Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1920-02-26
,c

of this young Henry AkerS, son of F.
P. Akers Of the Akers Chemical COM
pany. 1t seems this young 4Akers asked
Fred if he knew a fellow named Nina
fer, because he knew Fred had always
lived here, and young Akers had heard
some way that Minafer used to be an
old family name here, and was sort of
curious about it. Well, sir, you re-
member this young George sort Of dis
appeared, after his grandfather's
death, and nobody seemed to know
much what had become of him
though I did hear, once or twice, that
he was still around somewhere. Well,
sir, he's working for the Akers Chem
ical company, out at their plant on the
T~homasville road"
He paused. seeming to reserve some-
thing to be delivered only upon inquiry,
and Eugene offered him the expected
question, but only after a cold glance
through the nose-glasses he had lately
found it necessary to adopt. "What
does he dol?
Kinney laughed and slapped the arm
OF his chair. Hes q nitro-glycerin *
pert"
He was gratihed to see that Eugene
was surprised, II not, indeed, a little
startled.
Hes what?"
Hes an expert on nitro-glycerin.
Doesn't that beat the devil! Yes, sir!
Young Akers told Fred that this
George Minafer had worked like a
%houn-dog ever since he got started
out at the works. They have a special
plant for nitro-glycerin, way off from
woods somewhere-and George Nina
fer's been working there, and lately
they put him in charge of it. He over
sees shooting oil wells, too, and shoots
EN- himself, sometimes. They aren't
allowed to carry 1t on the railroads,
you know-have to team it. Young
AkerS says George rides around owe
the bunny roads, sitting on as much as
three hundred quarts of nitro-glycerin!
NV Lord! Talk about romantic tum-
hleS. If he gets blown sky-high some
day he won't have Il bigger drop, when
lie comrS down, than he's already had!
Don't ii beat the devil! Young Akers
said he's got all the nerve there is in
the world. Says he gets a fair salary,
and l should think he ought to! Seems
to me I've heard the average life in
that sort Of work is somewhere around
four years, and agents don't write any
insurance at all for nitro-glycerin ex-
perts. Hardly!!"
"NO," said Eugene. 81 supnose not"
Kinney roSe to go. "Well. it's a
pretty funny thing-pretty odd, 1 mean
and I suppose it would be pass
around-the-hat for old Fanny Minafer
If he blew up. Fred told me that
they're living in some apartment house,
and said George supports her. He was
going to study law, but couldn't earn
Fanny, so he gave it up: Fred's wife
told him all this. Says Fanny doesn't
do anything but play bridge these
days. Got to playing too high for
awhile and lost more than she wanted
to tell Georgia about. and borrowed
a little from old Frank Bronson. Paid
him back, though. Don't know how
Fred's wife heard it. Women do hear
the darndest things!"
"'Tley do" Eugene agreed.
"Well, I'm off to The store" said Mr..
Kinney briskly; yet he fingered. 81
S11nnncn WALL oil ho,-o 10 n1,,L -, sod
keep old Fanny out of the ]poorhouse
If he does blow up. From all / hear
it's usually only a question of time.
They say she hasn't got anything else
to depend on"
II suppose not"
"Well-I wondered-" Kinney hest
tated II was wondering why you
hadn't thought of finding something
around Your works for him. You used
to be such a tremendous friend Of the
family thought perhaps you-of
course | know he's a queer lott know
he's
Eyes, I think he is" said Eugene.
NO. haven't anything to offer him."
II suppose not" Kinney returned
thWughtfully, AS he went on. 81 don't
know that would myself. Well, We'll
probably see his name in the papers
some day if he stays with that job"
However. the nitro-glycerin
expert of whom they spoke did not get
into the papers as a consequence of
being blown up, although his daily life
was certainly a continuous exposure to-
that risk. Destiny has a constant pas
sion for the homogeneous. and it was
Georges lot to manipulate wholesale
quantities of terrific and volatile en-
plosiveS in safety. and to be laid low
by an accident so commonplace and in.
consequent that it was n comedy.
Fate had reserved for him the final in
suit OF riding him down under the
wheels of n OF those iuggcrnautS Mt
which h" had once shouted cit Il
hosS!" Nevertheless. lHute's ironic
choice for Grorgie's undoing WAS not n
big and swift and momcntous ear, such
iiS Eugene manufactured Il was n SDu-