| Show BOOMING THE fdINE1I I The Most Extraordinary Newspaper I News-paper Ever ellA ell-A GOOD IF NOT OER TRUE STORY The Manganetus Index and the Reason For Its Existence The Wonderful Town it Boomed The most extraordinary newspaper I have ever had any knowledge of was a paper published up in the Sierra range about fifteen years ago the Manganetus Index The publication alluded to had mysteriously fallen into my mail box in San Francisco for over a year and it was always a welcome arrival 1 was neatly printed carried several columns of live advertisements ad-vertisements and had a bright bustling air about it that always gave me a very favorable favor-able impression of Manganctus as well as of the man who edited the paper He took a decided stand on all the current topics of the day and in everything happening in the town where his paper was published he carried candor to the verge of bewildering rashness I never sawa paper edited with such absolute fearlessness and I often wondered why it was that the editor was not some time mobbed or murdered At last my business took me in the vicinity vicin-ity of Manganetus and I decided to make the editor a call I was fast coming on nightfall as I neared the spot where the town was located and I spurred my horse up the steep mountain thinking of the warm bed and excellent supper I should soon be enjoying My mind was full of the Slavin house a hotel of very superior ac commoaations which advertised liberally in the Index and whose royal provender and homo comforts the little paper was never weary of describing Only a mile more I said to myself as I thumped my weary beast with a good sized stick and after another mile I repeated re-peated my observation and so the poor horse went on checking off miles and miles while I persuaded myself that each mile was the last Strange I thought that I could see no lights ahead 1 strained my eyes for the welcome twinkle from cottage cot-tage windows that in the darkness tell the traveler of tho town but the night crept on a little faster than the horse and still I was alone I Presently l came to a log cabin ana my heart rose as I saw the light gleaming through the chinks Dismounting I walked stiff and lame to the cabin and hammered on the door A little bentup man with a wrinkled leathery face came to answer and as he opened the door cautiously I noticed that he had a cocked pistol in his hand Seeing it I said Here is civilization After the little man with the big pistol had surueyed my famished face and tired horse he opened the door a little wider and then swinging it back with a smile somewhat some-what apologetic in its character invited mfin mfinHow far to Manganetus I asked He looked at me in rather a queer way bud and bit his lip as i nipping a smile in the budIs Is it far from here Can I reach it tonight to-night Hardly think you can make I tonight to-night he replied with a tone that puzzled me somewhat cant youstay all night he added Better stay you cant possibly possi-bly make Manganetus tonight I accepted the invitation with alacrity My horse being provided for I Was < soon absorbing the provide cheery fire and listening lis-tening to conversation of my new acquaintance ac-quaintance He was a man of very fluent expression and possessed a wonderful fund of information on scores of topics not ordinarily discussed by men who occupied log cabins in the mountains While wondering won-dering who this old character could be I heard a monotonous noise in the next room and I certainly thought I heard the familiar sound of some one rapidly folding newspapers Aiy ear am not deceive me lor 1 a lew moments a pleasantfaced little girl appeared ap-peared and handed my companion a paper which he at once passed over tome It was damp from the press and I read the title The JIaijanctiis Index By industry we thrive Devoted to the material interests of Manganetus Subscription o per annum payable in advance My host smiled as he handed me the paper Then the town is here I said Let me go to the hotel the Slavin house I believe be-lieve 1 do not desire to trespass upon the hospitality of a stranger You will remain here sir he replied blush to confess it but this is the town and this cabin is the of Mangaootus only habitation for twenty miles I stared at him in astonisment You may well be puzzled he continued contin-ued but I will explain There is a group of mines near here which certain capitalists capital-ists of San Francisco are anxious to place npon the London market They have hired me to advocate these mines and it is part of my bargain to run my paper in such away a-way that the London readers will think that a large towu is flourishing here See I nodded vaguely and he went on My imagination is not sluggish and so I manufacture I write I leave no stone unturned make the mythical city of Mun ganetus a live bustling town You will find in this issue a public meeting called to discuss the question of a new bridge across the stream that exists only in the columns of the Index Hero is the wife of prominent mining superintendent eloping with a member of the city council here is a runaway run-away team knocking the smithereens out of a cigar store You will note the advertisement adver-tisement of the cigar store in another column Here is the killing of Texas Pete and the investigation of his death by a coroners jury The cause of the shooting was a dispute relative to the ownership of a mining location of fabulous richness There is also in another portion of the paper a legal summons advertised calling on a coowner one of the principals in the affray to do his assessment work or lose his interest All my work dovetails nicely in has a plausible look and shows no flaw yet it is all absolutely made from whole clothThis This is the most extraordinary thing I ever heard of I said to him This country is full of extraordinary things he quietly replied Where does this edition goP I asked Clara bring me the mailing list I glanced over the list and saw that it embraced the leading banking houses of London and New York as well as the cen tres of finance and mining My own name was oddly enough on the list About a hundred copies were mailed and everyone every-one went where it would do the most good I found that my friend edited the paper and did the typesetting and his daughter was learning the art I have no companions except my little daughter and the town of Manganetus he added with a smile I passed a very comfortable night The roar of the wind through the pines and 4i 4i il hl Uu i soothing effect ana I lay in the warmbed thinking and resting until morning before I slept My friend the editor was very talkative at breakfast He never alluded to his name but he told me more of the paper and theenjoyment he had in building up a town in the clouds from a purely imaginative imagina-tive basis Tomorrow said he I start out on horseback tothe Nearest mail station and leave my bundle ofpapers in the hollow of a tree until the main buckboard comes along to take them In a few weeks they are being read in London and New York and the parties in each of these cities who are handling the sale of these mining properties are backed up handsomely by my editorial statements state-ments Buffalo Courier |
