Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-12-31
CHAPTER xl-Continued.

court. Why risk your precious life t.
acquire more? Money isn't everything
In life"
mo, but the game Is"
"What game? Mlnlng"
"rhe game Of life"
"But this is the game of death."
(which makes life all the sweetel
II can beat the game. Perhaps can
better illustrate my point of view with
a story. Some years ago | was sent
to Arizona to examine mining prop.
erty and report upon II; II / advised
Its purchase, my principals were pre-
pared to buy at my valuation. Well,
when arrived, found miserable
shanty close to shaft and dump, and
In the shanty found weather-beat.
en- couple, The woman was probably
forty but looked fifty. The man had
never been anything but handbook
ininer-S4 day had been the limit Of
his earnings in any one day until he
stumbled on some float, traced 1t up,
and located the claims ! was there to
examine and try to buy.
"Tls wife had been a miners daugh.
ter, knowing nothing but drudgery and
poverty and continuing that existence
after marriage. For 20 years she had
been darning her husbands socks,
washing his clothes, and cooking his
meals. Even after they uncovered the
ledge, 1t wasn't worth any more than
the country rock to them unless they
could sell 1t, because the man had
neither the money nor the ability to
develop 1t himself. He even lacked
the ability to sell 1t, because 1t re-
qulres real ability to unload any kind
of a mine for $1,0O0,OO0, and real
nerve on the part Of the man who
buys. examined the mine, decided
1t was cheap at s1,000,000, and so re-
ported to my principals. They wired
me to close. and so took 60-day
option In order to verify the title.
"Well, time passed, and one bright
day | rode up to that shanty with
deed and certified check for $1,000
900 in my pocket; whereupon dis
covered the woman had had change
of heart and bucked over the traces.
No, stree! She would not sign tibet
there deed-and inasmuch as the claim
was community property, her sigma
ture was vitality necessary. She asked
ice so many questions, however, as to
the size of the stamp mill we would
install and how many miners would
be employed on the job, that finally l
saw the light and tried shot In the
dark. my dear Mrs. Skaggs," | said,
"lf you'll sign this deed and save us
all lot of litigation over this option
you and your husband have given me-
I'll do something handsome. l will
on my word of honor-1'll give you the
exclusive boarding house privilege at
this mine"
"And what did she say, CallphT
"She said: Give me the pen, Mr..
Webster, and please excuse my hand
writing; I'm that nervous in business
matters"
Dolores silvery laughter rippled
through the room. "But don't see
the point" she protested.
1--WE will come to It presently. /
was merely explaining one persons
point of view. You would not, OF
course, expect me to have the same
point of view as Mrs. Skaggs of Arr
IONA"
certainly mott
"All right Listen to this In 1907,
at the height Of the boom times In
New, l was worth S1,000,00O.
On the first day of October could
have cashed in my mining stocks for
81 900, 0OO-and had a lot of cash In
bank, too. But I'd always worked so
hard and been poor so long that my |
wealth didn't mean anything to me.
wanted the exclusive privilege of |
more slavery, and so staked copper |
which later discovered to
consist of uncounted acres of country |
rock and about $25 worth of copper |
stain. In order to save 500 | did my |
own assessment work, drove pick |
into my foot, developed blood poison,
went to the hospital, and was nice and
helpless when the panic came along
the middle Of the month. The bank
went bust, and my ready cash went
with It: I couldn't give my mining
stocks away. Everybody knew was
a pauper-everybody but the doctor.
He persisted In regarding me as a mil
ionaire and sent me bill for $1,000"
"How perfectly outrageous! Why
rallph, would have let him sue me-
~ would have, too-but I didn't.
Induced him to settle for 100000
shares Of stock In my copper prospect.
The par value was 81 share, and |
vas going to sell block at 10 cents.
,ut in view of his high professional
standing | let him have 1t for a nickel
share. imagine he still has 1t. |
,ought back later all the other stock
sold, because the property was
and in order to be a sport
offered him $500 for his block, but
,e thought | was trying to swlndle
lin and asked $1,000"
"Oh, Caliph!"
"Wonderful game, isn't it--thls
,ame of life. So sweet when fell
ow's taking chances! Now that I am
airly prosperous again, the only thing
n life that really matters is the un.
Balance Of Trade shrlnks.
Washington. Americas balance OF
rade for November shrank $63,000,-
100 as compared with the proceeding
month, as result OF decided falling
III in exports, according to an ana.
uota