MYSTERIOUS MR. "OBSERVER" 167 



each week amounted to about $150. But one factor in 

 the success of the plan had been overlooked the influ- 

 ence of the Guide. No sooner had the official paper of 

 the Grain Growers pointed out the situation to itr 

 readers and suggested that papers which flrnaptetl 

 material antagonistic to the farmers* cause were np 

 friends of the farmers no sooner was this pointed out 

 than letters began to arrive in batches at \\\& offices of 

 all te aera which were ublishin thp 



attacks. Most, of these letters cancelled subscriptions 

 and so fast did they begiii to goine that one after 

 another the papers refused to publish any more 

 " Observations," paid for or not. 



For unknown reasons it was decided to call off the 

 attempt to create public opinion against government 

 ownership of elevators and with the letters aimed at 

 the farmers' trading activities being refused publica- 

 tion, the employers of " Observer " had no further work 

 for him to do. 



As they were still paying his interesting salary each 

 month, they offered him f 1,500 to tear up his contract, 

 he said. But with more than a year and a half still to 

 run over $6,000 coming to him Mr. " Observer " had 

 a certain affection for that contract. Fifteen hundred 

 dollars? Pooh, pooh! He would settle for well, say 

 So-Much. 



" You're talking through your hat !" scoffed his 

 employers in effect. 



" It's a six-thousand-dollar hat!" smiled " Observer " 

 pleasantly. 



" Well, we won't pay any such lump sum as you say," 

 virtually declared his employers, not so pleasantly. 



" Just as you wish, gentlemen. I'll wait, then, and 

 draw my salary f 333.33% every month, according to 



