The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1855-08-02
VOLUME V-NUMBER l8.
Gclcftf0.
The Mill Privilege.

In one of the new towns of Maine,
some thirty years ago, lived man nam
ed John Tatnall He was close fist
ed, digging man, and never scrupled to
make the best end of bargain at all
points within the limits of written law.
He never hesitated to make capital of
other peoples peces tiles, land any event
that could put dollar into his till was
all right to him.
Once neighbor lost fine OK, just
at time when he was in the midst of
fulfilling contract for cutting down and
hauling out lumber The contract was
worth a thousand dollars, and he was to
forfeit one half of it if he did not have
all the logs in the river belore'the snow
melted in the spring The loss Of bis
best OK would ruin him if he could not
make his place good He knew that
Tatnall had plenty of oxen, and he went
TO him and stated his case.
Now John Tatnall had a number Of
ODD exens which be bad bought to plNce
in drove that be meant to drive to
market; so he could have sold one Just
as well as not. But he saw his neigh
boris necessity, and he meant to profit
by it. lie would not sell uni SIS he could
sell pair, and not then without an enor-
mou, price. The poor lumberman
begged and entreatcd, but it was of no
avail. There was not another OK to be
bought for miles and miles about, for
Mr.. Tatnall had bought them all up
The neighbor could not allow his work
to lie still, so he paid Tatnall full double
what the oxen were worth and took them
away Then it was that 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 it over
o the cattle dealers to sell it, as be
lad no use for it. Tatnall offered him
wen y dollars for it-just one-fitth OF
What he had obtained fp the yoke h.
lad sold
We will not tell all the conversation
md bantering that followed, but suffice
t to say that Ia nall got the OK, and
hat, in the end, he made profit Of just
twenty-five dollars of his poor and hard
working neighbor.
This was the character Of the man,
Ind all his neighbors knew it. Yet he
vas respected, for he had money, and
many people depended on him for work,
hough their pittance for such work was
)eggarly in the extreme.
MIR. Tatnall's farm was situated upon
quite large river, and he owned to
great extent on both sides Of it When
,e bought Il err, he had some faint idea
hat, at some time, there woud be
nil put up there, and thus greatly en-
iance the value Of his lot for. there
vas quite fall in the river where he
,wned, and most excellent mill privi-
ege was thus afforded. But he could
lever build the mill; for he had not the
money to spare, nor had he the energy.
About two years previous to the open
ng of our story, some men had come to
xamine the fall Of the river, and they
alked Of buying and building extensive
nil works. Tatnall knew that, if such
'as done, the value of all the good land {
bout him would be advanced, and he
ought up all he could, so that at the 8
resent time he owned not less than
housand acres. {
One day in early spring, just as the q
20 had broken up, a man called on Tat
all and wished to examine the mill I
privilege. His name was Lcmuel Farms I
Forth, aud he was man not more than t
hirty years of age, full of enterprise
nd integrity. .
Mr.. Tatuall accompanied his visitor t
ut to, the river, aud, after examining
he premises, the latter expressed hlm- @
oil very much pleased with them. s
sOh, exclaimed Tatnall this is just
bout the finest privilege in the State. G
'hc water can not fail, and you see
here would be power enough to Dive a L
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