The Washington herald., 1920-06-20

er. along the valley. The Denny
survey fronts three miles on the
Chiquito."
1T is claimed" continued the
commissioner. that II fails to
reach the river by as much as a
mile
The appraiser shrugged his
shoulders. He was by birth and
instinct an actual settler, and
the natural foe OF the land shark.
''It has always been considered
to extend to the river" he said.
dryly.S
But that Is not the point de-
sired to discuss" said the COM
missioner. What kind of coun-
try is this valley portion of (let
us say, them the Denny tract?"
The spirit of the Actual Settler
beamed in Ashes face.
Beautiful" he said. with en-
thusiasm. Valley as level as this
floor. with just q little swell on.
like the sea. and rich as cream.
Just enough brakes to shelter the
cattle in winter. Black loamy soil
for six feet. and then clay. Holds
water. A dozen nice little houses
omit, with wfndmills and gardens.
People pretty poor. i guess-too
far from market-but comfort
able. Never saw so many kids in
my life"
They raise hocks?" inquired the
commissioner.
"Ho. no! I mean two-legged
kids" laughed the surveyor; two
legged, and bare-legged, and tow
headed"
Children! oh, childrenw unused
the commissioner. as though a
new view had opened to him;
they raise children
Its a lonesome country. COM
missioner" said the surveyor.
Can you blame 'em?"
Il suppose" continued the COM
missioner, slowly, as one care
fully pursues deductions from a
new, stupendous theory, mot all
of them are tow-headed. It would
not be unreasonable, Mr.. Ashe, I
conjecture, to believe that a por-.
tion of them have brown, or even
black hair"
Brown and black. sure" said
Ashe; also red"
NO doubt" said the Commits
sioner. well, / thank you for
your courtesy in informing me.
Mr.. Ashe. 1 will not detain you
any longer from your duties"
Later. in the afternoon. came
Hamlin and Avery. big. handsome,
genial, sauntering men, clothed in
white duck and low-cut shoes.
They permeated the whole ONCE
with an aura of debonair pros
perity. They passed among the
clerks and left a wake of alb
breviated given names and fat
brown cigars.
These were the aristocracy of
the land-sharks. who went in for
big things. Full of serene conf
dence in themselves. there was no
corporation, no syndicate, no rail-
road company or attorney too big
for them to tackle. The peculiar
smoke of their rare, fat brown ci-
gars was to be perceived in the
sanctum of every department of
THE Legislature, in every bank par
lor and every private caucus room
In the state capital. Always pleas
ant, never in a hurry, in seeming
TO possess unlimited leisure, peo-
pie wondered when they gave
their attention to the many auda-
cious enterprises in which they
were known to be engaged.
II
lessly into the commissioner
room and reclined lazily in the
big, leather-upholstere arm
chairs. They drawled a good-na-
tured complaint of the weather.
and Hamlin told the commissioner
an excellent story he had amassed
that morning from the Secretary
of state.
But the commissioner knew
why they were there. He had
half promised to render a deci-
sion that day upon their location.
The chief clerk now brought in
batch of duplicate certificates
for the commissioner to sign. AS
he traced his sprawling signature,
Hollis Summerfield. Commr Gen.
Land Office" on each one, the
chief clerk stood. deftly removing
them and applying the blotter.
Il notice" said the chief clerk.
you've been going through that
Salado County location. Kampfer
is making new map of Salado,
and l believe is plating in that
section of the county now"
VIII see it," said the commits
sioner. A few moments later he
went to the draughtsmen's room.
As he entered he saw five or.
six Of the drSughtsmen grouped
about HAMPERS Gesk gargling
away at each other in pectoral
German, and gazing at something
thereupon. At the Commissioners
approach they scattered to their
several places. Kampfer. a wiz
ened little German. with long,
frizzled ringlets ard watery
eye. began to stammer forth some
sort of an apology. the Commits
sioner thought. for the congrega-
tton of his fellows about his desk,
Never mind" said the Commits
sioner, Il wish to see the map
You are making" anG passing
around the CID German. seated
himself upon the high draughts-
mans. stool. Kampfer continued
to break English in trying to
explain.
Herr Commissioner. I assure
You blenty sat / haf not 1t bre-
meditated-sat II wass-sat 1t
itself make. Look youi from Sc
geld notes wass it blatted-blease
to observe Sc calls; South, 10