The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-03-29
CHOICE LUMBER.
T6e 8 rcus Riders Unoon'
so1ous Speculation In Box
stalls.
New York SUM-

New York sum-
"The funniest thing I ever heard
| of in the q IF a wood speculation.
said Charlie Stow, the famous circus
agent. Twas the story of Jim Rubin
sons box stalls. Jim had to take
| four trained horses from a little port
| In the West Indies to Marseil es, III
France. and had to have some box
| stall4 built on the vessel. He hal
great difficulty in finding lumber,
Tut ut last a local merchant alo l l
have q little lumber OD hand, IL l
will see to tour tox sta ls being oulic
on board for you at no higher cost
than the simu le value of lumber u
cost of construction"
..When the stalls were built Robin
son was much pleased, although he
could not see any particular necessity
for making them Of such very large
and thick timber aud boards. Rut
when he went to pay the bill and
heard that the actual cost Of Lumber
aud work amounted to 500. he was
astounded. He was too much of y
gentleman to kick or complain, and
he paid the bill, but went away feel
ing that he had been imposed upon.
Just as the vessel reached MarseiIles,
ner steward approached Robinson
and said to him:
II would like to buy of you re tour
box stalls Eat you have on board.'
"What will you give for them2'
Robinson asked in~diferently, won>
dering what any one wanted to buy
second hand stalls for in a country
where lumber must be plentiful.
II will give 5000 francs" said the
Frenchman.
."Roblnson looked at him in aston
ishment, but promptly coming to the
conclusion that anyone who would
offer $4uO for four old box stalls must
be q lunatic, and that he didn't want
to rob a crazy man, replied: SWELL,
I'll think about it and let you know
later" and walked off. He Went up
town to see about stabling, and when
he got back to the vessel was met by
a man whe said to him:
II understand you have four horse
stall on board"
Yes"
"Do you want to sell them?"
NO objections"
II will give you 1000 francs for
them"
Jim fairly jumped with astouish-
ment, but, thinking he had struck
another maniac, went aboard without
taking any notice of the man. The
steward tackled him again as O as
he reached the deck with another
offer of $3.50 francs, and Jim just had
patience enough to tell him that
had already seer that bid
and gone better, when the captain of
the vessel stepped up and offered him
5000 francs for the stalls, and tried
to cllnch the bargain by a threat if he
tried to take them away. jim fared
up and rushed to set his men at work
getting the horses and stalls ashore.
"Just as they were commencing
the work a new man came onto the
scene and said:
"Are you the owner of these stalls?
"Yes, I am, and what have you
got to say about it?"
Nothing, only that I would like
to buy them from you"
$50 you've escaped from the same
asylum, have your exclaimed Jim.
II don't know what you mean, but
l want the stalls, and will give you
8 500 francs for them."
"Y"u will; and take 'em as they
stand?"
Certainly. I should prefer to do
so, as I can have them taken down
with care"
"For a moment Jim's compassion
for the mental wreck who proposed
squander cash on old horse sails
g It the better of him, but he
hardened his heart and res pended;
IL they're yours; cash up" The pur-
promptly counted out the
sum, nearly $l,75O, and it was not
till hours after, when he told the |
story 10 some n who had sense
about such things, that the idea got
through bis head thar his kind West !
Indian friend had built those stalls |
Of mahogany or rosewood or some
other valuable tropical wood, and
that the hnal buyer of them had no
doubt got a bargain"