Mountain Home Republican. [volume], September 17, 1921, Image 7

About Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946

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TAXI
An
Adventure
Romance
By George Agnew Chamberlain
Oosrrtgkt, Tb* Buss* MswlU Oompu;
PART IV—Continued.
— 12 —
Five minutes later, his cab was car
rying, In the persons of Mr. Morgum,
above mentioned, and another, the po
tential pivota of very tight-vested In
terests to the tune of twelve billion
dollars. It may be thought that It was
Slim Hervey's Intention to waft this
precious pair to some bosky retreat,
cover them with leaves, and hold them
for ransom, but such was not the case.
He desired nothing from these two
race of lucre
potentates among a
giants beyond what might come to him
through hls ever-open speaking slot.
This Is all he heard:
"Lewlsfader Is getting kind of
fresh."
"That's what I been thinklnV
"When ?"
"What about Friday, when the Bun
kers-Bol I weevil report comes out?"
"Good Idea ! Friday It Is."
Not another word, hut, as It hap
pened, It was enough to start Mr. Ran
dolph honking uptown the moment he
had dropped hls laconic fares at their
next board meeting. No one had to
tell him who Lewlsfader was; he bad
been to college with that financier's
son, and if there was one thing above
all others that said offspring was good
at, it was blowing his father's horn.
Lewlsfader was this nnd Lewlsfader
was that, but principally and especial
ly he was the central rock In the money
maelstrom known to the stock market
as "Amal. I. S. & C.," which had only
lately dared to swell Its portentous
belly In the company of the most de
veloped and vicious saurluns of the
financial world. -
All the way uptown, Mr. Randolph's
face was concentrated In the nearest
approach to a frown of which It was
capable. He was not. however, weigh
ing the substance of what he had heard
this way nnd that, for the simple rea
son that the moment the one word,
"Lewlsfader," had reached hls ears, he
had seen the great light and grasped
hls hunch he.vond any thought of look
ing hack. That part of It was settled;
what worried him now was the amount
of ways and means In hls pocket. By
thinking very hard, he added up hls
capital without bringing It forth to the
light of day. The exact sum was six
ty-eight dollars nnd fifty cents.
No sooner had he passed the test 111
mental arithmetic than he drew up a
little beyond the front door of the Rock
et club. He started to leave bis cab,
paused, considered, and then deliber
ately lowered the flag. As he entered
the lobby of the club, four scandalized
fronts leaped to bar his way. They
nsked him a variety of biting ques
tions: Did he think It was a night
chambermaid
Which
lunchwagon?
was he calling on? Was he looking for
Mills hotel?
"Herbert!" roared Mr. Randolph.
The functionary named, head door
man for the Rocket club since first It
started on Its appropriately meteoric
career, leaped from hls dignified seat
on the somnolent side lines and stared
wide eyed at the servile apparition
that had dared shout the open sesame
to that inviolate portal.
"Mr. Randolph!" he gasped nt last,
and the stunned fronts started to slink
away.
"Hold on, there!" said Mr. Randolph,
and divested himself of cap to one,
overcoat to unother, gloves to the third,
Of
r'N
m
0
,o.
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-Good Ideal Friday ft la."
and asked the fourth for a light. "Her
bert," he continued, In modulated
tones, "the cab oatside Is waiting for
Mr, n. H. Randolph. It may be there
for some time. Have ac eye kept on
It"
"Tea. MY. Randolph. Ill see to It.
Mr. Randolph. George, Mr. Randolph's
letters."
"Never mtnrt the letters," counter
manded the oft-named one, nnd pro
ceeded to thread hls way to a certain
small room strategically placed well
adthla the depths of the edifice sod
far from the maddening tumult of the
streets.
The said apartment at tho
moment of Ids arrival contained five
occupants seated round a circular table
of convenient height and clothed In
pale green, kindest of all shades to the
eye of man. There were no mirrors
on the walls.
Mr. Randolph's entry was greeted
first with consternation and then with
shouts.
"Bobby, you old scout!"
"Herv, by great balls of sweat."
"Randy, from where the devil?"
The speakers arose and pump
handled Mr. Randolph's arm.
"Ye gods, man, where you been?
Strayed In from a fancy dress?"
"Never mind the glad rags, fellows,"
said Mr. Randolph. "I was Just feel
ing lonely for the sound of chips. Room
for another?"
"The surest thing! You don't know
these two chaps, do you? Mr. Seegar,
passed on to us from 'Frisco, and Mr.
