The Washington times., 1925-10-27
New and Amazing Serial Describes Ont
Mans Long But Losing Battle
for Freedom

mo danger l said. 1T 1
ever fall again it will be because
I'm absolutely no good, and can
help it,
On checking up at the bank
found that I had been fortunate
in not having oVerdrawn my dc-
count, but had few dollars bal
ance in my favor. That was pure
luck, for l had lost complete
track of my finances, aad might
easily have got on the wrong side
of the ledger. / was still editing
two month les, and the pay check
I had received from Stevens for
the week l hadn't worked would
: suffice to carry us along. 1t was
necessary for me to get other
work at once, however, If l was
to keep up my monthly payments
on rent and furniture and the
settlement of charge accounts at
the stores.
Hicks came to the rescue, or 50
it seemed. l met him in town
and found him sobered up, just
as I was. He was enthusiastic
with a new proposition by which
I could raise $500 or $4,000.
was to get letters of indorse-
ment from the Dallas Chamber of
Commerce and the Open Shop AS
sociation. With such Endorsement
I could go to various cities IN
Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and
Louisiana, get full page advertise
ments from booster clubs and
other progressive organizations,
and much patronage from the
larger oil companies.
In return we would tell of the
prosperity and progress of diff
ferent sections. with illustrated
stories, etc.. 1t looked like a
very good proposition to me, pro-
Vided we could get enough work
ing capital to put it over. 1, told
Hicks we really ought to organize
a company, sell stock in the
proposed publication, and thus
get it on a solid foundation to
start. He said that would take
too long, and he succeeded in
convincing me we could make
the first issue profitable enough
to provide capital for going
ahead. We talked it over, de-
cided upon the name. South
western Industrial Survey and
I succeeded in getting indorse-
ments.
I had a commercial artist draw:
q cover page illustration, showing
Uncle Sam with a spotlight
turned on the southwest, with
Dallas in the center, and had the
necessary cuts made for print
ing dummy" covers in colors.
This made a really attractive
prospectus for statesmen, and we
decided to. guarantee local cir
culation of 5000.
I learned that Hicks was in
debt $500 for a hotel bill, and we
needed ready cash for his pro-
posed trips to various cities. He
had been living at a theatrical
hotel conducted by a man whom
I knew fairly well. Don Blanken-
ship by name. BlankenshiI.
owned two or three smaller
hotels, but at the same time was
q member of the Dallas police
force, being a city detective, with
regular hours of duty
Underwriting a $500 Hotel Bill
Hicks suggested that I call at
NAO AO~~A OAAA CCC
underwrite the payment of the
5000 hotel account. This after
some hesitation I agreed to do.
Hicks and | talked with B1anken-
ship that night, outlined our plans
to him, and asked him to let the
debt ride" for a time. Hicks was
eloquent, and his description of
the success of our proposed pub
LEGATION evidently convinced Blank
enship that we had a good thing.
why not borrow five hundred
from one of the banks?" he sug-
gested. THAT would enable you
to pay me, and leave you $500 to
work on in putting over your
first number"
We agreed that plan was good,
and next day we went TO the
Dallas County State Bank, where
made first signature on
ninety-day note for $500, along
with Hicks and Blankenship.
The hotel bill was then paid,
Hicks took 5000 for expenses, and
/ retained 500 with which to
open an account for the Sur
vey." Hicks then left on his