The San Francisco call. [volume], August 04, 1907, Page 14, Image 14

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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THE GENTLE GRAFTER
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I EFF PETERS was .always elo
1 quent when the " ethics of his
\u25a0\J profession were under discussion.
"The .only times," said he,
"that me and Andy Tucker ever had
any hiatuses in our cordial intents
was when we differed on the moral
aspects of grafting. Andy had his
standards and I had mine. I didn't
approve of all of Andy's schemes for
lev3"ing contributions from the pub-
lie, and he thought I allowed my. con
science to interfere too often for the .
financial good of the firm. ; We had
\u25a0high arguments sometimes. Once
one word led on to another till he
said I reminded him of Rockefeller.
" 4 1 know how you mean that, '
Andy/ says I, 'but we have been
friends too long for me to take of
fense at a taunt that you will regret
when you cooLoff. I have yet/ says
I, *to shake hands with a subpena
server.
"One summer me and Andy de
cided to rest up a spell in a fine..little
town in the mountains of Kentucky'
called Grassdale. We was supposed
to be iforse drovers, and good, decent
citizens besides, taking a summer va-
cation. The Gras?dale people, liked
us, and me and Andy declared a se
cession of hostilities, never so much
as floating the fly leaf of a. rubber
concession prospectus or flashing
a Brazilian diamond while we were
"One day the leading hardware
merchant of Grassdale drops around
to the iliotel where me and Andy
stopped, and, smokes with us, soci
able, on* the side porch. We knew
him pretty well from pitching quoits
in the afternoons in the courthouse
yard. He was a loud, red man,
breathing hard, but fat and respect
able beyond all reason. ,
"After we talk on all the notorious
themes of the day, this Murkison —
for such was his entitlements — takes
a letter out of his coat pocket in a
careful, careless way and hands it to
us lo read. x
"'Now- what do you think of that?'
sr.ys he, laughing — 'a letter like that
to MET
"Me and A:idy sees at a glance
what it- is; but we pretend to read it
through. It was one of them old
tisne typewritten green goods letters
explaining how for $1,000 you could
get $5,000 in bills that an expert
couldn't tell from the genuine; and
gohijr on to tell how they are made
from plates stolen by an employe of
Lhe treasury at Washington. .
"'Think of "em sending a letter
like that to ME! 1 says Murkison
again.
" 'Lots of good men get 'em,* says
Andy. 'If you don't answer the first
letter they let you drop. , If you an
swer it they write again asking you
to come on with your money and do
business.'
" 'But think of 'em . writing to ME V
uys Murkison.
"A few days later he drops around
again.
"'Boys, says he, 'I know you are all
right or I wouldn't - confide in you.
I wrote to them rascals, again just
for fun. They answered and, told me
to come on to Chicago.- They said
telegraph to J. Smith when I would
start. When I get there I'm. to wait
on a certain street corner till a. man
in a gray suit. comes, along and'; drops
a newspaper in front of ipe. Then I
am to ask him how the water is, and
he knows it's me and I know it's
him/ o'y
" 'Ah, yes/ says Andy, gaping, 'it's the
same old -game. I've often read about
it in the papers. Then he
you to the private abattoir in the ho
tel, where Mr. Jones is already wait
ing. They show you brand new real
money and sell you all you want at
five for one. You see 'em put it in a
satchel for- you and you- know it's
there. Of course it's brown paper
when you come to look at it after
" 'Oh, they couldn't switch it on
me/ says Murkison. 'I haven't built
up the best paying business in Grass-
dale without having: witticisms about
me. . You say it's real money; they
showiyou, Mr. Tucker?'
" 'I've" always — I - : see by the papers
that it always is,' says Andjv .
"'Boys,' says Murkison, Tve. got
it in' my mind that them fellows can't
fool me. Ithink^ril put a couple- of
thousand in my jeans and go. up, there
and put it all over 'em. If : Bill Mur
kison gets^ his eyes; once on them
bills they show him .he'll never take
'cm off; of.' /em. • They offer ."$5; for
$1, and they'll ; have to stick to the
bargain if; I < UckleVem^ -That's^ the
kind. of a trader Bill Murkison is. Yes,
I jist believe I'll drop up '< Chicago
way and take a 5; to .1, shot on J.
Smith. I guess >the v/ater'll be fine'
enough/ : . .'". ". ' .""\u25a0 • . '
"Me and Andj r tries to get this
financial misquotation out of 'Mur
kison's head, but we might as well
have tried to keep the man Avlfo foils
peanuts with a toothpick from bet
ting on Bryan's election. No," sir; he
was going to perform , a'« public duty
by catching "these green goods
swindlers at their own ; game. -Maybe
it wouldteach 'em" a Wesson.' ¥::t\\ \u25a0
"After Murkison left us me" and
Andy sat a .while prepondering over
our silent meditations and heresies of
reason. In our idle. hours we always
improved 'our higher; selves by ratio
cination and mental thought. , ;^d
. "'Jeff/.says Andy, after a 1a 1 long
time, 'quite unseldom, I have seen
fit to impugn. your molars when you
have been chewing the rag with *me
about your conscientious way of do
ing business. I nlay have been' of ten
wrong. " But here is a>case wl^ere" I
think we can agree? I feel that it
would be wrong for us to allow Mi".
Murkison tog o alone to meet tho^e
Chicago green goods men.': /There is
but- one way it can end. Don't you
think we would both feel better">if
we was to in some way
and prevent thev doing of this deed?'
"I got up and shook Andy Tuck
er's hand hard^and long.
" 'Andy/ says I, ; !I may have had
one or two " hard thoughts about the
licartlessness^ of your corporation,
but I retroact 'cm now. You have a
kind nucleus jit the interior of your
exterior after all. "It docs, you
credit. 'I was just thinking the sa'mei
thing that you have 'expressed It
would not be honorable* or .praise
worthy/ says I, 'for. us to let Murki
son go on with this "project, he has
taken up. llf he is determined to
go let. us go with him' and. prevent
this swindle from coming off/
"Andy agreed with me;'iand f . I was
glad td': see that 'he was in "earnest
about breaking -up this green goods
sclVeme.^.- ; [•"\u25a0'-\u25a0'\u25a0 ""-''r-'l :, . ;
"'I don't : call I myself," a- religious
man/ says. I,; 'or a fanatic in moral
bigotory, but : I , can't stand still and
see a man who has built up a business
by his/ own 7 efforts and brains .and
risk be robbed » by- an unscrupulous
trickster who is a. menace to the pub
lic; good/ \u25a0 > '\u25a0",-\u25a0 " . '-V-'-i
" '.", 'Right, Jeff j| ' says Andy. 'We'll
"stickright >( along with Murkison if" he
insists "on^ '.going. and block this' funny
business. < I'd .hate -to see any money
dropped in it" as bad as you would/
.. " Well,. we' went < to see Murkison.
said; lie,; 'l can't con
sent to let the song of .this*- Chicago
siren waft by me on "the summer
breeze. I'll fry"- some fat} out . : of : this
ignis ; fatuu^ or 1 burn a hole -in the*
•skillet. .-, But ; I'd be plumb;' diverted
to death to have; you all., go' along
•with me. Maybe you could Kelp some
r when it comes to cashing •"- in ithe
\u25a0ticket to that 5 ; to 1
really^take it as 'raV; pastime "'."•\u25a0 and
regalement if you boys would go
along too.'
"Murkison give's •it rout in* Grassdale'
that he isigoing for a :fewj!days;\vith
Mr. Teters 'and Mr. Tucker ;to;; to ; look
over some iron ore property: in West
Virginia. He wires J. Smith that he
will set foot in therspider web on a
given date; and-the th'reeTof usJights
out for Chicago*
-, "On the way Murkison amdses'him-
Vself - with premonitions :• and /advance
* pleasant "recollections. / •; ;
\ "'ln a ;gray v suit,^says;he/,'onVthe
'southwest : corner, of .Wabash avenue
and .Lake 'street. : He drops .the pap^r,
, and v I ask how the water is. Oh, my,
my, my!' ;And^.thln^lie laughs -all"
over;, for' five minutes.* ;
"Sometimes Murkison was serious,
and tried to talk, himself but of, his
cogitations,' .whatever they./" was. '.-"•'-\u25a0 -V' J
"'Boys/- says^he, 'I wouldn't have
this to get . out in Grassdale : for ten •
times/a 1 - thousand dollars^ . It would
ruin "mc\there. But. I know you . all
The Joy of Really Feeling: the $ti&in of a Melodrama
Hanna A. Larsen
{^r\OING" a; general thriller of a
I I, melodramatic". sho\v would; ",be
* distinctly' k bore, to .the; jaded
appetite 'that thinks Itself an ind.ica.tion
of /ciilturc if it were not . for tlioVaudl
ence. Watch t tho ' open mouthed rap
tures of tl»e small -boy and bis 'equally
unsophisticated ciders, and it -becomes
a question in your.mlnd whether we do
not pay, too deafly, for our vaunted cul-.
ture, 'too much -in, enjoyment sacrificed.
The" story has been' told before, butlt
is worth telling again,' of the newsboy
who, when watching from the sweet
haven of . the top. gallery . the general
slaughter in the last act {of ) Hamlet
caliedoiit to his chum: " "Say, Bill/.ict's.
get out quick; they'll have 'an extry on
this sure." '. :
Perhaps if Shakespeare were played;
In 'the v two bit .theaters, I where .the" airj
Is * thick 7 with' 'tobacco;' smoke,'^ where
peanut \u25a0 shells j strew ythe j floor.'i and i. the .
small boy. offers "ice cream cornicopies"..
between, the acts, ; perhaps if his rattling^
plays ', were * off ered s th« r regular > patrons
of; melodrama Jin Sthe '.atmospher.e / to
which^theyiareaccustomed^they^would
not be^ played itolempty^chalrs'iorHo; an
audience that is merely; tolerant.% ' ' ; *
-"In 1 * the, absencejof' Shakespeare', and
his ; ilk the patrons of 'the" two bit shows
wallow!Tln the- dellghtsV '. of i bandits;',
beautiful,; maidens tlnidistress^: villains
of the blackest' dye ' that 'j. nature ever
produced, and i- , then '_\u25a0?_ given ;. an C extra
smudge to* make ;them coal 1 like 'enodgh
to;meet:the; requirements -of? the;" nlay,
and^herocs who.wouldVmake'heaVeinfit-*
self -a',boreV-4lt ' must-be.an ?ungrateful
task tto -be". the> villain" on.thelstage.v It
is'; his' business Uo^make; his * morals u>f
the very inkiest;- hueTand^his- face :vHi
swarthy, i leering i mask ; of J villainy for
the delectation ot the'audience, l^and 'the
b otter,-, he ;' does i his iwork| the; more iexf
ecrations^they hurl fat !him. v i'He is' there
for. the! purpose 'of- mlnistering|toUheir,
craving; for^afrehxyiof^vlrtiJbus: hatred,'
and ; hisVpersonal- feelings \ are ; not { conr;
: sldered tin"? the|matter/atTall.^ He/may,
,be" the! mildest imannered'ofsnien^a'hen
•pecked ! husbarid f arid ; the ;father;of;seyen
exemplary,; children. i., ; He?mayJgive lib-;
erallyl to g'charl tie's .•Tiand';"»; keep I up; his
;church^subscrlption^;but"; ; he' has: the
: audience 'against- him *;from* the -time .it
greets* his? entrance 'iwithj hisses to "the
itim»,when^he;;liesivanqulßhed;by ; the
1 hero,; arid -.1 i t f >i me taphor ically - tramples
him; under i foot," * •. \u25a0; / \u25a0'.
O. HENRY
are aU rigbtr I think'it's the duty of
-every citizen,' says he, '/to : iry. to do
\u25a0'up^thesc ; robbeTs that ' prey ,upon the
:_' public. N Tli 'show .'cm \u25a0.whether ' the
water's fine;' Five, dollars" for 'one—
.that's what J. Smith goffers;; and he'll
have; to keep his. contract ; if he does
business with Bill -Murkison.'
"We got into Chicago - about 7
p. 1 ' m. Murkison was to meet the
,'gray man at half past 9. We had din-;
her^at a ;hotel..ahd- then went up to
; Murkison' s room to wait ior the time
to come. \u25a0"'. \u25a0 \u25a0\u25a0.:\u25a0'.')-.-:; '""" .. \u25a0" .".
• \u25a0 " 'Now, boys/ says Murkison, 'let's
get gumption together arid inocu
late a. plan; for defeating- the enemy.
Suppose .while I'm exchanging airy
bandage \\vith the gray capper -you
gents : 'cotrie .along, by accident,-; you
know, "and holler:' -'Hello,' Murk!' and
shake * hands i 'with of sur T
prise. and familiarity. ;Thenl take, the
.capper aside and'teir him youallare
Jenkins and '. Brown of Grassdale,
groceries and .feed, ; good men and
' maybe "willing to 'take : a chance while
away from home/ ,; \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0"_ '\u25a0\u25a0-.\u25a0'
- . v t «<g r j n g -' em along,"' he'll say,'.of
course, "if ; they care to'irivest." Now,
how does .that scheme strike you?' *'£
"'What, do you; say, Jeff?' says.
Andy, /looking at me." ; •
'"Why, I'll 'tell you whaUl say/
.saysl* 'I say let's settle this thing:
right here- now. }l don't see , any use ;\u25a0
•of -wasting; any- more ; time.' I took a
nickel plated 38 out of; my pocket and
clicked the cylinder -around a few
times. , :y' r - "-' . \u25a0\u25a0 .. ' ; ,-' :'-" •f-'.-V-
'*'You undevout, sinful, insidious*
'On the otherhand-what a- snap '.to. bo
the hero.- He has 'only, to stalk through
the play -and .mouth fthefnoble, senti
ments : which; the -author, puts :in his
mouth, '• and = he ' is the I darling of . the
audlenee; ; which r ; is .wilUng to- give : him
even .the* deepest: of all' tributes', : tears.
; ; :• There ,was ; a man in. the top gallery
of ~ the : old > Busli/ street .theater ; once,
\u25a0nho,'- when gunplayj became violent on:
the; stage, :. felt impelled to tAke some
part : in \u25a0 the proceedings. ;; He had previ-'
ously . taken "\u25a0 off., his - shoe to case , ills
aching -foot' and" in- the^dearth of "othor
.weapons' J he '"'shied his shoe in amons
tlic actors' on the stage. J',' \ .
'7lf .'youfwant'td ste the great Ameri
can public,. his best girl, his father and
hlsimother.andthe youthful liope of his
old ago enjoying > themselves, go 1 to one
bf^the cheap .theaters to'a Sunday mati
nee, :I when , a -good ' gory old sh6w/-i*
given;' \u25a0\u25a0'-. .-\ \u25a0: :*.. \u25a0.:'':.\u25a0' .\ - .^-' x - '.Cj.-' \u25a0
- 1 It Vwas myj fortune one Sunday after
noon to r"do" '\u25a0: such' a • one not*, long ago/
The ':, hero ;ahd , his \brother.vWere ; noble
outlaws,*; ln s fact none other '\u25a0 than the'
historic James boys of Missouri. -They \u25a0
were ; by; another.", gang of
outlaws of a considerably.'diff erent and
presumably-, blacker \u25a0 brand.'
wore a black shirt" picturesquely .tuciked \
away3from;a,;whltetcolumnarV throat, -a'
kerchief V lightly V.thrownj around -C h\k'
shoulders soiaslto increase the, seeming
girth! of, his ;shirt,iono.pi3tol; in his belt
and; an J : uncertain : number .of . others
ready.; to hbeV whipped i out i'of /hia boots
at);any: moment." :Addi* to 'all?this a
beard that; looked, as if it really; grew,
on , him/; and '* it is i needless -to : say that
the audience, - pjrt-ticularly.'_the'. feminine
partjof 'it, groveled , at ;hls feet. ;.
v? He had '.Ha-ha-ed".; the • blood "curdling
threats;ot*theivlllaln, had ;cut \the ropo
that was -hanging;; his (stepfather ; just >
as: the ;J audience audibly,.- If,
that estimable gentleman V. would -not
croak- before j the hero; could* arrive,', had r
borne >his ; sweetheart fainting from : the.
red,"; 4 roarihgrl. flames i'that.: cdnsumed
their ihome;j had : lowered himself : by; a
rope ;\u25a0 lii to i the ; cave f that '» hid ; his mother
torn: her, 1 ; shrieking, lf rom, the" hands'
of ithe^yillain r , ; wielding -a;; blacksnake
whip",':; and Estopped? the; holdup; of ; - an'
express! trai n - by. the ; same . villains. He
;hadivow;edlyeng'eance,"as;long as gra«d
grows Jand i wateriflowa" : "on* those i : who
. had tortured J his jmo ther, and f the! sym-;.;
[pathetic J yells- of-- the « audience
HJftedj the! roof.^ ;^ ;; '\ \ ;-; _.: ;; :jr>-~.
",'"•[ SO'mo ;« there Vwefe who ; thought they f
' ''IsJ that; all?" -said
' someTonej; behind . me/; -';. ! '.'<€^^^^, T; *i ;
; <; ''Oh,' no; i Jesse* has , got to -die first,"
hog,' says I to Murkison/ 'get oUt
that two thousand and lay it on the
table. 'JObey with velocity,' says I,
'for otherwise: alternatives arc im
pending. I am preferably a man of
mildness, but now and then I find
myself in the middle of extremities,.
Such men as you,' I went on after he
had laid the' money out, 'is what
keeps the jails and courthouses going?
Youcome up here \o rob these men
of their-money. - Does" it excuse you?'
I asks, "that they were trying to skin
you? '^ No, sir; 'you was going to rob
Peter to stand off Paul. You are ten
times says I, 'than green
goods manJ ... You go to church at
home and pretend to be a decent citi
zen, but you'll come to Chicago and
commit larceny from men that have
built up. a sound and profitable busi
ness by dealing with such- contempti
ble scoundrels as you have tried, to'
iJe today. ..How do you. know,' says Ij
•that; that grefen goods man hasn't
a large family dependent upon his ex
tortion*? It's you supposedly re
spectable citizens who are always on
the lookout to get something for
nothing,' says-J, 'that support the lot-
teries and /wildcat mines and stock'
exchanges and wire tappers of this
country. If it wasn't for you they'd,
go out of business. , Thc^Tgreen goods
man you was going.to rob/ says.. l,
'studied. maybe for*. years^.to learn his
trade./ Every turn he makes he risks
his money and liberty and maybe his
life.- You come lup here all sanctified'
and panoplied with respectability and
a pleasing postoffice address to
said \u25a0 another woman, with a - sigh of
anticipation, and we all settled down to
see'himdle. . '• .•'\u25a0:-•\u25a0.':• ,^-iHV. '' '"•*..'
It was the hour or the smaJl boy, when
indulgent ushers .opened wide . the
portals to the waiting crowd, and every
cranny of the -big theater was filled
with expectancy. ~
"Say."; mum, air them, three front
seats taken?" spoke a small voice at
mj' elbow,' and ; 1 looked up _to see a
mite* of a boy that could have hardly
filled ; one-ninth of the /space he in
quired about. T .hastened,' to assure
him that ho was quite welcomo to the
seat, next : to<mine.,
* "Good shoWj- isn't lt/'*l ventured, so
ciably. ' ' J . \u25a0-<\u25a0*...
"Yes, mm. 1 '- .
Several attempts. on my part met the
sarao lack of oxpansiveness.. Evidently
he was .there to enjoy himself." not to
minister tor my' deslro f> for seemg ..^ the
Inner' workings l of L his mind. :. "
-: "Say,,ye can see fine here, ; can't -yeT',
he finally; remarked; and his tone ex
pressed uncounted hours of -straining
to^see under elbows- In the' back of the
theater. PEB@^S» 1| 49 -'. --'
; The woman behind me had been pon
dering^ the fate of Jesse in the mean
time, and thirst for sensation had given
place' to" sympathy. "".
"Ain't It-a pity he has got, to die?"
she said.;; , '"•* :\u25a0'\u25a0 -\u25a0..'
..Forgetting that^ he. had vowed ven-'
gcance as long as grass does -grow' or (
water flow, the hero has .taken to his
bosom; thej viper , that had flogged his
mother, -and' this is >. the cause of his
downfall.; Thesvillaln'and hisconfed
erate .are , hiding behind ' the bedroom
door, while the outlaw hero soliloquizes
nobly on how he means to lead a new
life and declares his intention of bring
ing; up ;the: child sleeping, in Its v cradle
as an \u25a0 honest 'man, the : nobles t : work of
God. -'Untouched" byy these noble sen
timents, 3 ;the ;_ villains make ready rto
slay "him..; To'glve them- a chance he,
turns -'his; back, on .them, "disregarding*
the frantic r hissing by.vwhich his friends
onthe;other«side"of thejfootlights seek
to warn him Vof ; theiri presence. *. He
then'proceeds.tojtake'oft his'pistol.* the
symbolic act by which : he > signalizes his
return "\u25a0 to ! the ; peacef ul ; lif e.- .;..
• F Breathlessly, 'the "audience , ' watches
him commitH this foolish act. "Oh. see
him: take-off; his; pistol," whispered Uhe
woman ' behind \u25a0; me."; "Now they jvrlll ; get
him.^ ",;Oh,* IrwißhI r wiBh \u25a0, he'd have" sense
enoughsto »leave' ltjon."%- :
• But* the deluded -hero .persists In hi 3
disarming.: He holds; the '/.'trusty; pal"
in his hand and makes speeches "to It..
;"Oh. don't take it off! Don't take^lt
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
swindle -him. If he gets the money
you can squeal to the police. If you
get it he hocks the gray suit to buy
supper and says nothing. Mr. Tucker
and me sized you up,* says I. 'and
came. along to sec that you got what
you deserved. Hand over the money/
says I, 'you grass fed hypocrite.'
"I put the two thousand, which
was all' in $20» bills, in my inside
" 'Now get" out your watch,* says I
to Murkison. 'No, I don't want it.'
says I. 'Lay it. on the table and sit
in that chair till it ticks off an hour.
Then you can go. If you make any
noise or leave any sooner we'll hand
bill you all over Grassdale. I guess
your high position there is worth
more than $2,000 to you.'
/ "Then me and Andy left.
1 "On the train Andy was a long time
silent.' Then he says: 'Jeff, <lo you
mind my asking you a question?'
-'Two,' says I, 'or forty.'
"'Was that the idea you had,'
says he, r whcn we started out with
Murkison V
" Why; certainly,' says' I. "What
else could it have been? Wasn't it
yours, too?*
"In/ about half an hour Andy spoke
again. I 'think there are time 3 when
Andy don't exactly understand my
system of ethics and moral hygiene.
/"Jeff/ says he, 'some time when
you have the leisure I wish you'd
draw off a. diagram and footnotes of
that conscience of yours. I'd like to
have it to refer to occasionally.' "
(Copyright, 1907, t>v 3. S. McClora Company)
off. don't take off that pistol, you
mutt!" screamed the woman behind me
in an agony.
Never "was woman's agony more
wasted on man's stolidity. He recites
one last speech to his friend, the pistol,
then takes it off. touchingly laying tt
down on the. edge of the cradle, where
the future honest man is sleeping.
. Then- he deliberately turns his back
on. the UoOr where the star villain with
a horrible scowl and a lear sneaks into
the room.
"Oh, can't you see him; can't you see
him. coming?" cried Jesses . unheeded
friend ' hysterically.
No" use. Jess© gets on a chair an<*
dusts a picture with a feather duster,
and while he is engaged In this domes
tic act. the villain enters and snuffs out
his life. -Then, while ansrels are pre
sumably hearing l^ h.is soul to heaven
(according to -the 'code of morals of the
melodramatic gloriner of outlawry >.
Jesses brother is seen to get the par
don'from the governor. . .
• '"Ain't .It- &' pity, now?" said the
woman. behind me. And with that w?
all filed out \u25a0 Into the bright sunlight.
r Ain't. lt a pity now — not that Jesse
died, but that they did not all die, espe
cially the playwright before-perpetrat
ing such a thing on the public?.
But/ then, \u25a0 where would have been
the ecstasy of the small b.oy or the de
lightful wallowing in tears .of the
middle aged female behind me?
The Queerest Patent
CCTT HE queerest patent?" said the
* I attorney. "Wejl, the queerest pat
ent I know of was tbe patent of a hole.
An old farmer out St. Louis way pat
ented a hole, and. what is morot ha
made a lo*t of money on it. Now,
though, \u25a0 It, lsn't worth t&e" paper It Is
written on. This farmer, one morning
In the dim past went to wind his bijr
silver . turnip, and found the key stuck
full of dirt. : He tried to dig the dirt
out with a pin. Xo so. ,
.;.".*Con»arn^ye,V he said. Til fix ye.*
: "And. he drilled a hole in the key and
with; a single breath blew out every bit
of the dirt. He patented that hole. H»
built a factory, bought millions of keys
and; made * holes for them. His -plant
turned 27,500 holes a day. « in fact, all
•the " world used "\u25a0 the . farmer's v watch
keys, which , were the only kind that
would " keep clean, and : the otd fellow
got -s rich." — New.; Orleazu Tlm»- Demo
crat. • : \u25a0 -\u25a0 -.\u25a0\u25a0-.•