Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-03

naturally came INFO contact with men
employed in nearly every wholesale
Undergrad in London. Among these
was working man named John
Fraser, who had always struck me as
one possessed of shrewd knowledge
of timber As with me, he could give
me no reason for the conclusions at
which he arrived. He simply said:
Il like it. or Il DON'T Buy it or Let
it alone;' Il think it will turn out well,
or 4 am sure it is no good.
81 cannot explain how it was. but I
felt drawn toward this man Fraser, and
whenever went to where he was en-
ploved | made it point to meet him
and have a chat. 1t will not seem like
casting on my part if / say l was a
better Judge OF logs than he. 1t is the
simple truth. In my experience he
rarely hesitated, but on some occasions
he would decline to give an opinion any
way, merely saying the thing was be-
yond him.
lone wet, dull, miserable forenoon
in February went into the yard where
Fraser was employed. I had nothing
to do that day. knew no fresh con-
signment had reached that yard since
nv last visit. / felt depressed, dis
couraged. The present year had not
opened even as we'll for me as the
former one. began to think Jane and
l would have, indeed, very long to wait
before we could start, ever so modestly,
our little home. 1 found Fraser sitting
idly on some square Quebec timber.
Because of his judgment In logs Fraser
was allowed great latitude IN laziness.
In fact, he was retained almost wholly
for the purpose of appraising uncut
wood. He was in peculiarly morose
and taciturn humor. 1 could get moth
ing out of him but negatives. 1t was
not nice day. There was no news.
Nothing had arrived since | was here
last. It did not seem as if the seasons
were now as they had been long ago.
Two large timber firms had not been
able to pay their way and were bank
rupt There was no knowing but that
his own firm was in bad way. 1t was
now pretty sure that the end of the
world could not be far off. He had no
faith in his own iud2ment of logs, and
he began to doubt mine.
At last, he said to me, know there
isn't better Judge of stuff in the rough
than You, although you are young
man, but wait till you come to my
years and may be you'll fancy Your
opinion less.
| :" Perhaps I may said 1; but so far
as have gone l have never made q
very bad guess yet
"'Aye, aye, aye-youth is ever over
too thought couldn't be taken in. But
It's wonderful how we lose courage as
we grow old. You give an opinion
twice as readily as l who have had five
times your experience. Tell me, he
cried with sudden animation, were you
ever downright beaten by log yetP'
"'Never, l answered, with laugh.
Il daresay have not been long enough
at the business
"sWould you like to be beaten?' he
said, getting up, and infusing what was
for him a great deal of animation into
his movements.
"If you've got anythingi in stock you
think will beat me- l said, let me see
it.
"sCome,' he said defiantly, and with
out another word ne led the way to q
remote corner of the yard where 1 had
never been before.
81 followed in silence. In couple
of minutes we stood opposite a piece of
mahogany.
Eighteen feet by three feet, by
three feet, he said. What do you make
of itp'
81 looked long and narrowly. There
was absolutely no indication of promise
in the wood, and yet I felt an uneasy
desire to come by that log in some way
or another. Not only was there no ap-
pearance of promise, but it looked I'M
couth, ungainly, and certainly super
fetal glance would induce any average
buyer to pass it over. However it was,
the longer / looked the less liked to
leave 1t there. Something drew me
toward it, but whether it was the fasci-
nation of attraction or the fascination
of repulsion which chained me to the
spot. could not decide.
'.Do you know the price they are ask
ing for it?' l said.
"'Three hundred he answered Ia
conIcally.
"Tll go and see Mr.. Watkins about
eyes he said, in jealous tone.
But what do you think of it?'
IL really don't know l said, in
plexity.
".Ha, ha, ha!' he laughed in triumph,
Il told you I'd showCou something be-
yond you. Why that log has been in
stock these six years, and no one will
look at it
"'Pll bring Mr.. Watkins this very
day. answered, and in few minutes
was out of the yard.
THAT afternoon the manager of Mar
ston q Co. and l went back to Fraser.
"'Well, said the manager. .Bayliss.
l thought you had some gumption until
now. Why, it wouldn't pay for the
saw. wouldn't take a gift of it.
wouldn't pay the carriage of it to our
place. It's regular weed
II own [ WAS greatly discouraged,
but was more disturbed than discour-
| aged. could not get out of my mind
that there was some secret hidden in
that log. / lay awake half the night
thinking of it. When slept dreamed
that Marston Il Co. bought it on my
recommendation, that it turned out
badly, and that my old employers told
me they would have nothing further to
do with me, and bade me goodbye for
ever. Next morning. when | awoke. ]
was still more unsettled in my mind
than | had been the previous evening.
L need not say that attached no inn
portance to my dream. But still my
dream helped me to one determine
ton. l resolved not to urge the pur-
chase of the mahogany upon Marston
d Co. Then, after long and careful
thought, l made up my mind as to the
course should adopt. 1 went to the
city and sought my old employer. ]
said to him: