Newspaper Page Text
The Root
of Evil
SYNOPSIS
Stuart, southern lawyer in New York, is
in love with Nan Primrose. His friend,
Dr. Woodman, who has a young daugh
ter, is threatened with the loss of his
drug business by Bivens, whom he be
friended years before. Stuart visits the
Primroses. :
Nan wants Stuart to accept a place with
Bivens' chemical trust. ' He dlslikes Biv
ens’ methods and refuses. Blvens calls
ou him.
Woodman will not yield and sues Bivens'
eompany. The promoter tells the doctor
he and Nan are engaged. Harriet Wood
maan {8 studying music. Stuart takes Nan
for & day in the country.
Stuart pleads with Nan to give up Blv
ens, but the spell of millions is on her and
she ylelds to it.
Nan becomes Mrs. Bivens. Harrlet
loves Stuart, but he does not know it.
Nine years pass. Stuart becomes district
attorney. He investigates criminal trusts.
Nan asks him to call.
Stuart wants Woodman to end his suit
against Bivens, but the doctor stands
firm. Blvens alds Stuart in his investi
gation of grooked financlers,
Stuart's revelations aid in bringing on a
crisis. Bivens promises to aild the Van
Dam Trust company, which is in trouble.
Woadman needs money badly.
th die. 1 x:m'egnm a Tragrant wnite
pink. His thin,¥everish fingers grasp
od it eagerly. In all his life he had
never held a flower in his hand before.
Ile pressed it to his lips, his soul thrill
ed at its sweet odor, and the little tired
spirit came staggering back from the
mists of eternity just to see what it
meant. He will live.”
The girl’s arms slipped around his
meck in a tightening hold, and she
pressed her cheek against his a mo
ment in silence.
“papa, dear, it's no use trying to
deceive me. I've the right to know
what is troubling you. I'm not a
ehild. You wmust tell me.”
“Why, it's nothing much, dearie,”
he answered gently., “I'm worried a
little about money. I've a note due
at the bank, and they've called on me
unexpectedly to meet it. But I'll
manage soinehow.”
“I'il give up my music, go to work
and belp vou right away.” |
The Cather placed his hand gently
over her lips, and the tears sprang into
his eyes in spite of his effort to keep
them back. ‘
“Don’t talk sacrilege, my child. Such
words are blasphemy. God gave me a
man's body for the coarse work of
bread winning. He gave you the su
preme gift, a voice that throbs with
clogquence, a power that can lift and
inspire the world.
“Promise me, dear--it's the one wish
of my heart, the one thing worth
working and struggling for—promise
me that you will never stop until the
tmining of your voice is complete;
that no matter what happens you will
obey me in this, It is my one com
mand. You will obey me?"”
“Yes, papa, I promise, if it will
make you happy.”
“It's the only thing I live for. All
¥ ask Is that you do your level best
with the gift of God.,” ° |
“I'll try, papa dear,” was the quiet
answer as she kissed him again and
softly left the room.
Harriet had scarcely reached her
room when Adams, the cashier of one
of the allied banks, who owed the
doctor vor three months' rent, entered
the library with quick, nerveus tread.
“I've mews, sir,” he said excitedly.
“I've a big tip on the stock market.”
The o¢ider man grunted contemptu
ously. ‘
“Yes, that's what ails you, 1 know.
You've been getting them for some
¢ime. That's why you owe me for
your rooms. That's why there’s some.
thing the matter with your accounts.”
“I swear to you, docter, my accounts
are clean. I've bought a few stocks.
I've made a little and lost a little
I've got the chance now I've been
waiting for. I've a real piece of in
formation frym the big insiders wheo
are going to make the market tomor
row. [ got it from Bivens' private
secretary. The little weasel has made
millions on this break, and he has
been selling the market short for two
weeks. Tomorrow morning he is go
ing to smash it for the last time and
at noon throw his millions on the bul!
side. The market will go down three
points on the break in the morning.
It will jump five points in ten min
utes when it turns the other way.
There are stocks on the list that will
recover ten points before the market
closes.”
“Bivens is going to do this?" the
older man interrupted. *“Then it's a
trick. It's a lie. Take my advice and
do just the opposite from what you
understand. Bivens will sell out his
‘partners in the deal.”
“3fan, he can't sell out!"” the cashier
insisted. “It's his own deal. KHe's in
$t for all he’s worth!"
‘The doctor rose with sudden excite
ment.
«apdams, this is the first time in my
jife T've ever been tempted to bur
‘stocks. I'm in desperate need of
ma Tua a nata far 552.00) duc
I've $2.000 set aside to finish my little
girl’s musical studies. I've got tc
meet that note somehow, and I've got
to have the money for her. It looks
lie a ¢hanee. ' ro in and wateh the
market tomorrow.”
“Tf it don't act exactly as T say don™
tonch it. If it does. zo in for all you'r
worth, If stocks start down as 1 sa;
they will, sell short. cover at noon an
they buy for a rise. Don’t listen t
fools—just buy, buy. buy! You can se!
before the market closes and make
$20,000."
“I'li drop into a broker’s office anc
watch the market open, anyway.
Adams. Thank you.”
The next day the more optimisti
traders on the stock exchange expected
a change in the market. Stocks had de
olined for two weeks with appalling
swiftress and fatality. Every hour had
marked the ruin of men hitherto bul
warks of solidity. Experienced men
reasoned and reasoned from experience
that theré must be a turn somewhere.
The bottom surely had been reached.
The time for a rally had come.
Stuart slept late. He was up until 1
o'clock writing a reply to a peculiarly
venomous attack on his integrity which
a morning paper had printed. The
writer had boldly accused him of be
ing the hired tool of the group of finan
cial cutthroats who were coining mil
lions out of the ruin of others in the de
struction of public faith. |
His reply was simple, and his con
cluding paragraph was unnnswerable;
except by an epithet. ;
“My business is the enforcement of |
justice. 1 am the servant of the people. |
If Wall street cannot stand the en~i
forcement of law so much the worse
for the street. It is no affair of mine.” i
Dr. Woodman hurried downtown to
the office of a friend on Pine street, an :
old fashioned banker and broker whose
lJ X \ \ /
!/‘(le ' : j .
‘iu’l‘ (i, o
/ (‘t{\@wfl
1\ 1z (T ;
g |
¢> \ \ o ‘.,, I~
¥ Tannesns
“If you've got a dollar, nail it up.”
name had always stood for honesty and
fair dealing and conservative business,
It was half an hour before the stock
exchange opened, but the dingy little
office was packed with an excited
crowd of customers.
The doctor followed old Dugro, the
head of the firm, into his private office
und asked his advice. He got it—sharp,
short and to the point. :
*Go home, doctor, and stay there.
This market is no place for an ama
teur. It’s all I can do to keep the wolf
from my door in these days.”
“But I've received somre important
information.”
“Keep it dark,” old Dugro scowled.
“Don’t tell it to your worst enemy. If
you've got a dollar, nail it up and sleep
on the box.”
“But I've some information I think
“I'm going to act on and 1 want to open
a small account with you.”
t “All right. I've warned you,” was
the grim answer. “I wish you good
luck.”
The doctor drew his check for $2.000
and smilingly took his place among the
crowd before the board.
The ticker would tell the story in the
first hour. If stocks should sell off
three points before noon, he would
know. He determined to put this to
the test first. He would not sell the
market short. He would be conten
with the big jump the market would
make upward when it started.
As the noon hour drew near the doc
tor's heart was beating like a sledge
hammer. Bivens' program had beez
carried out to the letter. Stocks bad de
clined for the first hour a point, and iu
the second hour suddenly smashed
down two more points amid the wijdest
excitement on the exchange. :
The moment to buy had come. The
doctor was sure of it. Stocks had
touched bottom. The big bear pool
would turn bull in a moment and the
whole market would rise by leaps and
bounds.
He called old Dugro.
“Buy for me now Amalgamated Cop
per, the market leader, for all I'm
worth!”
The broker glared at him.
“Buy! Buy in this market? Man.
are you mad?”
“l said buy!” was the firm answer.
“What's the limit?"
“Not a share without a stop loss or
der under it."
“Well, with the stop?”
“I'll buy you 400 shares on a four
point stop.”
“And when it goes up five points?”
the doctor asked eagerly.
“I'll double your purchase and raise
your stop, and every five points up I'll
keep on until you are a willionaire!”
The old hroker smiled c._ s _.2n
m' ~ -!!TEBPRTQW. FRINAY PRCFMBER 6. 1912
ously, but it was all lost on the doctor.
