Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-07-27
Featherine
His Nest
By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE
OF The Tigiionfes

uuiy iCtChliJ uc Sulut lltlO Tue lime
light. Old Hezekiah Hopper died q
year or SO ago and left two million
dollars. He left half his fortune to his
nephew, another young man of the
name Of Latimer Cobb, and the other
half he left to his other nephew, Hard
shell Hopper. Hardshell is called that
because he's got that kind of a shell,
or SO 1t would seem. The testat0r had
this money all nicely invested In good
paying five and six per cent securities.
For about q year the young man
clipped their coupons and collected
their dividends. The war was in their
midst, and young Latimer Cobb SUBJ
scribed to everything In sight, and got
his name in the papers and kept it
there. He must have given up as
much as fifty thousand dollars out of
his million, to the Liberty loan, the
Red Cross, the Red Triangle and other
things that came along.
''But what really want to do" said
Latimer Cobb. us to double or treble
my money-then I'll give twenty-five
per cent of all | make to furthering
our interests In the war;"
He looked about him. He picked out
a good likely looking munitions stock.
II money had to be made out of the
war by munitions concerns he might
as well make some of 1t, then, as he
said, he would turn around and give
lot of 1t to the war, and get his
name in the papers and keep 1t there,
right along. He was a patriot, he
knew he was patriot, and he kept
saying so. He was proud Of 1t, In
fact. 1 4savsSsl
But Hardshell Hopper Wasn't--he
admitted th3f he wasn't. A friend of
Hardshell's who was going around SELL
ing Liberty bonds went to see Hard
shell about buying some of the bonds.
Now, that's pity" groaned Hard
shell Hopper, "but fact is, Steve, just
this morning invested my whole pile
in first-class, gilt-edged securities. I
amt got dollar left. Now, IL you'd
been around here yesterday"
Next night Steve, his friend, came
around again. Steve shook him earn
estly by the hand. "Why, Hardshell,"
he cried, you're the biggest patriot In
this town. You've invested all your
money-a million or more In the Lib
erty loan. You're the biggest man
we've got--the foremost of our pa
triots."
Hardshell Hopper shook his head.
Don't get off your trolley, Steve" he
said, II amt patriot. My cousin,
Latimer Cobb-he's patriot--every-
)ody says so. But I amt. Why, bless
you, man, I've only been feathering my
lest"
you've put one million dollars into
his war;" said Steve.
tive tucked one million away
where Its safe and sound" drawled
Hopper, "where l don't have
o worry about 1t. i got a security
hat won't be taxed, and that's as gilt
dyed as they make 'em, backed by
bout three hundred billion dollars
worth OF assets-and that's enough
or me. But don't you go calling me
ames / don't deserve. / amt no pa
riot. I'm only feathering my nest.
{ You want patriot you go to my
ousin, Latimer. He's the boy for
0u."
Steve went around to see HardshelTs
ousin, Latimer.
"At any rate" he said to Latimer, Il
an sell some bonds to you"
Latimer gloves. with patriotism.
Steve" he said, II promise you you'll
e the boy I'll buy 'em Of And I'm
DING to buy lot. But just now j
aven't got dollar to my name. I've
lunged on some munitions stock
here's been fiurry-it's gone down
n me, and / can't get out without a
lost tremendous loss. All / can do is
, hang on like grim death. But the
linute that I make handsome profit,
teve, I'm yours. There's no man for
We hundred miles around that's got
warmer feeling for the old flag than
atimer Cobb. can tell you those"
But Latimer didn't make a hand
Dme prolific didn't make any profit.
1stead, one fine morning his shares of
took turned worthless on his hands.
he concern whose stock he'd bought ]
as as worthless as the stock.
AS In flash, one day, he found
imself penniless. He had to turn to
nd earn his living. HardsheIl Hopper
ave him a job that kept body and /
oul together. But one day something
1t must be remembered
nat Latimer Cobb, like his cousin.
[ardshell Hopper, had received for
ne year at least, the income on those
We per cent securities that their dead l
ncle had invested In. So Latimer
Obj had had an income--and he had
led an income tax return. His in
,me had been about fifty thousand ,
,r the year-and the present income
TX on fifty thousand dollars Is consld-
rable. But Latimer Cobb, the young
atriot, whose intentions had been so
ood, and who was going to do so well
y the government, found himself with ,
ut money to pay this tax. He was a
atriot, and he had had ii large in
,me--but he couldn't pay his income
TX. The government Jailed him--a | /