Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-10-07

withholding forged application and claim from
the courts and the public comment So that for
year after the murder of Coneho and the
fight of his assassins 1.-THE blue Mass Min
ing Company remained in undisturbed and
actual possession of the mine, and reigned in
their stead.
But the spirit of the murdered Concho
would not down any more than that of the
murdered Banquo, and SO wrought, no doubt,
in a quiet, Concho-likc way, sore trouble with
the blue Mass Company For great CAPT
talist and master of avarice came down
to the mine and found it fair, and taking one
of the company aside, offered to lend his
name and certain amount of coin for con-
trolling interest," accompanying the generous
offer with a suggestion that if it were not
acceded to he would be compelled to buy up
various Mexican mines and food the market
with quicksilver TO the great detriment of the
"Blue Mass Company" which thoughtful sug-
gestion, offered by man frequently alluded
to as one of "California's great mining
princes" and as one who had "done much to
develop the resources of the state" was not
to be lightly considered and so, after a eau
tious non-consultation with the company, and
a commendable secrecy, the stakeholder sold
out. Whereat it was speedily spread abroad
that the Great Capitalist had taken hold of
'Blue Mass" and the stock went up, and the
other stockholders rejoiced-until the Great
Capitalist found it was necessary to put up
expensive mills, to employ a high salaried
superintendent fact to develop the mine
q Al. Al
quoted at II was finally saddled with an as
sessment of $50 per share. Another assess
ment of $50 to enable the superintendent to
proceed to Russia and Spain and examine in
to the workings of the quicksilver mines
there, and also general commission to the
| gifted and scientific Pillageman to examine
| into the various component parts of quick
silver, and report if it could not be manufac-
tured from ordinary sandstone by steam or
electricity, speedily brought the other stock
holders to their senses. 1t was at this time
the good fellow "Tom," the serious-minded
"Dickn and the speculative but fortunate
| Harry brokers of the Great Capitalist,
found it convenient to buy up, for the Great
| Capitalist aforesaid, the various other shares
at great sacrifice.
fear that have bored my readers in thus
giving the tiresome details of that ingenious
| American pastime which my countrymen dis
miss in their epgrammatic way as the ''freez-
| ing-out process And lest any reader should
| question the ethics of the proceeding, / beg
him to remember that one gentleman accom-
| plished in this art was always a sincere and
! direct opponent of the late Mr.. John Oak
hurst, gambler.
But for once the Great Master OF Avarice
had not taken into sufficient account the av
arice of others, and was suddenly and virtu
ously shocked to learn that an application fol-
a patent for certain lands, known as the ''Red
Rock Rancho was about to be offered be
fore the United States land commission
This claim covered his mining property But
the information came quietly and secretly, a.
all of the Great Masters information was OBJ
tanned, and he took the opportunity to sell on
his clouded title and his proprietorship t.
the only remaining member of the origina
"Blue Mass company" a young fellow of pith
before many-tongued rumor had voiced thu
news far and wide The blow was heav,
one to the party left in possession. Saddlet
by the enormous debts and expenses of TIN
Great Capitalist, with credit further injured
by the detection of this lucky magnate, VIII,
was admired for his skill in anticipating
loss, and whose REIMBURSEMENT of any projec
meant ruin to it, the single handed, impover
ished possessor of the mine, whose title wa
contested and whose reputation was yet to b.
made-poor Biggs, first secretary and onl,
remaining officer of the "Blue Mass com
pany,n looked ruefully over his books ant
his last transfer, and sighed. But have be
fore intimated that he was built of good stuf
and that he believed in his work-which wa
well-and in himself, which was better; an
so, having faith even as a grain of mustar
seed, L doubt not that he would have bee
able to remove that mountain of quicksilve
beyond the overlapping of fraudulent grant:
And, again, Providence-having disposed c
these several scamps-raised up TO him
friend. But that friend is of sufficient in
portance to this veracious history to deserv
paragraph to himself
II The Pylades of this Orestes was known {
!; ordinary mortals as Royal Thatcher. HI
e genealogy, birth and education are, take il
3 only concerned with his friendship for Bige
y and the result thereof. He had known Bige
: year or two previously; they had share
!, each others purses, hunks, cabins, provision
I, and often friends, with that perfect freedor
!. from obligation which belonged to the pionet
life. The varying tide of fortune had jul
then stranded Thatcher on desert sand hi
&c in San Francisco with an uninsured cargo
= expectations, while to Thatchers active br
" not curious fancy it had apparently lifted h
st friends bark over the bar in the Montere
5, mountains into an open quicksilver sea.
C. that he was considerably surprised on recei
ing a note from Biggs TO this purport:
"DEAR Roy. Run down here and help
fellow. I've 100 much of a load for ON
N Maybe we can make team and pub 'Bll
= Mass out yet. BIGGsEY."
O Thatcher, sitting in his scantily furnisht
N lodgings, doubtful of his next meal and
ia arrears for rent, heard this Macedonian q
al as st. Paul did. He wrote promisSory al
rs soothing note to his landlady, but fearing Il
a sweet sorrow Of a personal parting, let
s collapsed valise down from his window by
N cord and, by means of an economical cor
Of bination of stage riding and pedestrianiSr
"a he presented himself at the close of the THU
day at Biggs' door, In few moments
, was III possession of the story; half an no,
later in possession of half the mine, its infel
past and its doubtful future, equally with b
friend.
''' Business over, Biggs turned to look at
le partner. you've aged some since ] saw y
g. last - he said starvation luck, s'pose
w know your eyes, old fellow, if l saw :he
IN among ten thousand; but your lips a
!, parched, and your mouths grimmer than
- used to be- Thatcher smiled TO show that
" could still do So but did not say, as he mig
I'll have said, that self-control, suppressed resel
ne ment disappointment and occasional hung
d. had done something in the way Of correcti
~ natures obvious mistakes and shutting up
kindly mouth. He only took off his thret
bare coat, rolled up his sleeves, and sayiI
an We've got lots of work and some fighting
mt fore us" pitched into the affairs of the b
Mass company on the instant