Bowling-True, our latest new member.
Gentlemen, this is Mr. Randy Ran
dolph of New Haven and New York,
In disguise hut still the best ever."
"Table stakes?" murmured Mr. Ran
dolph, as he took his place, apparent
ly at random, but at the left of the
two comparative strangers.
"Of course! Same old ante. Same
old game. You tulk as though you'd
been away for a month."
For a moment, but for a moment
only, Mr. Randolph was dazed. Was
It possible that the last three weeks
hadn't been a year? He drew out his
sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents non
chalantly, as though they were merely
the loose change he had on his per
son, bought fifty In chips, and laid the
small heap of what was left of his
cash on the board. The strain on hls
nerves during the next half-hour put
that of the five duys' wait for a hunch
on the Street to the blush. There
came a moment when all hls chips
were gone, and he was forced to see
with a full house for hls small pile
of change only.
"Serves you right, Randy," said Mr.
'For forgetting to pile up the
Mein.
ready In a table-stake game; there are
two and a half million walking the
streets—"
"Oil, stow It!" murmured Mr. Ran
dolph, as he counted out hls share,
amounting to ninety-two dollars and
fifty cents, and poshed across the rest
of the fat pot to the next best hand.
He looked up nnd smiled. "Boys," he
remarked frankly, "I'm riding a hunch
with four legs. Watch me."
Five spectators did, but got little
excitement of their pains. Mr. Ran
dolph was playing that most difficult
and uninteresting of poker corollaries
—a tight game. Mr. Seegar turned Im
patient ns the conviction grew upon
him that he had run up against the
original hard-shell who never drew to
less than a pair of tens, never bluffed,
and could surrender three kings with
out a sigh to a low straight unseen.
He began to make facetious remarks
In connection with the safety-first cam
paign which was then at Its height.
Mr. Randolph nursed hls pile
through five long hours up to eighteen
hundred dollars. Then It was that
he suddenly met n raise of two hun
dred on the part of Mr. Seegar, tacked
on three hundred more, waited for
that Individual to throw In his very
good hand, face up, with the resigned
smile of a wise one, and then careless
ly displayed In the same manner, his
own three-flush, so bohtalled that the
attention of the S. I'. 0. A. should have
been called to the case.
The roar of laughter that went up
from all hut Mr. Seegar was more full
and free than oven such occasions
usually produce. Mr. Mein pounded
Mr. Randolph on the back.
"Bobby, old hoy," he said, "that was
the etemalest, patlenlest, and deepest
laid trap I've ever witnessed In a life
long pursuit of the only national pas
time I"
TJJie light merely flickered In Mr.
Randolph's blue eyes, and he returned
to hls old Job of sawing wood. Not
for nothing had he mada that grand
stand flourish, and hls oltject had been
gained. A new seriousness, masked In
cold-edged, classic poker smiles, set
tled upon the table as a whole. The
idea that they were gathered together
merely to while away an Idle evening
faded Into the background, and, one by
one. like stars coming out at evening
time, supper trays began to make their
All but Randolph, they
appearance,
had been toying with poker; now they
began to play It.
That gentleman continued for the
nonce the even tenor of hie stride ex
cept for a Lenten concession f» hls
Insides. He ordered placed on s stand
at hls elbow a large Jug of Ice water
and a platter containing four dozen
No added touch could
sandwiches,
have done more toward persuading hls
friendly antagonists that he, Randolph,
was out for thick blood. If any one
of the five had Joyed In the knowl
edge that two slices, thin, of buttered
bread embracing s silver of meat hnd
been named eternally after the earl
of Sandwich on Jtifk such nn epochal
occasion as this, he would probably
have seen the high sift 11 nn ^ H
for home and bed.
Night was fast Joining the discard
when the weary Herbert dared to la
terrupt.
"Please, Mr. Randolph, the offleer
on the beat says the grass Is lifting
your cab, sir, and be thought ho
ought to report anything like that."
"Tell him to undo the check and let
It feed Itself down again," growled Mr
Randolph.
The dny passed; night fell. Now
one and then another of the six do
votees of a science which even In the
youth of this nation had forestalled all
the wonders of the submarine, the
flight of man, and wireless telegraphy
withdrew Just long enough ta connect
with the Dally Night bank round the
corner or some other convenient base
of supplies and returned to set new
to catch old. But Mr. Ran
money
dolph had no occasion to do this. Hls
heap Nf chips and cash of the realm
rested on too solid a base of Its own.