“Do it quick.”
The order was scarcely given before
it was executed. Dugro handed the
memorandum to Woodman with a
grunt.
“It don't take long to get ’em today!”
The words had scarcely left his lips.
when a hoarse cry rose from the crowd
hanging over the ticker.
Copper had leaped upward a whole
point between sales. A wild cheer
swept the room. For ten minutes ever;
stock on the list responded and bhegarn }
to climb, |
The doctor's face was wreathed in
smiles. Men began to talk and laugl:‘
and feel humamn for the first momem!
in two weeks, ‘
Dugro grasped the doctor’s band,‘
and his deep. voice rang above the
roar: |
“You're a mascot! You've broken‘
the spelll For God's sake stay with}
us!" |
Suddenly another cry came from the |
crowd at tne ticker. The boy at the‘
board sprang to the instrument with |
a single hound, his eyes blazing with
excitement. His ery of “Down!” pierc- |
ed every ear in the room with horror. ‘
The panic had come. |
In ten minutes stocks tumbled five
points, and the doctor's last dollar was
swept into space, while the whole mar- ‘
ket plunged down, down, down into the |
abyss of ruin and despair. |
Men no longer tried to conceal their
emotion. Some wept, some cursed, ‘
some laughed; but the most pitiful
sight of all was the man who could
do neither, the man with white lips
and the strange, hunted expression in
his eyes who was looking death in the
face for the first time,
A full quarter of an hour of the panic
had spent itself before the dazed
crowds in the broker's offices read the
startling news that cgused the big
break. The ticker shrieked its message
above the storm's din like a little
laughing demon.
“The Van Dam Trust Company Has
Closed Its Doors and Asked FFor the
Appointment of a Receiver!”
Bivens had not Lkept his solemn
pledge. The great bank had stood the
run for two hours and closed its doors. |
And the work of destruction had just
begun.
At 3 o'clock the doctor walked out of
Dugro's office without a dollar. He
felt alm:e" happy by contrast with the
fools he left shufiling over the floors of
Dugro's office.
His own sense of loss was merely a
blur. The revelation he had just had
of the mad lust for money which had
begun to possess all classes was yet so
fresh and startling he could form no
adequate conception of his own- posi
tion.
It was not until he entered his own
door and paused at the sound of, Har
riet's voice that he hegan to realize
the enormity of the tragedy that had
befallen him.
CHAPTER X,
At the King's Command,
IVENS' plan would have gone
through without a hitch but
for one thing. He had over
looked the fact that the king
dom of Mammon in America has a
king and that the present ruler is very
much alive. A man of few words, of
iron will, of fiery temper, of keen in
tellect, proud, ambitious, resourceful,
bold, successful, a giant in physique
and a giant in personality.
It happens that his majesty is an old
time Wall street banker, with inherited
traditions about banks and the way
their funds should be handled. He
had long held a pet aversion. The Van
Dam Trust company had become .an
offense to his nostrils. It had built a
huge palace far up town and its presi
dent had attempted to set up a court
of his own. Hé had gathered about
him a following, among them an ex
president of the United States. Gold
had poured into the treasury of the
great marble palace in a constant
stream until its deposits had reached
the unprecendented sum of $90,000,000,
a sum greater than the royal bank it
self could hoast.
When the king heard the first rumor
of the fact that the Van Dam Trust
was backing the schemes of the Allied
Bankers in their sensational -raid on
the market his big nostrils suddenly
dilated.
At last he had them just where he
wanted thern. [He signed the death
warrant of the bank and handed it to
his executioner without a word of com
ment. And then a most curious thing
happened. The king summoned to his
presence a little, dark, swarthy man,
When Bivens received this order to
appear at court he was dumfounded.
He had long worshiped and feared
the king with due reverence and al
ways spoke his mame with awe. To
be actually called into his august pres
ence in such a crisis was an undream
ed of honor. He hastened into the
royal presence with beating heart. The
sovereign glanced up with quick en
ergy.
“Mr. Bivens, I believe?”
~ The littlg man bowed low.
“I hear that you are about to aid the
Van Dam Trust with four millions in
cash?"
Bivens smiled with pride.
“My secretary will teliver the money
to the bank within an hour.”
