Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-06-30

had resolved to purchase his water
privilege. Oh, why had he not ask
ed them five thousand for It'll On
the following morning Mr.. Bates
and his friends were punctual, and
when Mr.. Somerby had been asked
what conclusion he had arrived at,
he spoke as follows:
"Gentlemen, / have thought the
matter over, and have made up my
mind. have two propositions to
make, and you accept which you
choose. All told, own about fif-
teen hundred acres of land in this
section, and the river cuts it nearly
in halves. Full half of it is rich
intervalc, coverd with pine, and the
rest is upland and hill, with spruce,
hemlock and oak. First l will give
you the land for your course, and
deed to you the power and also
give all the land necessary for
your mill buildings, provided that
you on your part will set at once
about developing and improving
the power and putting up the. mills.
Or l will turn all my lands into the
stock of the company, at fair ap-
praisal, and become one of you"
Mr.. Bates was authorized to ac-
cept the first offer on the spot, and
give bonds if necessary, for the
performance of the company's part
of the contract. But he liked the
second offer best, though before
accepting it he must confer at head
quarters. Mr.. Somerby informed
him that the offer was open to him
as long as he desired. On their
way back Mr.. Bates and his COM
panions called upon Jasper Gripper.
"Gentlemen,' said Mr.. Gripper,
as soon as mutual salutations had
been exchanged, "you will under
stand that when l offered the twen-
ty acres of land l did not intend,
for the price named, to include the
timber standing thereon"
at makes no difference" said
Mr.. Bates, with smile, 1--WE have
concluded not to purchase your
water privilege"
allow? Not purchaser" gasped
Gripper.
"No; we do not want it." Mr..
Bates did not think it necessary to
tell him of the better power which
they had discovered. ~
"But, gentlemen, there must be
some mistake
They assured him there was no
mistake at all. Mr.. Gripper was
in agony. He would take $1,000
he would take $1,000. He would
take whatever they were willing to
pay. He would give them the wa
ter and the land if they would put
up their mills thereon. They would
not do it. He had pushed them just
one step too far. In seeking to
overreach them he had overreached
himself. And they left him, prey
of remorse and bitterness of spirit.
The company before whom McIn-
tosh laid their plot appointed a
commission, with full power to
decide and negotiate and upon
visiting David Somerby's section
and carefully surveying his terri
tory, they concluded to accept his
second proposition. So he surren-
dered his land into the stock of
the company and became one of
them. And we may here remark
six month later he was little sur
prised upon being appointed super
intendant Of the numbering gangs,
with O salary such as his widest
dreams of wealth had never grasp
ed. The water power was develop
ed under the engineering of Ben
ton Mcintosh and it proved even
greater than he had anticipated.
The mills were erected-flrst for
saving lumber and then for grind
ing grain ; and in time other mills
were making cloth and for fabricat-
ing various other articles necessary
to the comfort Of man. The land
Of Jasper Gripper was of course
raised in value, but it availed
him not. The sight of David
Somerby, wealthy and respected
and honored with Offices of profit
and trust, while he was Stunned
and shut out from the public con-
fidence, filed him with wrathful
suffering. Verify he had over
reached himself in his narrowness
and selfishness of shirt. TODAY