The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-07-14
From the Flag Of Our Union.
TIE MlI.!. PRIVILEGE.
uaW MIR. Taiuall uycIr1uChpl III LIN, Ii

From the Flag Of Our Union.
TIE MILL PRIVILEGE.
How MIR. Tatnall Ovcrrenched Himself.
In one Of the new towns Of Maine, some
thirty yeats ngo, lived man a;nei John
Tatnall lie was a tlos, listed, digging man
and never s,ruplcd to make the best ,ud Of a
bargain at all points within the limits oil writ.
ten law. lie never hesitated to make capital
OF other peoples necessities, and any event
that could put dollar into his till was all
| right to him.
Once a neighbor lost fine OK Just at a
time when he was in the act Of fulfilling n
contract for cutting down and hauling ou,
timber. The contract was worth thousand
dollars, and he was to forfeit one half Of /,
if he did not have all the logs in the river
before the snow melted, in the spring The
loss Of his best OK would ruin him if he could
not make his pace good He knew that
Tatnall had plenty Of oxen and lac went Ia
| him and stated his case Now John Tatna
had number Of odd oxen which he had
bought to place in drove which he meant
to drive to market; SO he could have so d
one Just as well As not. But he saw his
! IclBuDDT , HcI'NSNN, W pI'i'
| by il. lie would not sell unless he cou d
sell pair, and not then without an enormous
price. The poor lumberman begged and en-
treated, but il was Of no avail. There war
not another OK to be bought for miles and
miles about, for Mr.. Tatnal had bought them
all up. The ncighbor could not allow hi
work to lie still, so he paid latnall full doubc
what the oxen were worth, aud took them
away.
M - - ha happsnsd " lh!nk "
his odd OK. lie knew II was better Dy i,r
than either Of those he had bought Of Tat
nall, and he drove it over to the cat'le.dcal
cr's to sell it, as lie had no use for it, Tat.
nall offered him twenty dollars for it-jut
one fifth OF what he had obtained for the
yoke he had sold, We will not tell the con.
versatlon and bantcring that followed, but
suffice it to say that Tatnall got the OK, and
that in the end he made profit of Just sev.
cnty-fve dollars off his poor and hard work.
| ing neghbor
That was the character OF the man, and
all his neighbors knew it, Yet he was 10.
| Spcctcd, for he had money, and many people
depended on him for work, though their pit.
tancc for such work was be- carly in the
extreme. Mr.. 1atpalis farm va, situate d
upon quite large river, and he owned to a
great extent on both sides Of il, When he
bought there he had some faint idea that at
some time there would be mill put W
there, and thus greatly enhance the value
OF his lot, for there was quite fall in the
river where he owned and a most excellent
mill privilege was thus afforded. But hc
could never build the mill, for he had not
the money to spare, nor had he the energy.
About two years previous to the opening
OF our story, some men had come to ,ximine
the fall of the river and they talked Of buy
ing and building extensive mill works Tai
hall knew that il su'h was done, the value
Of all the COOL land about him would be
advanced, and he bought up all he could so
al the present time he owned not less than
q thousand acres
One day in early spring, just as the ice
had broken IL, n man called on Tatnall, and
wished to examine the mill privilege, His
name was Lcmuel Earnsworth, and he was
n man not more than thirty yenrs Of age,
full cf enterprise and integrity. Mr.. Tatnall
accompani,d d his visitor out to the river, and
after examining the premises, the latter cx.
pressed himself much pleased with them.
VII, VNtHlIIfW IHl'ill, 'iilS lS just
about the finest privilege in the State The
watcr-powcr cannot f,il, AMI you see there
would be power enough to drive dozen
mills"
I" Sec" returned Farnsworth: hut he
did not express all he tn ught lie merely
acknowledged that the privilege was good
"If buy here" he continued, 81 should
want some forty or fify acres Of land to go
with the wator lot, for should want lumber
enough to put up all my buildings, and some
besides, Of my own, to commence work on"
"You can have all you want" was Tat.
nails reply; and shortly afterwards they
returned to the house.
"Now what is your price ?" asked Farms
worth, after he had declined to take glass
Of rum which had been poured out for him.
"Wel," returned Tatnall, thoughtfully.
haven't thought much Of selling, for
have had some idea Of putting up mill there
myself"
This was falsehood; but then Tatnall
said such things as naturally as child laughs
when it is pleased.
but you will sell, supposc'"
ooh ycs'
"Then wha' would he your prices"
"You mean for the mill privilege and fifty
acret Of woodland!"
Eyes"
"Well the water lot is valuable, and we
all know that the land is excellent, and then
the lumber on il is Of the first quality
81 have seen all that, sir. Nnow for your
price,"
"Well, I have thought that II some one
would put up mill there, would sell the
privilege with laid enough for a garden and
necessary buildincs-say apout six acres
for q thousand dollars. And then if you
wanted the fifty acres, I should say about
seven thousand dollars more"
"But, my dear sir" uttered Farnsworth,
in surprise, ado You consider how this mill
will enhance the value Of your other prop.
crty' We mean to put up, not only saw.
mill, but also good grist.mill, and n carding
and clothing mill, SO that We can saw the
lumber, grind the grain, card the wool, and
dress the cloth for people who may come and
settle here"
"Then you mean 10 do allf" said Tatnall,
really surprised, but without showing IT,
ayes, sir"
Now Tatnall knew that this would be
- l.. - LII. Tkn vnui