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About The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1908)
'',- - - Politics Their OfllySnpport Professional Politicians Only Visible Means of Livelihood. By ERNEST McOAFFEY Between Elections This Type Is Everything from Ghoul to Aeronaut. THERE had grown up in our city an army of men who followed politics strictly as a means of earning a livelihood. They either expected to make a living by holding office of some kind or another, or they figured on making both ends meet by attaching them selves to the train of some "boss," who would dele out crumbs to them in some way, direct or indirect. Some times they figured on getting business of some kind through their connection with politics. But at any rate, there they were, with "no visible means of support" excepting politics. They might be in the directory as taxi dermists, astronomers, chemists, rat catchers, lawyers, aeronauts, plumbers' helpers, grave-diggers, clerks, or what you like, but as a matter of fact they depended en politics for a living. Sometimes they were in one busi ness, sometimes another, but you could find them always at the ward meetings, always at the primaries, al ways at the conventions, caucuses (when they could get in) at the city hall, at ward headquarters, at down town headquarters, in the saloons where politicians might occasionally be found, at the funerals, dances, pie ales, and all social gatherings, and, indeed, wherever acquaintance might be made or self-interest fostered. They were very busy individuals, and sim ply whirlwinds of energy around about election time. If they had held a paying "job" for some time, and a change of adminis tration had brought with it the disa greeable necessity of "resigning." they were usually "waiting" until the next municipal election. As these occurred every two years. In my time, the wait was over before the enforced "hand-to-mouth" existence entirely broke their spirits. Meantime, they skated about, working every avenue to keep alive and hold their own in "the or ganization." Give them credit, you -with the three square meals a day. for their superb nerve. If you tackled one of these "captains of hope" he was as cheerful as a bumble bee on a thistle top. Everything was lovely, things never looked better, "the organ ization" was in elegant shape, "we" were going to win next time, etc. How he would lay down the assurance of victory with various tremendously sug gestive chunks of wisdom, culled from his ever-effervescent "bonnet." How sanguine he was of glory and of fices in the future. Well, even if it was straight "bunk" there was a gleam of possibility in it And his airy, insouciant, diffident "by the way. Bill, let me have a dol lar till to-morrow" when the glittering "dope" had been exhausted well, if you had it why not let him have it? The sands of every lucky office hold er's career are strewn with the wrecks of dollars that were cast away to such siren invitations. The evolution of such a politician might be from the bench of a bright young mechanic, ambitious to shine in the difficult calcium glare of publici ty. He might get elected as a dele gate to a city convention and get the "political bug" lodged under his hat. (He might read up on'the election laws and get so he could raise "a point of order" at a ward meeting. He might lectioneer for some alderman, and, after the victory, get a bran new ten dollar bill, which seemed like money off a Christmas tree. Ho might get elected secretary or president of the iward club. He might get to be a sort of political jackal to the "boss" who controlled his district. There were a great many ways in which he might distinguish himself in this way, but visually at the expense of his trade. Or ho might be some young lawyer with a gift for "the gab," who had attracted the attention of the leaders as having the nucleus of a "speaker" in him. If he was making money in his profession, so much the better. In that event was "milked" for contribu tions to the part' and sent broadcast at night to split the tobacco-enveloped empyrean of the halls where the voters gathered to hear about the "burning issues." These "voters," I may remark in passing, were confined to the garbage-wagon drivers, the sewer-pipe extension men, the city employes and others who had a real interest in politics, and who could stand all sorts of oratory if they could only smoke. 