Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
BY SAMUEL E. WRIGHT.


T was a warm Spring day. was sit
ting in my Office In Chicago with my
Ii feet on the desk. listening to the birds
chipping and figuring how much
money we were going to make on two
or three big propositions we had lined up. when
the telephone rang.
"Hello," said voice in broken English. "Are
you the Wright Brothers who are repairing the
church I saw on Indiana ayenue?"
Eyes, SIR" replied.
Good" said the voice "I saw your name on
the sign"
what do you want?" inquired.
A. "Can you repair church for me- like that
one2"
Certainly" said. ''Where is it?"
eft is in Nicaragua
This was before the Marines had made Mica
ragua famous and had never heard Of it.
figured it must be small town in the South
! west where every place has Spanish name
what State Is Nicaragua IN and what Is your
name please?" asked.
mo no, mol" exclaimed the voice. "You do
not understand Nicaragua is big place. 1t
is big country with q president. It Is In
Central America. My name Is Don Pedro Al
varez."
~xS"Are you the pastor Of the church," asked
"No no." said the voice again. az am coffee
planter and cigar manufacturer. Leon, Mica
ragua Is my home"
"oh yes" said. -Just q minute. please"
Friends of mine were fond of playing practi-
cal Jokes and suspected some joker was hay
ing little fun at my expense. That cigar
manufacturer should want Chicago steeple-
Jack to repair a church in Nicaragua wherever
that was-didn't seem reasonable TO me. In
order to get rid Of him. said:
80. K, Don. Come here at Q O'Clock tomor-
row afternoon and III let you know"
had forgotten all about Nicaragua the fol-
lowing afternoon At 2 O'Clock the door of my
ava c4Nf1v cffN vrffR&
bristling. black mustache entered the room. He
was well dressed and had the appearance and
bearing OF gentleman. One glance at his dark
hair and swarthy complexion revealed his Span
ish origin.
THE stranger introduced himself as Don Pedro
business, he said:
Have you decided to repair that church for
me?"
had decided to do nothing of the sort. Two
years before my brother and had taken q con-
tract in Chile which had given US no end of
trouble, and we had sworn never to leave the
good old u s. A again. However did not
Giant to offend Don Pedro, so got out my atlas
and turned to map Of North America.
Here Is Chicago" said +and here is Mica
ragua. They are a good many miles apart. and
II would take weeks to get there by train and
perhaps more than your church Is worth"
"That Is not So" he replied. 1.-THE church
that wish to have repaired Is cut beautiful
cathedral that has been built for more than zoo
years. saw your men repair the church on
Indiana avenue and I said. Don Pedro you
are born in Leon. You have plantation and
cigar factory You come to Chicago to sell
coffee and cigars. You are rich, bat you have
never spend any money TO make Leon beautiful
So decided TO repair the cathedral"
We'll" said. tits impossible for us to ac-
cept the job. It's too far away. For two men
and myself to go down there would cost you
500 q day. not including expenses, from the
time we left Chicago until returned Then
there would be additional expenses on the spire,
as well as express charges for shipping our
equipment"
'"T1lat win be taken care Of" he said when
can you Start?"
I hadn't the slightest intention Of going and
didn't want to go, SO had set my figure high
purposely, but money apparently, meant moth
ing TO him. Again, hoping TO dissuade him, I
said:
I'VE shall have to have . written contract
and shall insist that $4,000 in American
antee."
THAT Is business" said Don Pedro. Come
with me and it shall be DONE"
There was something Inevitable about this
man. We went to q bank and he put up the
money. Then We signed the papers and had
but couldn't escape from.
when showed the papers to my brother he
thought it was q good joke.
Go to It. old boy" he said. you accepted
the job 60 down there and hK1ish 1t. I'll stay
here In Chi and take care OF the shop