macdonald.
The Scotsman went on without pay
ing any attention to her effervescence
ave gambled ever since was kid
bet I could cross Death valley an,
get out alive. That time I won.
bet 1t would rain down in ArizOn'
before my cattle died. l lost. An
other time I took contract to run
tunnel. In my bid bet l wouldn't rul
into rock. My. bank went. broke tina
trip. When / Joined the Klondik
rush / was backing my luck to STAN
up. Same thing when | located tn
Kamatlah field. The coal might be
poor quality. Maybe l couldn't inter
: est big capital in the proposition. Pei
haps the government would turn m
down when came to prove up. | wa
betting my last dollar against bl
odds. When I quit gambling 1t wi
be because I've quit living"
sand / suppose I'm gambler, tool
Mrs. Mallory demanded with littl