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If you haven't been West for a good many years； you haven't got any idea
how old the country looks。 You remember how the fields used to be all
full of stumps？〃
〃I should think so。〃
〃Well； you won't see any stumps now。 All that country out around Moffitt
is just as smooth as a checker…board； and looks as old as England。 You
know how we used to burn the stumps out； and then somebody invented a
stump…extractor； and we pulled them out with a yoke of oxen。 Now they
just touch 'em off with a little dynamite； and they've got a cellar dug
and filled up with kindling ready for housekeeping whenever you want it。
Only they haven't got any use for kindling in that countryall gas。
I rode along on the cars through those level black fields at corn…
planting time； and every once in a while I'd come to a place with a piece
of ragged old stove…pipe stickin' up out of the ground； and blazing away
like forty； and a fellow ploughing all round it and not minding it any
more than if it was spring violets。 Horses didn't notice it； either。
Well； they've always known about the gas out there； they say there are
places in the woods where it's been burning ever since the country was
settled。
〃But when you come in sight of Moffittmy； oh； my！ Well； you come in
smell of it about as soon。 That gas out there ain't odorless； like the
Pittsburg gas； and so it's perfectly safe； but the smell isn't badabout
as bad as the finest kind of benzine。 Well； the first thing that strikes
you when you come to Moffitt is the notion that there has been a good
warm； growing rain； and the town's come up overnight。 That's in the
suburbs； the annexes； and additions。 But it ain't shabbyno shanty…farm
business； nice brick and frame houses； some of 'em Queen Anne style； and
all of 'em looking as if they had come to stay。 And when you drive up
from the depot you think everybody's moving。 Everything seems to be
piled into the street； old houses made over； and new ones going up
everywhere。 You know the kind of street Main Street always used to be in
our sectionhalf plank…road and turnpike； and the rest mud…hole； and a
lot of stores and doggeries strung along with false fronts a story higher
than the back； and here and there a decent building with the gable end to
the public； and a court…house and jail and two taverns and three or four
churches。 Well； they're all there in Moffitt yet； but architecture has
struck it hard； and they've got a lot of new buildings that needn't be
ashamed of themselves anywhere； the new court…house is as big as St。
Peter's； and the Grand Opera…house is in the highest style of the art。
You can't buy a lot on that street for much less than you can buy a lot
in New Yorkor you couldn't when the boom was on； I saw the place just
when the boom was in its prime。 l went out there to work the newspapers
in the syndicate business； and I got one of their men to write me a real
bright； snappy account of the gas； and they just took me in their arms
and showed me everything。 Well； it was wonderful； and it was beautiful；
too！ To see a whole community stirred up like that wasjust like a big
boy； all hope and high spirits； and no discount on the remotest future；
nothing but perpetual boom to the end of timeI tell you it warmed your
blood。 Why； there were some things about it that made you think what a
nice kind of world this would be if people ever took hold together；
instead of each fellow fighting it out on his own hook； and devil take
the hindmost。 They made up their minds at Moffitt that if they wanted
their town to grow they'd got to keep their gas public property。 So they
extended their corporation line so as to take in pretty much the whole
gas region round there； and then the city took possession of every well
that was put down； and held it for the common good。 Anybody that's a
mind to come to Moffitt and start any kind of manufacture can have all
the gas he wants free； and for fifteen dollars a year you can have all
the gas you want to heat and light your private house。 The people hold
on to it for themselves； and； as I say； it's a grand sight to see a whole
community hanging together and working for the good of all； instead of
splitting up into as many different cut…throats as there are able…bodied
citizens。 See that fellow？〃 Fulkerson broke off； and indicated with a
twirl of his head a short； dark； foreign…looking man going out of the
door。 〃They say that fellow's a Socialist。 I think it's a shame they're
allowed to come here。 If they don't like the way we manage our affairs
let 'em stay at home；〃 Fulkerson continued。 〃They do a lot of mischief；
shooting off their mouths round here。 I believe in free speech and all
that； but I'd like to see these fellows shut up in jail and left to jaw
one another to death。 We don't want any of their poison。〃
March did not notice the vanishing Socialist。 He was watching； with a
teasing sense of familiarity； a tall； shabbily dressed； elderly man； who
had just come in。 He had the aquiline profile uncommon among Germans；
and yet March recognized him at once as German。 His long； soft beard and
mustache had once been fair； and they kept some tone of their yellow in
the gray to which they had turned。 His eyes were full； and his lips and
chin shaped the beard to the noble outline which shows in the beards the
Italian masters liked to paint for their Last Suppers。 His carriage was
erect and soldierly； and March presently saw that he had lost his left
hand。 He took his place at a table where the overworked waiter found
time to cut up his meat and put everything in easy reach of his right
hand。
〃Well；〃 Fulkerson resumed； 〃they took me round everywhere in Moffitt； and
showed me their big wellslit 'em up for a private view； and let me hear
them purr with the soft accents of a mass…meeting of locomotives。 Why；
when they let one of these wells loose in a meadow that they'd piped it
into temporarily； it drove the flame away forty feet from the mouth of
the pipe and blew it over half an acre of ground。 They say when they let
one of their big wells burn away all winter before they had learned how
to control it； that well kept up a little summer all around it； the grass
stayed green； and the flowers bloomed all through the winter。 I don't
know whether it's so or not。 But I can believe anything of natural gas。
My！ but it was beautiful when they turned on the full force of that well
and shot a roman candle into the gasthat's the way they light itand a
plume of fire about twenty feet wide and seventy…five feet high； all red
and yellow and violet； jumped into the sky； and that big roar shook the
ground under your feet！ You felt like saying：
'Don't trouble yourself； I'm perfectly convinced。 I believe in Moffitt。'
We…e…e…ll！〃 drawled Fulkerson； with a long breath； 〃that's where I met
old Dryfoos。〃
〃Oh yes！Dryfoos；〃 said March。 He observed that the waiter had brought
the old one…handed German a towering glass of beer。
〃Yes；〃 Fulkerson laughed。 〃We've got round to Dryfoos again。 I thought
I could cut a long story short； but I seem to be cutting a short story
long。 If you're not in a hurry； though〃