The king suddenly wheeled in his
big armchair, raised his eyebrows and
fixed the little man with a stare that
froze the blood in his veins. When he
spoke at length his tones were smooth
as velvet.
“If I may give you a suggestion, Mr.
Bivens, I would venture to say that
the Van Dam Trust company is be
vond aid. The larger interests of the
nation require the elimination of this
institution and its associates.
“I have heard good reports of you.
and ] wish tn save voun from the dis-
To be continuined eour next issue
From the Daily Bulletin ‘
Fhis Story Pourtrays
Old Santa Claus
Atlanta, Dec. 5-—The rhildren'
just emerging from baby-hood t.o}
youth, who turn skeptic as they
turn five years, and make wide
eyed icquiry of mother or father
whether Santa Claus is a really,
sruly person or not, will have their
inswer this season.
Some years ago the little daugh
ter of J. B. Frost, the well known
author and capitalist, asked her
father the inevitable question,
“Daddy, lis Santa Claus Sure
Nuff?” And Mr. Frost wasso
iLpressed by the question and the
necessity of a fair answer, that he
wrote, for the eyes of his little
daughter alone, a beautiful story
in which the Santa Claus belief is
portrayed uand vindicated. In later
years it was shown to others, and
now Mr. Frost has decided to have
it published in the form of a book
let, so that all children may bave
the answer to their question, an
answer which competent literary
critics and lovers of children’s lore
have already said is as true as it
is beautiful. Mr. Frost has en
titled the little booklet, ‘‘ls Santa
Claus Sure Nuft?” choosing the
phrase of his own daughter when
she was a child. He takes the view
that Santa Claus is the embodi
ment of the Christian spirit, ope
rating at Christmas time, influenc
ing people’s lives, increasing the
generosity and goodnnss of mor
tals. It is the Santa Claus whom
children used to know when they
were tiny, he says, who inspires
them to deeds of kindness in their
turn in later life,
Mystery Surrounds the
Shooting of Atlanta
Man
Atlanta, December s.—John R.
Mzister, who was found shot in
the head and lying in a pool of
b'ood, at his home yesterdsy, is
s:ifl preserving a mysterious silence
r:garding how he got the wound.
1: was first stated that he had shot
himself, either by accident or with
siicidal intent, but the police, who
are working on the case, have re
jacted this theory, and are prob
11g for a less simple explanation.
A :cording to the first version of
tie story, Meister shot himself
while his wife was away frcm
home and she returned to find him
lying in his own blood, with a
pistol by his side, He will likely
racover.
Purchasers of The C.
A. Bucher Estate
Some important land transfers
were made this week, when the
estate of the late C. A. Bucher
was sold av executor’s sale by
Judge L. Keanedy, on Tuesday.
Five acre tract No. 952 in the
fourth land district was sold to
Mr. M. W, Watkins at a consid
eration of $600.C0 and five acre
tract No. 967 was bought by
George W. Brown, the price be
ing $1,200.
The two city lots, Nos. two and
three in square twelve, and block
No. eleven, were sold to Clayton |
Jay for $1,500, |
Notice to Attorneys
The United States Court will
convene at Valdosta, Ga., on
Monday, Dec. 9, at 10 a. m. |
Meet me at the W. R. C. Hall
Dee. 10-11 for a cup of tea and a.
chicken sandwich. * 94f |
To the Voters of 1537
District and To My
Many Friends 1
I take pleasure in accept
ing your tender of support
in my race of Justice of The
Peace and assure all that
if I am elected I will dis
charge the duties of the
office without fear er favor
in the interrest of the Pub
lic and in justice to all.
Thanking you for your
support I am truly yours.
W. R: Paulk.
For Water, Light end
Bond Commissioner
At the insistant solici a
tion of some ot our citizens,
1 present my name for your
consideration at the coning
election as a member of the
Water, Light and Bcni
Commission. Your support
will be appreciated.
A. H. Thurmond.
Foad Notice.
Notice is lereby given that if
no goud and sufficient cause is
shown to the contrary, the Board
of County Commissioners will on
the first Tuesday in Jan., 1913,
grant on order legalizing a public
road as follows: Commencing
about the center of the West line
of Lot No. 183 and running South
between Land Lot No. 184 and
No. 183 to the S, W. Corper of
No. 183, thence East between No.
183 and No. 178 and No, 182 and
No. 179 and to intersect with
Hyacinth Road.