1 Such a victim as I have described was often held close to work and dis bursement by promises, half-promises or suggestions of some prominent gift in the party nominations. Sometimes as the years rolled on and he never .realized his ambitions, even in the shape of a nomination, he drew out a sadder and a wiser man and let the political will-o'-the-wisps alone. But strange things happened in pol itics sometimes. One young lawyer, iwhose legal .qualifications were jmeager to "rjuation, had been (nominated and elected to a certain or ifice, and at the end of his term cravad jstill higher honors official. So he got Art in Spanish Bank Notes fo baffle the counterfeiters, who are both numerous and cunning in Madrid, the Bank of Spain has pursued the spolicy of changing its notes with great frequency and retiring each issue as fast as passible. The bank has now determined on a new plan. It has placed an order for a series of notes with an English con cern, aad It will relr for safety upon a special colpr process. In addition a lawyer of bis acquaintance, a vener able attorney of marked ability,' to circulate a petition urging his nomi nation for a still higher position. The old lawyer circulated among the mem bers of the bar of his acquaintance, and it was considered such a good joke that he got many prominent and influential names of lawyers who never gave a thought to the possible nomination of the young fellow. The petition aided the aspirant substan tially; he got the nomination, and. what's more, he was elected. He re tired from office with 'fees of his of fice aggregating about a quarter of a million dollars. And instances like these kept the young lawyers on the qui vive for a possible like happening in their cases. But the reverse of the medal was in the incident of a very bright young lawyer of my acquaintance, who got a nomination, lost the election, took to whisky as a cure, established a "touching route," where he collected dollars, half-dollars and quarters for awhile, and then died shortly after, a victim to the "political bug" and the "whisky bug" combined, than which no more fatal and totally destructive combination was ever invented. The most successful of the local politicians were those who had lived in one ward all their lives, who had made politics their life-game, and who could "deliver the delegates." In conventions, as the delegates made the nominations, the more delegates a man absolutely controlled the more of a power he was. The young and am bitious political worker always started out to control the delegates in his pre cint Then he reached out after other precincts, and when the time came that he could control his ward he had arrived at the proud position of a "ward boss." This, however, required years of the most unremitting atten tion to detail, an immense amount of wire-pulling and strategy and a rigid distribution on as even terms as pos sible of all "patronage" which might come his way. The delegates were usually very much the same individ uals from year to year. They might be shifted from one convention ticket to another, but the names of the "faithful" would be pretty sure to turn up annually, unless in case of death, and in that event someone would be selected who could be "con trolled" like a tin soldier. Politics as a profession develops shrewdness, nerve, capacity to "stand the gaff," oratory, conversational powers, personal magnetism, and, in fact, all the accomplishments of a first-class confidence man. Although, of course, all confidence men are not politicians. Needless to say, no sug gestion is here made to "statesmen." These gentlemen do not mix with vul gar municipal politics, but get elected to senatorial and other offices and never get their namas mixed up in any scandal save one befitting their hon orable positions. Politics loosens the action of the pecuniary nerve, for no successful politician can be a "tight wad." He may think he can be eco nomical, but he can't be. He may fig ure on what it is going to cost as to main outlay, but "perquisites" will eat him up quicker than nitric acid will cook an angleworm. The hardened professional politicians know this only too well, and the result implants in To Hear About the "Burning 'Issues." their bosoms a pardonable curiosity in the question of "what there is In it for them" if any political proposition is unfolded to their longing gaze. Politics as a profession has evolved the "boss." He Is not "always the coarse creature of the cartoonist's fancy, nos the devouring lion of the muck-rake romancer. Often he dresses elegantly, and quite often he is gentle-spoken and of few words at that He just controls the "delegates," that's all. After all the fire and fury of reform has spent its force, his candidate is nominated and generally elected, and he gets a few "contracts" which enable him to keep the wolf tribe so far from his premises that he