Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-09-14

and graded by Nature herself, which
will yield q power immeasurablY
| superior to the one above. And,
J moreover. all danger from flood is
/ debarred."
The others quickly cOmprehended
the value of the discovery. They
saw that by cutting a canal along
| the old water course over which the
river had poured a stream al It's
highest food, they would be able to
control the water at will, and use il
over and over again for mills, set
one below the other along the grace
fully curved track. And two things
mOre-the sites were more favor
| able for building than were those
above, with better timber land sur
rounding, and the furious cataract
would not be between their mills
and the market.
The next question was, Who
owned the newly disco Vered privi-
legeg IL belonged to Daniel Somer-
by. They visited him aud carefully
opened their business.
"Look here, gentlemen" he said.
after they had beaten the bush
awhile-their experience with Grip-
per had made them eautious-eslet
US understand each other. Tell me
plainly what you want, and / win
! tell you as plainly what l will do
on nay part"
Mr.. Bates made up his mind that
he had an honest mana straight
| forward man-to deal with. and he
stated his case plainly and frankly.
lie not only told how the company
1 I.r-nnrr,
erect their mills, bat he went on to
point out the advantages which
would result to the owner of tho
adjoining land, both in enhancing
the value OF the land IN itself and
the magnificent pine and spruce tim
Der with which IL was covered.
SIR. Somerby listened attentively,
and at length told them 10 call upon
him on the following morning. He
wanted TO sleep upon IL.
That evening Jasper Gripper
called down to see his friend Som
erby. lie wanted to purchase i've
hundred acres, more or less, OF the
pine interval spruce upland adjOin-
ing his land. Gripper fought shy,
and hung on, and SOmerby only got
rid Of him by assuring him that he
was not at present at liberty TO
sell.
"Aha," chuckled Gripper, ''Them
ere mill folks have been here. They
wat nthe land. Well, well, let 'em
buy IL; shall own the land between
il and their mills, and they'll find IL
hard work 10 get their logs up with
out my consent"
And Gripper returned TO his homo
fully persuaded that the company
had resolved to purchase his water
privilege. Oh! why had he not
asked them five thousand dollars
for il?
On the following morning Mr..
Bates and his friends were punctual,
and when Mr.. Somerby had been
asked what conclusion he had ar
rived at, he spoke as follows;
"Gentlemen, L have thought the
matter over, and have made up my
mind. have two propositions To
make, and you can accept which
you choose. All told, own about
fifteen hundred acres of land Ia this
section, anu the river cuts IL nearly
in halves. Full half of il Is rich IN
terval covered with pine, and the
rest is upland and hill, with spruce,
hemlock and oak. First, will give
YOU the land for your course, and
deed you the power, and also give
you all the land necessary for Your
mill buildings, provided that you,
on your part, will set at once about
developing aud improving the pow
er and putting mp the mills. Or,
will turn all my land into the stock
of the company, at a fair appraisal,
and become one Of you"
Mr.. Bates was authorized TO ac-
cept the first on the spot, and TO
give bond, If necessary, for the per-
formanee of the company's part OF
the contract. But he liked the sec
ond offer best, though before accept
ing it, he must confer at Leadquar-
ters.
Mr.. Somerby informed him that
the offer was open to him AS long as
he desired.
On their way back Mr.. Bates and
his companions called on Jasper
Gripper.
"Gentiemen," said Mr.. Gripper,
as soon as mutual salutations had
been exchanged, "gOu will under
stand that when l offered the twen-
" acres of land, / did not intend,
for the price named, TO include the
timber standing thereon"
'It makes no difference" returned
Mr.. Bates, with smile, 1--WE have
concluded not TO purchase your
water privilege"
''How Not purchase?" gasped
Gripper.
"No. We do not want IL" Mr..
Bates didn't think il necessary to
tell him of better power which they
had discovered.
"But, gentlemen, there must be
some mistake"
They assured him there was no
at all. Mr.. GripPer was in
agony. lie would take 1000; he
would take 81 800; he would take
whatever they were willing TO pay.
He would give them the water and
the land if they would put up their
mills thereon.
But they would not do il. In
seeking 10 oVerreach them he had
oYerreached himself. And they left
him a prey to remorse and bitter
ness of spirit
& The company before whom Bates,
and Mcintosh laid their report ap-
pointed a commission, with full
power to decide and negotiate; aud
upon visiting David Somerby's sec
ton they concluded TO accept his
second proposition. So he surren-
dered his land into the stock Of the
and became one Of them;
and we may here remark that six
later he was not a little sur
prised upon beiug appointed super
of the lumber gangs, with
3 salary such as his widest dreams
Of wealth had never grasped.
The water power was developed
under the engineering of BentO Nc
Iutosh, and IL proved greater than
be had anticipated. The mills were
mills for saving lum-
Der, and then mills for grinding
grain, and in time other mills for
cloth and for fabricating
various other articles necessary to
the comfort Of man.
The land of Jasper Gripper was,
Of course, raised in value; but IL
lvailed him not. The sight of Da-
Vid Somerby, wealthy and respected
md honored with Offices of profit
and trust, while he was summed
and shut out from the public conf
lenee. filed him with wrathful suf-
fering. Verify he had Overreached
himself in his narrOwness and sell
ishness of spirit.
To-day a fourishing town is in
sight of David Somerby's section,
md the hum of thousands of busy
ipindles makes cheerful music for
he happy and prosperous opera
ives; and from its tireless looms
md changing forges flows out the
wealth of the nation.
Look on the bright side. 1t is the