STRIKING A BONANZA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 341, 13 January 1881, Page 2

STRIKING A BONANZA.

A Gentleman named Parkington, says the Danbury Newsman, was awakened from a sound sleep on Friday night by a heavy knock on not only his front door, but over the entire front of his house. It was a violent slamming, and calculated to awake even a boy. Mr. Parkingtcn got out of bed. and hufie 1 to his window, which faced the street. He looked out upon a spectacle which filled him with unbounded astonishment A man, a stranger, with a long pole in his hand, was slapping it against the front of the building. As soon as Mr. Parkington could recover his senses he shouted to the party below, — ‘ Who are you ! What are you doing that h-r ? The striking ceased at once. The stranger brought the pole to a rest at his side, and touched his hat with true military etiquette ; and the face that was turned up to Mr. Parkington was rugged in feature, bronzed by the weather, but beaming with expression .

Well, what is it?’ asked Mr. Parkington after a moment of lu sitation in which he saw that the face was not that of a bad man.

Qh ? you are there, are you ? ’ asked the stranger. ‘ Certainly,’ replied Mr. Parkington in a tone of confidence..

‘ You will pardon me, I hope,’ said the stranger, smiling agreeably, ‘ for awakmg you at this unseemiugly hour ? ’

- Mr. Parkington was prone to grant tlie pardon ; but his eye cauglit sight of the pole and he hesitated. What did you make such a row for ? he asked.

‘ Oh, that was a mere matter of ceremony,’ explained the stranger.’ I could have aroused you at the door ; but I kuow your position in society’ (Mr. Parkington keeps a feed store), ‘ and I wanted to show you a little distincton,’

‘ Who are you ?’ asked Mr. Parkington in a softened voice.

I am an American,’ was the repiy. ‘ What do yon want ? ‘ Would you like to make five hundred thousand dollars ? ’ was the somewhat startling interrogation. ‘ Five hundred thousand dollars ? repeated Mr Parkington in amazement.

‘ Yes, sir ; that’s what I said,’ replied the stranger. ‘ An outlay of fifty dollars, with judgment, will accomplish this fortune. I have got the whole secret and the judgment ; and if you can raise the fifty dollars I will let you go in with me, and the thing is done—the half million dollars is ours.”

< Why, what do yon mean ?’ asked Mr Parkington in some bewilderment.

You know Stanley is in Africa, looking for the sources of the Nile ? ’

‘Yes ; but’ — ‘ All right, don’t interrupt me. There is a world-wide interest in the subject; and when Stanley finds the source of that mysterious river, there are going to be millions of people flock there. Now, what I propose to you, if you have got fifty dollars to put it into the enterprise, is this, that we both go there as soon as convenient, and start an eating saloon. What do you say ?’ Within the brief space of thirty seconds, a man, with a pair of pants held on to him by clutching the waistband with one hand, while the other clenched a dub, was coming from the front-door like a whirlwind, while the projector of an eating-saloon in Airies, was scampering out of the gate with no less enthusiasm.