There may be recorded an amusing
diversion from the serious business iu
hand. It was ushered in by the crest
fallen Herbert, who confessed that ac
tual physical exhaustion had driven
him to forty winks, during which time
a professional purloiner of motor-car
accessories had stopped, spellbound by
.
i
m
A
a
Of
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m
nil
"The Officer on the Beat Says the
Grass Is Lifting Your Cab, Sir."
the gigantic sutn registered on Mr.
Randolph's taximeter, had promptly
stolen the preposterous clock, und was
now on the club steps offering to set
tle with w^ever was the Interested
gent on a fifty-fifty basis.
Great was the consternation of the
enterprising speculator In theft when he
wns confronted by two persons In one;
nnmely, Mr. R. H. Randolph, lessee
of Car No. 1898, and Mr. It. H. Ran
dolph, alias Slim Hervey, the irate
driver of said cab. Hls glib tongue,
loaded to the gills with arguments as
to how much the fare would save
through the sudden exit of the clock
from the ken of man, tripped hopeless
ly on this vision of wrath In the shape
of a driver In whose interests the tick
er had been faithfully slaving.
It took Mr. Randolnh Just thirty-two
precious minutes to force the crest
fallen one to replace and rendjust the
busy bee of meter readings. When he
returned to the fray upstairs, he no
ticed a strange phenomenon of poker
age, unmistakable age, had settled on
the faces of the five youths. He put
hls fingers to hls own countenance; he
could feel the added years.
The game ended, as do all titanic
battles, In absolute silence. Mr. Ran
dolph sorted, stacked, tabulated hls
winnings, and stuffed them Into all the
pockets o« hls person. He then noted
the hour—eleven o'clock of a bright
Thursday morning—and, proceeding to
the nearest telephone booth, called up
Mr. William Verrles of Verrlea 4 Cat,
stock brokers.
"That you, William? This la Bob
Randolph. William, I've got alxteen
thousand dollars In my Jeans at tbs
moment of speaking. What's the low
est margin you'll give me to sell Amal.
I. 3. 4 O. short for delivery at tomor
row's closing?"
"8#ll Amal. L 8. 4 C. short 1" gasped
Mr. Verrles.
Buy, and I'll talk to you."
(TO BE CONTINUED!
Why, you're crazy I
Probably He Made a Sale.
"A happy new year I" cried the
youngster to the old man who waa
walking along a quiet suburtiac road.
The old man's genial face grew
thoughtful when he saw that hls well
wisher handled a well-made snowball,
while a pile of Icy ammunition lay at
hls feet.
"What are you going to do with
those?" he asked.
"I'm trying to sell them," replied tha
1,
lad.
"Why, that's a strange Idea! How
much are you charging-"
"Quarter the loti" retorted the bust
nessllke youngster. "An' (hem a*
don't buy 'em get* 'em for nothing!''
X-Ray Tube Is
Aid to Science
Dr. Lillienfeld Discovers Principle
That Puts Roentgenology
on New Plane.
experts pleased with it
Scientists Who Have Experimented
With New Tube Believe With Doc
tor Lilienfeld That It Makos
Roentgenology Exact Science.
New York.—By the Invention of an
X-ray tube based on a comparatively
■lmple principle, roentgenology prom
ises, for the first time siuce Roentgen
discovered the mysterious rays that
bear his name, a quurter of a century
•go, to be au exact science. The In
ventor Is Dr. Julius Lillienfeld, pro
fessor of physics at the University of
Leipzig. He is also luventor of the
X-ray tube that has lieen In general
®se In Europe for the last decade, and
which from now
will be superseded
by hls more recent discovery,
oil
Kx
Ports who huve experimented with It
believe as he does.
Doctor Lillienfeld Is In New York,
having arrived from Europe a few
weeks ago. He has already given a
public demonstration of hls new tube
In the presence of Prof. George I'e
gram ami Professor Davis at the de
partment of physics of Columbia uni
versity ami before the New York
Roentgen society.
Doctor Lillienfeld explained the
principles of bis Invention to a Times
reporter. He said ids discovery was
not only of Interest to the medical pro
fession and physicists, but to makers
of wireless and all audlon apparatus
. and amplifying devices,
i "In order to explain the principle of
this new tube," said Doctor Lillienfeld,
"it will be necessary to recapitulate
the history of X-ray tubes and to tell
the manner which X-rays are gener
ated.
Whn Electrons Are.