couldn't hear one howl if it used a megaphone. He is the man on whom the petty politicians keep their eyes glued and their ears tilted. Each one sees in his dreams his own career growing to the Aladdin like height of the "big boss." And that subtle schemer nurses their aspirations, and as someone must necessarily take the place of the mighty when the mighty are fallen, of course there is a chance for all com petitors. the notes are to present pictures of well-known buildings in Spain, exe cuted with a perfection that will defy counterfeiting. "The pictures are to be so beautiful that amateurs will he tempted to frame them," says one Spanish news paper. "Hardly." rejoins another, "the cost of the set will be 1.675 pesetas, you see." To the 8panish mind X33S.50 is a great deal of money. .Now as the mere mechanism of the fjamo requires a verygreat familiarity with methods as well as men, it fol lows that the politician is a close stu- dent of the various' cogs and wheels, I the shafts and pulleys of political ma chinery. He finds, if a novice, that he cannot "butt in" and run things "right off the reel," because he does not know how. He finds that the nom ination of candidates, the whole rou tine of political life, is governed by fixed rules and statutory laws, and that he must of necessity familiarize himself with these things else remain a mere tyro in the art This means that he will have to study books, read up the laws, keep posted in the changes which are con tinually occurring in the laws relating to elections and nominations, and in various ways "get next" to the legal aspects of politics. Then he will have to learn his ward; know its various precincts and their boundaries; know the location of the polling places, and who the people are in whose shops or stores the polling places have been placed, their politics, and everything about them. He must serve as clerk and judge of election, and learn the duties of a challenger. He must know Each One Sees in His Dreams His Own Career Growing. the poll list of his precinct as well as his a, b, c.'and keep "tab" on deaths, removals, new residents, etc. Politics affords a shining example of the wisdom of the rale about open ing hostilities yourself. Never wait for the other fellow to assail your abil ity. Always start out by "soaking" him. And by this is not meant by any means to "throw mud" or indulge in abuse. Far from it Do it in a gentle manly way. Get him on the defensive and keep him there if possible. One of the surest ways to do this is to prepare a lot of questions, no matter how irrelevant to the questions at is sue, if there happens to be any "is sue," and keep hammering away at him with these questions. Never answer any question yourself. Print your platform on your cards, if you are a candidate, but don't answer any questions about it. The platform speaks for itself, don't it? A profes sional politician ought to be able to convince the most captious questioner that "his platform" faces every way to the four corners of the earth and was meant for the blessing of all men. When he starts on his career he must expect to go slowly, as a rule, emerg ing from one unimportant position to another until he has either become a power himself, or has been useful enough to some "Boss" to be placed on a ticket. Once fairly launched in a political office, and he becomes a target for the press and public criti cism, and his native ability is sub jected to the corrosive test of having power placed in his hands. A good politician must always be on the alert to "catch the instant at its forward top" and direct the cur rent of any popular movement into the proper channel. If there is a reform movement in the air he must not only champion it, but he mast be in the lead of the crusaders. The public are the sheep, the politician is the bell wether. I remember a typical instance of this kind. A certain paving scheme was be ing broached, and in the district where It was proposed to introduce it, there were a great many Swedish American citizens who opposed the improvement. Nearly all of them un derstood the English language as well their own tongue. A grand mass meeting was called for and held amid tumultuous enthusiasm. A well known Swedish-American was select ed as chairman, and a Swede sec retary duly installed. Two speeches were made in Swedish, and then a popular Irish politician made a ring ing address amid great applause. He was followed by a German lawyer who was even more fiery, if anything, than his predecessor in denouncing the outrage contemplated. The law yer was also a politician. A call for names was started and a club formed. There were 367 Swedish-American