The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-05


all over the country. Yes. sir. every
trust bears In It's own bosom the
seeds OF It's destruction like a rooster
that crows near Georgia eolored
Methodist camp meeting. or repub'
liean announcing himself a candidate
for governor OF Texas"
asked jeff. jcatlngiy. n he had
ever. during HIS checkercd. piaided,
notified. pied and dapplcd career. con.
Quoted an enterprise OF the class to
which tho word trust had been ap.
piled. Somewhat 10 my surprise be
Acknowledged the corner.
Once" said he. "And the state
seal OF New Jersey never bit into n
charter that opened up a soldier
and Safcr piece Of legitimate octopus
ing We had everything IN our favor
wind. water. police. nerve. and a
clean monopoly OF an article In.
dispennable TO the public. There
wasn't a trust buster on tho globe
that could have found a weak spot
In our scheme. II made Rockefel-
ier's little kerosene speculation look
like bucket shop. But We lost out"
Some Unforeseen opposition came
up, l suppose" l Said.
mo. sir. II was just ms said We
were Heifcurbcd. II was "a case of
auto-supprosaion. There was n rift
within the loot. as Albert Tennyson
says.
You remember told you that me
and Andy Tucker WIS partners for
some years That man war the most
talented conniyer at Ktratagems I
ever saw. Whenever he saw a dollar
In another mans hands he took II a.
personal grudgn. II he couldn't take
IL any other way. Andy was cducat.
ed. too. besides having a lot OF une.
fui Information. lie had acquired a
big amount OF experience out OF
books. and could talk for hours on
any subject connected with ideas and
discourse. lie had been In every line
OF graft from lccturing on Palestine
with n lot OF magic lantern pictures
OF the annual Custom made Ciothiera'
association convention at Atlantic
city to flooding Connecticut with
bogus wood alcohol distilled from
nutmegH.
'None spring mo and Andy had been
over In Mexico on a flying trip dur.
ing which a Philadelphia capitalist
had paid US 8. 500 for a half interest
In a silver mlno In Chihuahua. oh.
yes. the mine was all right The
other half interest must have been
worth two or three hundred uhous.
and often wondered who owned
that mine
lin coming hack 10 the United
States me and Andy n,ubbed our
toes aEains, lltti. town In Texas
on the hank OF the Rio Grand@. The
name Of u was bird City. bn, II
wasn't Tho town had about 1000
inhabitants, mostly men. figured
out that their principal means Of er.
lstencr was In living close 10 tall
ehaparral Some OF 'em were stock.
men and aona gamblers and some
horse spectators and plenty were in
tho smuggling line. Nc and Andy
put up at hotel that was built
like something between a roof garden
and a sectional bookcase. II began
10 rain tho day We got there. A
the saying n. Juniper Aauar,us was
sur, turning on tho water plugs on
Mount Amphlblou-.
NOW. there werr thr~~ r,icous IN
BIRD City. tho neither Andy nor me
drank. Hut We could SEQ the towns
people making a triangular proces
sion from ono 90 another all day and
half the night Everybody seemed
20 know what 10 do with Rs much
money as they had.
THE third days OF the rain !, slack.
ed up awhile in the afternoon. 80 me
and Andy walked out To the edge Of
town TO view tho mudscapc. bird
City was built between the Rio
Grande and deep wide arroyo that
used 70 he tho old bod OF the river
The hank between tho STREAM and
its old bed was cracking and giving
away. when We saw Il. on accoun;
Of tne high water caused by the rain.
Andy looks NJ II long time. That
mans int.liccts was never Idle. And
then he unfolds TO me a lnstantane.
Gus idea that has occurred TO him.
Right there was organized n trust:
and We walked back into town and
put II on the market.
First We went 10 the main saloon
in Bird City. called tho Blue Snake.
and bought Il. IL cost ua 81 zoo And
then We dropped In. casual. at Mexi.
can Joc's place. referred TO the rain.
and bought him out for $500. Ths
other one came easy at $500
"The next morning Bird City woke
up and found Itself an island. The
river had busted thru It's old chan
mel. and the town was surrounded by
roaring torrents The rain was still
raining. and there was heavy clouds
In the northwest that prcsaEed
abou, sir moro mean annual rain.
fails during the next two weeks. But
the worst was yet TO come.
Bird City hoped out OF It's nest
waEgied its pin feathers and stroll.
ed out for It's mututlnh loot Lo'
Mexican Joe's place was closed and
likewise tho other little 'dobo life
saving station. So. naturally the
body polite emits thirsty ejacuia-
tons Of surprise and ports hellun
for the Blue Snake. And what does
II find there7
Behind one end OF the bar sits
jefferson Peters. octopus. with n six
shooter on each side OF him. ready