By order of the Board of;Conn
ty Commissioners, this Nov. sth.,
1912,
J. G. Minshew, Chairman.
H. M. Warren,
Wesley R. Walker.
Board County Commissioners
87 4t-law. R. L. King, Clerk.
Tax Collector’s Notice
LAST ROUND.
I will ke at places named be
low for the purpose of collecting
State and county toxes:
Ashton, Tuesday, Deec. 3d,
from 9 to 10 a. m.
Dickson’s Mill, Tuesday, Dec.
3d, from 12to 1 a. m.
Mobley’s Bluff, Wednesday,
Dec. 4th.
Bowen’s Mill, Thursday, Dec.
sth, from 9 to to 10 a. m.
Vaughn, Thursday, Dec. sth,
froml2tola. m. |
Williamson’s Mill. Friday, Dec.
6th, from 10 to 12 p. m,
F. M. Granam, T. C.
Sale of ILand
GEORGIA —BEN HILL COUNTY.
I have this day levied on (6)
acres of lan |in lot number 282
’:n the 4th land district, original
1y Wilcox county but now Ben
‘Hill County same being lands re
turned by Henry Mathews fcr
Tax for the year 1912, levied on
as property of said Henry Math
ews, to sa‘isfy a Justice court Fi
Fa, issued from the Justice court
of the 433rd District G. M. of
Ben Hill County in favor of Ben
Hill Company, written notice giv
en defendant as required by law.
This 30th day of Nov., 1912,
934 t C.T. Cooper, L. C.
Annual Baazar
Tae ladies of St. Mathews’
Guild will hold their Annual
Bazaar at Dadd’s old store Dec.
10-11. Fancy articles, suitable
for X-mas gifts, as well as for
practical use; also cake, pies,
candy, ete. |
Light refreshments will beJ
served at all hours. On Wednes
day night oysters as you likel
them and other refreshments
will be served. . |
| Professional Gards |
Money to Loan
On farms at 8 per cent. Quick
action on approved paper.
Fire, Life and Accident Insurance
GEORGE COLLIER & CO.
41! Garbutt-Donovan building
WATER’S TRANSFER
HOMER WATERS, Manager.
Headquarters at
SANDLIN FURNITURE CO.
Telephone your wants and they
will receive prompt attention.
CEO. McCALL
Fresh Fish and Oysters
Delivered Anywhere
inthecity . . .4
’Hone 263. 115 S. Sherman Stree!
H. ELKINS. JOSEPH B. WALI
ELKINS & WALL
Attoraeys at Law,
Rooms 408-11 Garbutt-Donovan Buiiding
Will practice in all the Courts.
Johnnie May Brougthon
Teacher of Piano
Synthetic : Method
Pupil of Herr Louis Schwebel
FRED & OTTO HARNISH,
Boot and Shoe Makers,
212 E. Pine Street
Fine and Substantial Repairmng
Promptly Done.
BR. LOUIS A. TURNER
DENTIST
e R
DR. J. H. POWELL
S pecialist
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
315 Century Building
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
. DR. J. E. GOETHE
Office Fourth Floor Garbutt-Donavan Bldg.
Office Hours:
10t012A.M. 3tosP. M.
Phone 266 Residence
“ 469 Office
Specialty:
Diseases of Wemen and Children
m
Try The
0. K. BARBER SHOP
Best Place In Town,
P. B. & R. B. OWEN, Props.
119 East Pine Street
Dr. J. W. Elliott Dr. F. E. Keefer
DRS. ELLIOTT & KEEFER,
OSTEOPATHS.
Office Hours, 8:12 a.m. 2:05 p.m.
PHONE 327
Offices—2ll-212 §-Story Bldg.
[ Fitzgerald, Ga. .
"~ HOMER and RALPH
WATERS BROS.
PRESSING CLUB
All kinds of Pressing and Dyeing
Your Work Appreciated
Ladies Suits given special attention
NEXT DOOR TO GOODMAN'S
Th e Will sell at
(lzost seven
912 model
Famousd i T
- ian Motor-
Indlans cycles.
$l7O £. 0. b. Atlanta
Thesz machines are per
fectly n2w. Have never been
uncrated. Must sell to make
room for 1913 models. See
L. L. DICKERSON
O.ve: F.rst National Bank
Fitzgerald, Georgia