members of the club and the Irishman and the German, 369 mem bers in all. And at the next meeting, postponed two weeks to elect officers, the Irishman was elected president and the German secretary and treas urer. ERNEST M'GAFFET. (Copyright, 190S, by Joseph B. Bowles.) The first duty of a woman is her duty to her parents, and afterward to her husband and her husband's par ents. M - - ""f"r-h-yijnj-u"u'u-uArin.rMMi Graduated from ihe Bible. Octave Thanet tells a story of an old darky in Florida who was anxious to learn to read, so that he could read the Bible. He said that if he could read the Bible he would want nothing else. A friend of the narrator taught him t read. Some time afterward she visited his cabin and asked his wife how his Bible reading was getting on. "Laws. Miss Fannv " said this ner. : son, "he jes suttinly kin read fine, j He's done got outen de Bib'le an' mO j de newspapers." i aiS&zr, Mil x amtmr f&zcvrr f v NMMMVWNWWMWWWMWMMWMWWVWyWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWMMWWMWWMMMM SYNOPSIS. Giles Dudley arrived In San Francisco to join his friend and distant relative Henry Wilton, whom he was to assist in an important and mysterious task, and. who accompanied Dudley on the ferry boat trip into the city. The re markable resemblance of the two men Is noted and commented on by passen gers on the ferry. They see a man with snake eyes, whlcli sends a thrill through Dudley. Wilton postpones an explanation of the strange errand Dudley is to per form, but occurrences cause him to know it is one of no ordinary meaning. Wilton leaves Giles in their room, with instruction to await his return. Hardly has he gone than Giles is startled by a cry of 'Help." Dudley is summoned to the morgue and there finds the dead body of his friend, Henry Wilton. And thus Wilton dies without ever explaining to Dudley the puzzling work he wa3 to perform in San Francisco. In order to discover the secret mission his friend had entrusted to him. Dudley continues his disguise and permits himself to be known as Henry Wilton, Dudley, mistaken for Wilton, is employed by Knapp to assist in a stock brokerage deal. Giles Dudley finds himself closeted in a room with Mother Borton who makes a confidant of him. He can learn nothing about the mysterious boy further than that It Is Tim Terrill and Darby Meeker who are after him. He is told that "Dicky" Nahl is a traitor, playing both hands in the game. Dudley gets his first knowledge of Decker, who is Knapp's enemy on the Board. Dudley visits the home of Knapp and is stricken by the beauty of I.uella. his daughter. He learns the note was forgery. He is provided with four guards. Brown, Barkhouse, Fitzhugh and Porter. He learns there is to be no trouble about money as all expenses will be paid, the hire of the guards being paid by one "Richmond." The body of Henry Wilton is committed to the vault. Dudley re sponds to a note and visits Mother Bor ton in company with Policeman Corson. Giles Dudley again visits the Knapp home. He is fascinated by I.uella and bored by Mrs. Bowser. Slumming tour through Chinatown is planned. The trip to Chinatown. Giles Dudley Iearn3 that the party is being shadowed by Terrill. I.uella is dumbfounded when she and Dudley see her father coming from an opium den. Luella and Dudley are cut off from the rest of the party and imprison ed in a hallway behind an iron-bound door. Three Chinese ruffians approach the imprisoned couple. A battle ensues. One is knocked down. Giles begins firing. CHAPTER XVIII Continued. "There's one fellow there," I said. "But it's the one I knocked down." "Can't you see the others?" inquired Luella. "No more in sight," said I, after a bolder survey. "They've run away." "Oh, I'm glad," said Luella. "I should have seen them always if you had killed them. Why did they at tack us?" Before I could reply to Luella's ques tion, a tattoo was beaten upon the door and a muffled shout came from the other side. I stepped down from the stair to listen. "Are you hurt?" shouted Corson. "What's the matter?" "No damage," I returned. "I drove them off." Corson shouted some further words, but they were lost in a sudden mur mur of voices and a scuffle of feet that arose behind. "Look out!" cried Luella peremptor ily. "Come back here!" I have said that the passage opened into a little court, and at the end a lamp gave light to the court and the passage. As I turned I saw a confusion of men pouring into the open space and heading for the passage. They were evidently Chinese, but in the gleam of the lamp 1 was sure I saw the evil face and snake-eyes of Tom Terrill. He was wrapped in the Chinese blouse, but I could not