The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-08-15

company could take ii og lct j ly.
Mr Bates was not authorized to accept
such terms; he must confer with bis prime
eipals; and be went away.
Ina few days ho came agaia, thls time
90 company with three Others. They went
mp and examined the water privilege, and
then came back to Mr. Crippers house,
where they informed that individual
that II be would throw in ten more acres
Of land they would ac1ep. bis offer.
Grippor thought be had them. He had
thoroughly digcsted the matter, and had
come to the conclusion that tbs water
power would be Of inestimable value to
3 company able TO improve i, aud that
they were bound to have e.
Gentlemen said he my offer Of two
thousand dollars was made several days
ago; | did not leave it open TO your
pleasure; have since been examining
the property more thoroughly, and have
concluded not to sell for less than three
thousand.
Why, bless your soul man, cried one Of
the company, do you realize how our
mills, erected on the site, would benefit
You? The value Of an the rest Of your
property would be doubled, aye, quad,
rupled, the moment our wheels arc set in
motion. We had supposed You would
freely give the water power to respon-
sibe company who would improve IT,
Mr.. Gripper laughed sconfuny. liz
knew his own interest better than that
they could take up his offer, or leave il as
they pleased.
| After much discussion, Mr., Bates spoke
| thus:
/ Mr.. Gripper, we would like your fina
offer to remain open TO our acceptance
three days at the end OF which time yot
shall have our answer. VIII you accomo
/ date us?
When | said three thousand dollars, re
piled Mr.. Gripper, ! meant to includ,
only ten acres OF land. If you want tei
acres more must call it4hirty five hun
dred.
And with this monstrous offer to b.
open three days, the parties separated.
One of the gentlemen Of Mr.. Bates
party was Beneto Mcintosh, the most ac
complished civil engineer of the day
You speak of another fall below here
he said, after he had left Gripper's resi-
dence.
Yes, answered Bates, but you will find
it wholly inpracticabe.
Still Mcintosh desired to look at il, an
thither the party bent their steps.
The fall was found to be tumbling
dashing flood, pouring down a decliyit
of at last seventy feet in distance {
twenty rods, leaping and surging owe
the jagged shelves Of rocks into boilin
chasm below, while on both hands aros
perpendicular walls of solid granite
showing that at some period far remot
the mountain torrent had literally cut it
way through the adamantine ledge.
Mcintosh examined the land below th
falls, and at a point not far distant
that direction he found a shallow swell
overgrown with grass and shrubber
but with deposit OF river sand upon il
bottom. The appearance of the place a
tracted his notice.
Probably, said Mr.. Bates, it is whel
the melted snow and heavy rain find the
course from the hills.
think not said Mcintosh This san
is from the river--not from the hills--an
You will observe that it could not hay
backed up by any rise from the water bC
low; let us follow it.
So they struck into the water path, an
followed it up around the ledge by a
easy and gradual ascent, until it led the
upon the rivers bank, nearly quarter
mile from the fall.
Eureka? cried Mcintosh, raising h
hands, exultingly; here we have watt
course, marked ont and graded by natuI
herself which will yield power immea
urably superior TO the'one above; an,
moreover, all danger from flood is d
, barred.
1 The others quickly comprehended Il
a value of the discovery. They saw tn
G by cutting canal along the old watt
G course over which the river had poured
a stream at its highest flood, they would !
: able to control the water at viii, and NJ
c it over and over again for mills, settit
b one below the other along the graceful
curved track. And two things more--tl
t sites were more favorable for buildin
:. than were those above, with better tin
y Der land surrounding,and the furious ca
o aracL would not be between their mil
r and the market.
y The next question was, who owned q
c newly discovered privilege; II belongt
e to David Somerby. They visited hi
i and carefully opened their business.
d Look here, gentlemen, he said, aft,
e they had beaten about the bush awhile
/, their experience with Gripper had ma,
Is them cautious--lct Us understand eat
+ other Tell Inc plainly what YOU wan
d and ! will tell you as plainly what wi
Il do with You.
4 Mr. Bates made up bis mind that
n had am honest man, straightforward
o man, to deal with, and be stated bis ca
plainly aud frankly. lie not only to
1t how tie company would deyclope d
= water power and erect their mills but
d went on to paint ont the advantage whi
II would result to the owner Of the adjoi
T. ing land, both IN enhancing The value