"Let us begin with the electron: It
Is the smallest known component of
matter and Is always associated with
an unvarying unit charge of negative
electricity. The atom of hydrogen la
the smallest atom known. Yet an
electron Is but 1-2000 part of the hy
drogen atom. These electrons are al
ways In motion. It Is supposed b#
Some that chemical atoms consist of
collections of electrons having orbital
motions In a sphere of positive elec
trification. Others ascribe them to
disturbance of the ether.
"An electron striking any matter,
target or surface produces X-rays.
The electrons must have speed, and,
Indeed, they move with incredible ra
pidity. They are negatively charged
particles of electricity. There are
three factors, therefore, connected
with the production of X-rays. They
ore electron, motion and the target."
Doctor Lillienfeld pointed to a knife
blade.
"The electrons associated with that
piece of metal," he continued, "are be
neath its surface and are retained
there by some superficial force. To
produce X-rays we must get the elee
Irons out of the metal through the co
operation of some additional force.
Roentgen used gas molecules, which
i were Imprisoned In his glass tube in
a partial vacuum, to get the electrons
out of the metal, which. In this case,
was the cathode by which the electric
current leaves, In contradistinction to
the anode by which the electric cur
rent enters, a vessel.
of gas Impigned on the cathode free
The molecule
j
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Trying to Get Jobs for Ex-Fighters
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Service
MEN
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I
The Aviation Club of Chicago is making a desperate effort to secure etn
I (> | 0 yment for ex-soldiers, sailors and marines. At the Princess theater four
ex-service men occupied a box upon which was a sign slating tha • the men
were looking f»r work. A speaker appealed to the audience to try amt secure
work for these patriots. Many of the audience were moved to tears aud those
who could not offer any suggestions as to where work could be secured offered
money to the men.
no
Ing the electrons, which, In turn, flew
to and impigned upon the anode or tar
get, from which they were thrown off
as X-rays which penetrated the glass
lube and scattered.
"The method of producing X-rays
by the gas tube did not prove satis
factory.
"In 1011 I made my first lube on a
new principle. There was absolute
vacuum in the tube, and 1 got the elec
trons out of the cathode by means of
applying heat to It. With the combi
nation of the heated cathode and the
extremely high vacuum, the electrons
w'ould fly to the anode, or target,
where they were given off as X-rays.
"In 1918, Coolldge, In this country,
applied the same Idea to the tube now
In general use here.
New Method Discovered.
"Two years ago I discovered a new
method of effecting the release of the
electrons from the cathode,
method has nothing In common with
either of the two older ones. I start
ed the electrons from r cold, unheated
cathode in the presence of a high elec
tro-static field. This actually pulls the
electrons out of the cathode. The sec
ond distinctive characteristic of the
new method Is the shape of the ca
thode. I use a sharp-pointed or sharp
edged one, on the theory that the lines
of electric force are concentrated on
the sharp point or edge of the
cathode. This proved to he the case
|
|
♦
This
Where Railroads
Are Not Wanted
Afghanistan Years Ago Put Up
Keep Out," "This Means
You" Warning.
SEND ENVOY TO WASHINGTON
Believed That Policy of Absolute Isola
tion From Rest of World Long
Followed by Moslem Kingdom
Is to Be Modified.
Washington.—The arrival In Wash
ington of an envoy from Afghanistan,
now
country in the world, seeking the rec
ognition of hls home land and the es
tablishment of diplomatic relations
with the United States, seems to In
dicate that the policy of absolute Isola
tion from the rest of the world long
followed by this Moslem kingdom Is
to be modified.
In this little-known region Is shown
by the following communication to the
National Geographic society
Frederick Stmplch und llajl Mlrza
peril ups the most mysterious
Light on conditions
posted against trade ami
hunters, ngn nst mUshmarles,
against nil military nnd poll I
ers In particular,
Keep ut ign p.
"And the 'Keep Out sign Is still up.
Today the foreigner Is no more wel
hundred yeais ago.
from
Ilusseln:
"The buffer stnte of Afghanistan,
historic shock-absorber between Great
Britain and Russia in Middle Asia,
years ngo put up a 'Keep Out 1 sign, a
'This Means You' warning, to all white
and Christians.
The land is
men
•posted'—to use a poacher's phrase
■oncesslon
and
come In Afghanistan than he was a
Forbidden Lhasa
In actual practice iu I tue t < tl»*n*
were readily pulle.i out.
that In this method the
(cathode end anode) are brought very
closely together.