be mistaken. Then with a chorus of yells there was the crack of a pistol, and a bullet struck the door close to my ear. It was all done in an instant Be fore the sound of the shot I dropped, and then made a leap for the stair. "Oh!" cried Luella anxiously; "were you hit?" "No, I'm all right," I said, "but it was a close shave. The gang means mischief." "Well, tell me something I can do," she said. I gave her my small revolver. "Hand that to me when I want It," I said. "If I'm killed, get up the stairs and defend yourself with it. Don't fire unless you have to. We are short of ammunition." I had but three shots in the large six-shooter. "Are they coming?" asked Luella, as the wild tumult of shouts stilled for a moment and a single voice could be heard. I peered cautiously around the cor ner. "There's a gentleman in a billycock hat who's rather anxious to have them lead the way," I said; "but they seem to prefer listening to fighting." The gentleman whose voice was for war I discovered to be my snake-eyed friend. He seemed to be having dif ficulty with the language, and was eking out his Pidgin-English with pan tomime. "There!" cried Luella with a start; "what's that?" A heavy blow shook the walls of the building and sounded through the passage. "Good!" I said. "If our friends yon der are going to make trouble they must do it at once. Corson's got an ax, and the door will be down first they know." "Than Heaven!" whispered Luella. And then she began to tremble. The blows followed fast upon each other, but suddenly they were drowned in a chorus of yells, and a volley of revolver shots sent the bul lets spatting against the door. "Look out, Miss Knapp," I said. "They're coming. Stand close behind me, and crouch down if they get this far." The band was advancing with a frightful din, but was making more noise than speed. Evidently it had lit tle heart for Its job. I looked into the yelling mob for the snake-eyed agent of Doddridge Knapp, but could not single him ou I dared wait no longer, aiming at the foremost I fired twice at the ad vancing assailants. There were shouts and screams of pain ia answer, and the line -hesitated. I gave them the remaining cartridge, and, seizing the smaller weapon from Luella, fired as rapidly as I could pull the trigger. The effect was instantaneous. With a succession of howls and curses the band broke and ran all save one man, who leaped swiftly forward with a long knife in his hand. It would have gone hard with me if he had ever reached me, for he was a large and powerful fellow, and my last shot was gone. But in the dark and smoky passage he stumbled over the prostrate body of the first des perado whom I had been fortunate enough to knock down, and fell sprawl ing at full length almost at my feet With one leap I was on his back, and with a blow from the revolver I had quieted him, wrenched the knife from his hand and had the point rest ing on his neck. Luella gave a scream. "Oh!" she cried, "are yon hurt?" "No," I said lightly, "but 1 don't think this gentleman is feeling very well. He's likely to have a sore head for a day or two." "Come back here," said Luella In a peremptory tone. "Those men may come again and shoot you." "I don't think so," said I. "The door is coming down. But, anyhow, I JtHBIIESfaHHIHIEBXBHFviJ BHlHiT K( ffW U'l "AJ3F TBET C02Z2NGP'u4SOZD ZCELZd. can't leave our friend here. Lie still!" I growled, giving the captive a gentle prod in the neck with the point of his knife to emphasize my desire to have peace and quiet between us. I heard him swear under his breath. The words were foreign, but there was no mistaking the sentiment be hind them. "You aren't killing him, are you?" inquired Luella anxiously. "I think it might be a service to the country," I confessed, "but I'll save him for the hangman." "You needn't speak so regretfully," laughed Luella, with a little return of her former spirit. "But here our peo ple come." The ax had been plied steadily, but the door came down with difficulty. At last it was shaking and yielding, and almost as Luella spoke it swayed, bent apart, and broke with a crash, and with a babel of shouts Corson, Porter, Barkhouse and Wainwright, with two more policemen, poured through the opening. "Praise the powers, you're safe!" cried Corson, wringing my hand, while the policemen took the prostrate Chin ese in charge. "And is the young lady hurt?" "No harm done," said Luella. "Mr. Wilton is quite a general." I called my men aside and spoke sharply. "You haven't obeyed orders," I said. "You, Porter, and you, Barkhouse, were to keep close by me to-night, i You didn't do it, and it's only by good luck that tho young lady and