The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-07


u1 to take our citizens on one
proposition or another, but mighty
few Of them ever get away with
It, because our citizens are in the
taking business themselves, and
there are mighty few in this line
they do not know about.
1t reminds me of the time those
boys come to my old home town
cut of Denver to take our citi-
Rens on a sailed mine, and run
against my Grandpap. A salted
mine is a mine which is fixed up
in advance in one way and an
other to make it look as IL there
was plenty of gold in it, the idea
being to sell the mine to sucker
who gets all steamed up about
the gold.
OF course, there is no gold in
the mine except what the salters
put there in advance, and after
the sucker takes all this out, he
has nothing much left but hole
IN the ground, and another hole
In his bank roll.
Well. anyway. these boys coma
cut Of Denver, and hang around
my old home town spending their
dough, and talking about their
great prospects up around Cripple
Creek, where 1t seems they have
more gold mines than they know
what to do with.
Furthermore, 1t seems they wish
60 sell a few OF their gold mines
very cheap; and the first thing
anybody knows they are hanging
around my Grandpap and other
citizens.
Well, my Grandpap Is not much
interested in gold mines as a
general proposition, but these Dem
yer boys talk to him so much that
they finally got him heated up
more than somewhat. Ny Grand
pap has plenty OF dough, but nat
urally he is not against making
any more, If he can do 1t with
out any trouble, and gold mining
Il one of his old rackets when he
IL q young squirt.
So my Grandpap finally tells
the Denver boys he will go up to
Cripple Creek with them and take
q k.ok at their mine, and maybe
buy it, If everything looks all
right, but the trouble is, he tells
them, he already owns a piece Of
mining property only a few miles
from my old home town, and he
does not wish to load up with
any more until he gets rid of
that.
He says there IL no gold In his
mining property, but there is
plenty OF signs OF silver, and
while silver is not worth two
whoops at this time. he is hold
ing on to to the property, so he
tells the Denver boys. in the hope
that it viii be worth something
later on.
He says maybe he can fix up a
little trade with them il they
take his property with some cash
20 boot for their Cripple Creek
mine. and this idea seems to
strike the Denver boys all right.
It is all right, because they know
they are not going to sell my
Grandpap anything but a hole.
and any cash they get will be
velvet.
So they say they win take a
look at my Grandpap's property.
and one day he drives them out
into the hills ana shows them an
old hole that is dug many years
ago by some nut looking for gold,
and which IL on some Of my
Grandpap's property that he never
figures worth q dime.
It seems that these Denver
boys know something about min
ing, for all they are out to trim a
sucker, and they get to proving
around the hole letting on they
are making an examination. and
what do they find but real signs
Of plenty Of gold.
Naturally, they do not mention
this to my Grandpap. figuring he
does not know the gold is there,
but they are mighty anxious to
close up the deal. But my
Grandpap is not impatient, and
says he must think it over some
more. The next day he tells the
Denver boys he will not make
the deal at all. because he does
not want any more gold mines.
Well, Of course, they are all
excited by now thinking OF all
this gold In that hole on my
Grandpap's property, and they
hem and haw around. until finally
they come right out and offer my
Grandpap q price for his mine,
saying they wish to go in the,
silver racket themselves.
The way they figure is they
are going to grab a fine property
cheap. but my Grandpap is no
chump. and he asks them q nrettv