Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1855-11-16
Price Two cents.
Gge aailp Spg.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER Ie. 1855.
TIE MILE PRIvILEGE
OR, HOW MIR. t. OVER REACHED H1MsELr.

Or HOW MR.. t. OVER. REACHED HIMSELF
Ia one of the new towns of Maine some
thirty years ago, lived man named John Tat
nal. He was close. listed, digging man. and
never scrupled to make the best end of a bar
gain at all points within the limits of written
law. He 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 neighbor lost fine OK just at the
time when he was in the act of fulfilling a
contract for cutting down and hauling out
timber. The contract was worth thousand
dollars, and he was to forfeit one half of it 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 mis- place good. He knew that Tatnall
had plenty of oxen, and he went TO him and
stated his case. Now John Tatuall had anum-
Der of odd oxen which he had bought to place
in drove which he meant to drive to market;
so he could have sold one just as well as not
But he saw his neighbours necessity, and he
meant to profit by it. He would not sell UNI
less he could sell pair, and not then without
an enormous price. The poor lumberman
begged and eutreared, but it was of no avail
There was not another OK for miles and miles
about, for Mr.. Tatnall had bought them all up.
The neighbor could not allow his work 10
stand still, so he paid Tatnall full double what
they were worth, and took them away.
Then it was he happened to think of his
odd OK. He knew it was better by far, than
either of those he had bought of Tatnall, and
he drove 1t over to the cattle dealers to sell
it, as he had no use for it. Tatnall offered
him twenty dollars for it-just one.ffth of
what he had obtained for the yoke he had
sold We will not tell the conversation and
hau No hat all Iyad c,ifff ~
Tatnall got the OK, and that in the end he
made profit of Just seventy-ive dollars off
his poor and hard working neighbor.
That was the character of the man, and all
the neighbors knew it. Yet he was respected
for he had money and many people depended
on him for work, though their pittance for
such work was beggarly in the. extreme. Mr..
TatnaIls farm was situated upon large river,
and he owned to great extent on bott. sides
of it. When he bought there he had some
faint idea that at some time thore would be
mill put up there, and thus greatly enhance
the value eff his lot, for there was quite fall
in the river where he owned, and most ex-
cellent mill privilege was thus afforded But
| he never could 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 examine the
! river, and they talked some of buying and
building extensive mill works. Tatnall knew
that if such were done, the value of all the
good land about him would be advanced, and
he bought up all lie could,so at the present time
he owned not less than thousand acres.
One day, i'll early spring, just as the ice
had broken up, a man called on Tatnall, and
wished to examine the mill privilege. His
name was Lemuel Farnsworth, and he was a
man not more than thirty years of age, full
of enterprise and integrity. Mr.. Tatnall ac-
companied his visitor out to the river, and af-
ter examining the premises, the latter express
ed himself much pleased with them.
ooh" exclaimed Tatnall, ''this is about the
finest privilege in the State The water pow
er cannot fall and you see there would be
power enough to drive dozen mills
81 see, returned Farnsworth, but he did
not express all he thought. He merely ac-
| knowedged that the privilege was good. .If
buy heIe,' he continued, 81 should want
some forty or fifty acres of land to go with the
waterloo, for l 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 replyi and shortly afterwards they re-
turned 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.
SWELL" returned Tatnall, thoughtfully, 81
haven't thought much of selling, for have
had some idea of getting up mill there my
SELF"
This was tslsehood; but then Tatnall said
such things as naturally child laughs when
it is pleased.
"But you will sell, suppose y
"Oh, yes
"1hen what would be your price y
"4ou mean for the mill privilege and fifty
acres Of woodland /"
"Yes."
"Well the water lot is valuable, and we all
know that the land is excellent and then the
lumber on it is of the first quality
IL have seen all that, sir. Now for your
price.
"Well, have thought that if some one
would put up mill there, would sell the
privilege, with land enough for garden and
necessary buildings-say about six acres-for
thousand dollars. And then if you wanted
the fifty acres, should say abould say about
seven hundred dollars more"
"But, my dear sir, uttered Farnsworth, in
surprise, "do you consider how this mill win
enhance the value Of your other property
We mean to put up not only saw-mill, but
also good gristmill, and a cardng and cloth
ing 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"
"Ihen you mean TO do it alls' said Tatnall,
really surprised, but without showing it.
"Yes. SIR
Now Talnall knew this would be vast
benefit to him. The nearest mill was now six
miles off, and even that poor himsy concern,
put up on small brook that was dry nearly
half the year. From this circumstance people
had not settled down upon the rich lands by
the river and the huge trees yet stood upon
the finest alluyial soil in that section of the
country. Such an establishment, Mr.. Tatnall
at once saw, would draw quite village to-
getler in few years, and then his land would
make him independently wealthy. But he
believed he had the power all in his own
hands, and he meant to use it. b
81 cannot take cent less" he said, after
moments thought. "lo be sure, the estab-
lishment you speak of viii be benefit to me,
but that is no reason why should sacrifice
now. IL will also be benefit to You, for
which you can well afford to pay. Ii you
will take the whole for seventeen hundred
dollars, you can have it,
"Weli," said Mr. Farnsworth, IL have a
partner engaged with me in this business aud
must see him first, will explain the case
to him, and next day after tomorrow will
see you again.