I were not killed. You, Wainwright, were to follow 'Tom Terrill. I saw Terrill just now in a gang of Chinese, and you turn up on the other side of a barred door." Porter and Barkhouse looked sheep- ish enough, but Wainwright protested: "I was following Terrill when he gets into a gang of highbinders, and goes into one of these rooms over here a ways. I waits a while for him, and then starts to look around a bit, and first I knows I runs up against Porter here hunting for an ax, and crazy as a loon, saying as how you was murdered and they had got to save you." "Well, just keep close to me for the rest of the night and we'll say no more about it There's no great damage done nothing but a sore knuckle." I was feeling now the return effects of my blow on the coolie's chin. "I don't understand this, Mr. Wil ton," said Corson in confidential per plexity. "I don't see why the haythen were after yez." "I saw I saw Tom Terrill," said I, stumbling over the name of Dodd ridge Knapp. I determined to keep the incident of his appearance to my self." "I don't see how he worked it," said Corson with a . shake of the head. "They don't like' to stand against a white man. It's a quare tale he must have told 'em, and a big sack he must have promised 'em to bring 'em down on ye. Was it for klllin' ye they was tryin', or was they for catchin' yez alive?" "They were trying to take us alive at first, I think, but the bullets whistled rather close for comfort." "I was a little shaky myself, when they plunked against the door," said Corson with a smile. While Corson was attempting to ex plain to Mrs. Bowser the nature of the blackmailing bands of the Chinese criminal element, Luella said: "Please get us out of this. I can't stand it." I had marveled at her calm amid the excited talk of those about her. but I saw now that it was forced by an effort of her will. She was sadly shaken. "Take my arm." I said. "Mr. Cor son will lead the way." I signed to Porter to go ahead and to Barkhouse and Wrainwright to follow me. "It's very close here." "It's very ridiculous of me." said Luella, with an hysterical laugh, "but I'm a little upset." "I dare say you're not used to it," I suggested dryly. Luella gave me a quick glance. "No, are you? It's not customary In our family," she said with an at tempt at gaiety. I thought of the wolf-figure who had come out of the opium den and the face framed in the lantern flash of the alley, and was silent. Perhaps the thought of the scene of the passage had come to her, too, for she shudder- p14 sy ed and quickened her step as though to escape. "Do you want to go through the theater?" asked Corson. "No no," whispered Luella, "get me home at once." "We have seen enough sights for the evening, I believe," said I. Mrs. Bowser was volubly regretful. but declined Corson's offer to chap eron her through a night of it. On the way home Luella spoke not a word, but Mrs. Bowser tilled the time with a detailed account of her emotions and sensations while Corson and his men were searching for us and beating down the door. At the door Luella held out her hand impulsively. "I wish I knew whom to thank but I do thank him for my safety perhaps my life. Believe me I am grateful to a brave man." I felt the warm clasp of her fingers for a moment, and then with a flash of her eyes that set my blood on fire she was gone, and I was staggering down Doddridge Knapp's steps in a tumult of emotions. CHAPTER XIX. A Deal in Stocks. The wolf-face, seamed with hatred and anger, and hideous with evil pas sions, that had glowered for a mo ment out of the smoky frame of the Chinese den, was still haunting me as DUCKS ON Trick of Young Girl Yields Good Finan cial Returns. The 15-year-old daughter of a farm er living on the shores of Chesapeake bay, where wild ducks are found in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States, has proved her self a better hunter than any of the men who make a living by it She no ticed that at one spot hundreds of ducks came ashore to eat the sorrel plant She got a peck of corn, soaked it for two days In whisks, and then at night scattered it on the ground. Her father laughed at the idea, but he laughed too soon. The next morn ing a large number of the ducks came ashore for the sorrel, but took the I forced myself once more 'to return to the oflce. Wednesday morning had come, and I was due to meet Dodd ridge Knapp. But as T aaJocktd the door, I took some comfort in the reflection that I could hardly be more unwilling to meet the Wolf than he must be to meet me. I had scarcely settled myself in my chair when I heard the key turn in the lock. The door swung open, and in walked Doddridge