The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-10-30

Il
bank did this once in five years
with 81, 500 or with million dol.
lars, such a fee for service would
be justified. But where the same
money is loaned over and over
and over, until the bank is draw.
ing interest far beyond the legal
rate, while at the same time prac-
tically retaining it's capital, can't
for the life Of me see that it is
anything short of legalized graft.
Doubtless thousands of men in
mediocre circumstances were pay
ing 1 per cent interest to banks
for money which had been loaned
and returned.
At the same time, despite this
discovery, Mildred and Donnie
and were happy in our new
home. Under the Texas laws, a
homestead is held jointly by hus-
band and wife, and cannot be
sold without the consent OF both,
In writing. That made US both
property owners" and the knowl-
edge gave me an entirely new
outlook on life. Owing to the
unusual expenses we had as
stunned in buying the place, and
also in the purchase Of a player
piano, Mildred gave up her plan
of going North for the summer,
and remained in Dallas. I had all
the work l could do, yet found
time to plant late garden, which
finally ran neglected because
was compelled to travel a great
deal in Oklahoma and west Texas.
Miss Andrews, who had been
society editor for the Saturday
Night, was at this time doing
society and music for one of the
daily papers, and was very friend
" with Mildred. The work at the
newspaper office grew to such
proportions, even during the sum-
mer months, that Miss Andrews
was obliged to seek an assistant,
and she finally prevailed upon
me to let Mildred join her.
/ was very much opposed to
this move at the start / didn't
feel it was necessary, and had old
fashioned New England ideas
about a man letting his wife work.
To my way of thinking, a man
had no business marrying unless
he could take care of wife and
home.
Mildred, however, had been after
me for a long time to let her
take up some sort of outside"
work. We had. almost from the
day of our return to Dallas. had
Mrs. McCulloch working for us.
doing the homework and taking
care of Donnie.
There had been times when I
felt this to be an unwarranted
expense, but / had. never voiced
such a thought.
Now, however, it occurred to me
that, so long as l was paying
woman to do the homework. and
Mildred was anxious to be en-
ployed in town. it might be Just
as we'll to agree The result was
that Mildred went to work as as
sistant society editor for the
paper. I couldn't help wondering
what our new neighbors would
think about it: it CALLED me that
they might imagine l was inca
pable Of taking care of my family.
One day in the late summer a
strange man came into the office
and asked for me. / introduced
myself and he gave his name as
George Montgomery. He was
about forty-five. and had all the
earmarks of being a heavy drink
err. But he was an eloquent talk
er and had a pleasing personality.
He told me he had just come
from West Texas, where he had
been engaged in his work of ad-
vertising spe cia II. He hac
learned that West Texas was to
have a fair that fall. the first
fair in five years.
1t had been customary in times
past for West Texas to have a
fair every year, but prolonged
droughts during 1918-19-20 had so
devastated the country as to make
the fair not to be thought Of This
year had been very prosperous.
and plans were being made Tor
fair that in size and diversions
was to eclipse anything that had
ever gone before. In this connec-
ton, Montgomery had talked with
the owner Of the weekly newspa-
per at Abilene. where the fair
grounds were situated. and had
sold him on the idea of getting
out a big special edition in celebra-
ton of the event and to advertise
that section.
His name is Fisk" said Mont
gomery, "and he's rarin' to go on
the proposition. We have five
weeks to pay him $40 a week for
his paper, provided he would
guarantee the printing and dis
tribution Of a 10000 edition. and
let me charge what l wished to
the advertisers. He is ready to
sign a contract. It's a big money
getting proposition.
Il have looked the territory all
over. figure We can get up
sixty.page edition, with, say, forty
five pages of advertising. I'll
charge 800 a page, leaving a
gross profit of $2.700. But Fisk
insists he will have nothing to do