Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-06-22

freely give the water-power to response.
bic company who would improve it,"
Mr.. Grippcr laughed scornfully. He
knew his own interests better than that /;
they could take up bis offer, or leave it,
as they pleased. ...
After much discussion, Mr.. Bates spoke
thus:
"Mr. Gripper, we would like your final
offer to remain open to our acceptance
three days, at the end of which time you
shall have our answer. Will you accom-
modate US ?"
"When I said three thousand dollars" I"
replied Mr.. Gripper, " I meant to include
only ten acres of land. If you want ten
acres more, l must call it thirty-fve hun
dred."
And with this monstrous proposition,
which was to be open three days, the par.
ties separated.
One Of the gentlemen of Mr.. Bates
party was Bento Mcintosh, the most ac-
complished civil engineers of the day.
"You spoke Of another fall below here" "
he said, after they had left Gripper's resi-
dence
eyes," answered Bates, But you will
find it utterly impractical" .....s
Still Mcintosh desired to look at it, and
thither the party bent their steps.
The fall was found to be tumbling,
dashiug food, pouring down declivity Of
at least seventy feet in distance Of twenty
rods. leapiug and surgiug over the jagged
shelves Of rocks into boiling chasm be-
low, while on both hands arose perpendic-
ular walls of solid granite, showing that at
some period far remote the mountain tor.
rent had literally cut its way through the
adamantine ledge.
Mcintosh examined the land below the
falls, and at point not far distant in that
direction he found shallow swail, or gully,
oversrown with grass and shrubbery, but
with deposit Of river sand upon its bot
TEN. The appearance Of the place attracted
his attention.
Probably" said Mr.. Bates, ait is
where the melted snow and heavy rain find
their course from the hills"
81 think not" said Mcintosh. "This
sand is from the river-not from the hills
aud you will observe that it could not
have backed up BY any rise from the water
below. Let us follow it."
So they struck into the water path, and
followed it up around the ledge, by an
easy and gradual ascent, until it led them
upon the rivers bank nearly quarter of a
mile from the fall.
Eureka" cried Mcintosh, clapping
his hands, cxultantly. Here we have q
water course marked out aud graded by
Nature herself, which will yield power
immeasurably superior to the one above
And, moreover, all danger from flood is
debarred."
The Others quickly ,omprehended tho
value Of the discovery. They saw that by
cutting a canal along the old water course
over which the river had poured y stream
at its highest food, they would be able to
control the water at will, and use it over
aud over again for mills, set one below the
other along the gracefully curved track.
And two things more-the sites were more
favorable for building than wero those
above, with better timber land surround.
ing, aud the furious cataract would not be
between the mills and the market.
The next question was, who owned the
newly discovered privilege! It belonged
to David Somerby. They visited him and
carefully opened their business. =
"Look here, gentlemen, he said, after
they had beaten the bush awhile-their
experience with Gripper had made them
cautious-"l let US understand each other
Tell me plainly what you want, and will
tell you as plainly what I will do on my
part" ''.a r.. ~
Mr.. Bates made up his mind that he had
mn honest mau-a straightforward man
to deal with, and he stated his case plainly
and frankly. He not only told how the
company would develop the water power
aud erect their mills, but he went on to
point out the advantages which would re.
suit to the owner Of the adjoining land
iu itself aud also Of the magnificent pine
ana spruce timber With which it was
covered. ..s. ,...s,,.,.i ara. I.., 40
Mr.. Somerby listened atteutively, and Al
length told them 70 call upon him on the
following morning. He wanted to sleep
,,uou -