Knapp. I had thought to find at least some trace of the opium debauch through which I had gained the clew to his strange and contradictory acts. But the face before me was a mask' that showed no sign of the experiences through which he had passed. For all that appeared, he might have em ployed the time since I had left here two days before in studying philoso phy and cultivating peace and good will with -his neighbors. Ah, Wilton." he said, affably, rub bing his hands with a purring growl. "You're ready for a hard day's work. I hope." "Nothing would please me better." I said 'cheerfully, my repugnance melting away with the magnetism of his presence. "Is the black flag up to day?" He looked at me In surprise for an Instant, and then growled, still in good humor: "'No quarter' Is the motto to-day." And I listened closely as tho King of the Street gave his orders for the morning. "You understand now," he said at the end of his orders, "that you are to sell all the Crown Diamond that the market will take, and buy all the Omega that you can get below one hundred." "I understand." "We'll feed Decker about as big a dose as he can swallow, I reckon," said the King of the Street, grimly. "One thing," I said. "I'd like to know if I'm the only one operatins for you." The King of the Street drew hia bushy brows down over his eyes and scowled at me a moment "You're the only one In the big board," he said at last "There are men in the other boards, you under stand." I thought I understood, and sallied forth for the battle. At Doddridgo Knapp's suggestion I arranged to do my business through three brokers, and added Lattimer and Hobart to Wallbridge, and Bockstein and Epp. ner. Bockstein greeted me affably: "Velgome to de marget vonce more. Mr. , Mr. " "Wilton," said Eppner. assisting his partner in his high, dry voice, with cold civility. His blue-black eyes re garded me as but a necessary part ot the machinery of commerce. I gave my orders briefly. "Dot is a larch order," said Bock stein dubiously. "You don't have to take it." I was about to retort, when Eppner's high pitched voice interrupted: "It's all right The customary mar gin is enough." Wallbridge was more enthusiastic. "You've come just in the nick of time," said the stout little man, swab bing his bald head from force ot habit, though the morning was chill. "The market has been drier than a fish-horn and duller than a foggy morning." Lattimer and Hobart. after a polite explanation of their rules in regard fo margins, and getting a certified check, became obsequiously anxiotu lo do my bidding. I distributed the business with such judgment that I felt pretty sure our plans could not in any way be ex posed, and took my place at the rail in the board room. The opening proceedings were com paratively tame. I detected a sad falling-off in the quality and quantity of lung power and muscular activity among the buyers and sellers in tho pit At the call of Confidence. Lattimer and Hobart began feeding shares to the market Confidence dropped five points In half a minute, and the pit began to wake up. There was a roar and a growl that I showed me the animals were still alive. The Decker forces were taken by surprise, hut with a hasty consultation came gallantly to the rescue of their stock. At the close of the call thy had forced It back and one point high er than at the opening. This, however, was but a skirmish of outposts. The lighting began at the call of Crown and Diamond. It opened at G?.. The first bid was hardly made when with a bellow Wall bridge charged on Decker's broker, filled his bid, and offered a thousand shares at 62. There was an answering roar from a hundred throats and a mob rushed on Wallbridge with the apparent in tent of tearing him limb from limb. Wallbridge's offer was snapped up at once, but a few weak-kneed holders of the stock threw small blocks on the market These were taken up at once, and Decker's brokers were biding 85. (TO BE CONTINUED.) A SPREE. corn instead. The result was that over 50 of them were made so drunk that they were easily captured on the shore or by a boat, and the girl made over $25 at one haul. Perhaps ducks shouldn't be tempted to become drunkards, but it is certainly an easy and profitable way to gather them In for the market The wonder is if the people who eat them will ateo become hilarious? Line Pays No Dividends. The coach line that Alfred Vander bilt has established between the Hol land house. New York, and Ardsley on the Hudson is not a paying business. All the fares received in one season would not buy one of the eight Ken tucky blooded horses that draw the coach. The round trip fare is 5. A 'iJV'L v i-