"The application of the principle Is
not limited to the production of X
raya. It cun lie upplled to all umjdl*
fylng und audlon devices and for gen
erating electro-magnetic waves
wireless.
than the heated ones becituse It con
tains no hot filaments and, Iherefore,
no transformer Is needed to supply
heat."
I .dglit add
electrode*
for
The tube Is less elusive
| Lay Bandit's Career
to Slant in Skull
| Tacoma, Wash.—Hoy Oard
♦ ner, mall train robiter, In the
federal penitentiary after two
very sensat tonal escapes from
guards, may be operated on to
"reform" him, according to
"Mother McColl, woman agent
of the Department of Justice.
"I want to be operated on and
lead the life God Intended me
to lead," Gardner told Mrs. Me
Coll.
"Gardner Is a wonderful speci
men of manhood," Mrs. McColl
'Hls tendency to
continued,
crime Is caused by a deflection
of the cranium, and It Is possi
ble that surgical care will elim
inate It.
"He Is to he X-rayed, ami the
physician at the prison will
send to Los Angeles for X-ray
plates which are said to show
the scat of IiIn trouble."
< >
Itself is no more exclusive than brood
ing, suspicious Kabul, the capital of
tlds Isolate, unfriendly realm of,
fanatic tribes, of rocks, deserts, lrrl^
gated valleys, and towering unsur*
veyed ranges.
"For reasons of foreign policy, tha
amir has long left the necessity ofl
secluding hls little-known lund to th®
greatest possible extent from the out*
side world. Only a few Europeans,
mostly British, hut occasionally also
an American nnd now und then a few)
Russians or Germans, have had per
mission to come Into this country andi
to. sojourn for a while In Its curious 1
capital. Bui even on Much rare occa
slons as when a foreign engineer, orj
a doctor who o services are hadlyj
needed, Is admitted by the grace of
the amir, the visitor Is subject to a,
surveillance that amounts almost to
f
Imprisonment.
"No ambassadors or ministers, not
even missionaries, are permitted taj
reside In this forbidden Moslem land.
"Today id other monntch anywhere,
wields such undisputed authority or
Is In closer touch with the everyday,
life of Ills subjects. He personally!
runs hls country's religion, Its foreign;
affairs, and he even supervises much)
of Its commerce. He also owns andi
the only newspaper printed laj
censors
nil Afghanistan
"From the World war, though ho
took no active part In It, the n«ilr;
emerged with singular profits. Hls old
and once rival neighbors, Great Brit
ain and Russia, drawn together ns al
world conflict, left him a
lies In tli
free hand, and In 1010 Great llrltnln
fflelnlly recognized llie political in
dependence of this much-buffeted buf
fer state, to whose rulers she had so
long paid a fat annuity.
"With nn area of 245,000 square
miles, Afghanistan Is, next to Tibet,
the 1 largest country In the world that
Is practically closed to the citizens of
other nations,
wary, alert Kabul Is In sharp contrast
to the meditative seclusion and classic,
aloofness of the pious lamas at
Amir Amanullah Khnn,
■
But pnlltlcnl life at
; Lhasa.
5 through hls agents In India and else
Is In close touch with the
current events; and, as the
where,
world's
I Inst remaining Independent ruler of
Moslem country, now that the pows
of the Caliph nt Stamboul Is bro
ke wields a far reaching Influence
H
('I
ken,
throughout the Mohammedan world;
also because hls land happens to lie
It does on the map of the
i Just as
world, It Is plain that for a long tlm^
he will he an active force In,
to come
the iwdltlcal destinies of middle Asia,
Wives Distributed as Gifts.
the Persians the Afghans got
the Idea of marrying more than one
wife; but, like the Persians, too, the*
have found, to their dismay, that
is nowadays more expensive
"From
polygamy
than exciting.
"Sometimes, when the amir wants
to favor his faithful officials with
presents, or perhaps to play practical
Jokes In certain cases, he distributes
them; hut these 'gifts'
troublesome that no
women among
often prove so
degree of gratitude Is apparent
the recipients.
great
among .
"Amir Hablbullah Khan (who waa
assassinated In 1010) had a harem of
100 women, and among these,
over „ __
Strangely enough, were a few Kuro
The present amir, Amanullah
penns
Khan, tins hut one wife.
"The trade of Afghanistan Is moved
entirely by caravans nnd Is largely In
the hands of Hindus and Tadjiks,
There Is not a mile of railroad In Iha
kingdom, the amir fearing Hint steel
highways would make Isold lion impos.
alble.