Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-10-04
FLOWING GOLD
BY REX BEACH
CHAPTER IN

| Z J occurred in north Texas was perhaps
| - the most remarkable; at any rate, the
world has never witnessed such scenes as
were enacted there.
The strike at Ranger lit the fuse, the eX-
| plOsiOn came with the first gush Of infamma-
] BILE liquid from the Fowler farm at Burkbur-
nett
"Burk" was sleepy little town. doing
| amid parched wheat fields The paint was
off it, nothing much more exciting than a
crop failure ever happened there. The main
| topic Of conversation was the weather and,
| as Mark Twain said, everybody talked about
! it, but nothing was done. Within sixty days
this soporfc village became a roaring bed
! lam; every town lot was leased, derricks
! rose out of chicken runs, boilers painted in
front yards, mobs of strangers surged
through the streets and the air grew shriIl
with their chickering's.
Naturally little country town like this
could not hold the newcomers, therefore
! Wichita Falls became their headquarters
here there were at least a few hotels and
some sort of office quarters-sheds beneath
which the shearing could take pace-and
there the herd assembled.
Of the men engaged in this shearing bust
ness, none, perhaps, had gathered more wool
IN the same length of time than the two
members of the firm of McWade & Ston6r
One morning McWade and his partner
provided themselves with some dice and sew
eral dollars in sold coin. With these thew
front of their office Now gamble was taboo
hence the spectacle Of two extensively dress
ed eminently prosperous men squattine
upon their heels with a stock of double
eagles before them caused a sensation and
people halted to witness their impending ar
rest. Soon traffic was blocked
Calvin Gray, but just arrived from Dallas,
looked on at the game with some curiosity,
not diVining its purpose, until McWade peck
eted the dice then mounted box at the
curb and began loudly:
''Now, gentlemen, that is one way of MAX
ing money but it is a foolish and a hazard
Gus way. There is a much saner, safer meth
3D., and I'm going to tell you about it, Don't
pass on until you hear me, for 1 have a most
incredible story to relate, and you'll be sor-
ry you missed it,
There was a ripple of appreciative laugh
ter, but the crowd pressed closer as the ora
tor continued:
you've heard about these doodle bugs
who go around locating oil with a divining
rod, haven't you? And you don't believe in
them. Of course. VI don't Neither do I.
Now then, for thu slot of my story, and it
will pay you to do week of listening in the
next five minutes. Awhile ago an eminent
scientist, unknown to me or my partner, Mr..
Stoner, came into our Office which is at your
backs, one fight up, second door to the
right, and showed us an electric device he
has been working on for the last eight years
He claimed he had it perfected and that it
would Indicate the presence of oil on the
same principle that one mineral attracts an
other oil is a mineral said he, and I
think I've got it's magnetic COMPLEMENT
believe my invention will work.
"Ill BET thousand dollars it won't l
told him. But what do you think that pill
grim did? He took me up Then he bet
Stoner another thousand that I'd made a
bad bad bet" McWade grinned in sympathy
with the general amusement. eve arranged
q o. m in n1
through the field and, believe me or not, he
called the turn on fOrty-three wells straight
and never missed it once"
McWade now introduced the miracle work
er himself and Gray rose on tip-toe to see
him. A moment then he smiled widely, for
the eminent scientist was none other than
Mr. MalloW, a bit paIlid and pasty, as if
from confinement, and with eyes hidden be-
hind dark goggles.
Gray looked on as the comedy was played
out. 1t transpired that Prof MallOw had
tested, among other properties the newest
McWade-StOner lease, a company to drill
which had just been formed under the title
of "The Desert Scorpion and he really
Judged from the behavior Of his machine
that remarkable pool underlaid the tract.
Then McWade resumed his sway over the
crowd, and soon shares in 1.-THE Desert Scor-
pion" were selling rapidly.
Shortly after lunch, Mallow and the two
partners were seated in the office upstairs,
their work done for the day. Another sue
cessful promotion had gone to the credit Of
McWade G Stone; all three were in the tr:-
umphal mood.
There came a knock at the door, and in
answer to an invitation to enter it opened.
The next instant both McWade and St0ner
sat erect in their chairs, with eyes alert and
questioning, for at sight of the stranger
Mallow had leaped to his feet with a GmOth-
cred exclamation, and now stood with his
back to the desk and with his head out
thrust in a peculiar attitude of strained in
tensity.
Continued Saturday. Renew your subscrip-
ton now SO not to miss an instaiiment.