Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-02-21
Finding Life Gold Queen
By JAMES sELwIS TAFT.
fcopyr,xh,. iss. BY the Author.I

/
Scotland and mining expert by profess
sion, Thought himself in very hard lnck
indeed when, for the nrst time in his
! fife. he seated himself In fashionable
New York restaurant. He was suffering
from an attack of the blues which not
even the hum Of cheerful. active life
around him could overcome, although
he had fed to that throbbing center OF
gay postprandial life to escape the
gloom Of his own thoughts and the bit
ter reflections which gnawed at his
heart.
And an he reviewed the situation
under the soothing influences Of his
cigar and his coffee he reassured him.
self that he had most excellent grounds
for repining, If not indeed for despair
ing,altogether.
CHANGING backward few months, he
saw himself returning TO his native
land after many long years Of self de-
nial and hardship in the mining dis
triots Of India and South Africa, with
eufeebled health, few hundred pounds,
good reputation for honesty in bnsi-
ness Of some temptations and u ripe ex.
peiience in mining matters.
Then in his retrospect amid the hum
of cheerful humanity around him he
saw the fairest face in Scotland smiling
OH him, he saw an obdurate old Scotch
laird who utterly refused to let his
daughter be engaged TO pennies
mining fellow" and after long siege
by soft, persistent womanhood's ire
sis,ible arms, he saw the grim old bor-
derer yield so far as to say that II he,
Gaskell, could satisfy him before he
started for Norway in July that he had
means to maintain his daughter suit.
ably he would then be willing 10 con-
slider the propriety Of an engagement on
the clear, mutual understanding. how
ever, that Gaskell must sheer of for
good il he was unable to satisfy the old
man within the three months which he
allowed him.
This had been most despairing de-
cision to the mining expert who term
ed il the offer OF "a 90 day option on
the woman love, with impossible con-
di,ions, and the wreck Of two lives as q
forfeit" But Madge. the lady Of his
hearts affections, had declared every.
thing was possible Of achievement to
true love, and his stern face softened as
he recalled the bright, hopeful. loyal
look with which she had dispatched
him To London to take counsel with
her uncle, her dead mothers favorite
brother.
He remembered how the uncle had
obtained him a commission to examine
an American gold mine as step TO-
ward finding OH bis own account, while
in the mining districts Of the United
States. some good property suitable for
the British market.
III You find such . mine, he had
said, II will do my best to place il for
you, and you can honestly add 800, 900
TO its price ~ discoverer il IL is large
enough and provided the .,rms ON
which you obtain the control will JUS
tify 1t. That is the only way that Oc-
ours to me in which you can honestly
comply with the old curmudgeon' alb
surd conditions within the time.
The face Of the silent and absorbed
man grew dark a. he recalled how in
the execution of his commission he had
arrived in New York only to learn that
the property he came to examine had
been withdrawn from the market.
The fact was that the gentleman who
had offered the property in London and
who had accompanied him across the
ocean to introduce him TO the propri-
etors had taken his measure accurately
during the voyage and had reported to
his colleagues and joint owners that be
was quite satisfied that Gaskell could
not be tampered with. but would insist
upon making thorough examination,
such as must inevitably disclose the
worthlessness Of the property. The own
ers were simply gang Of unscrupulous
adventurers, who had thought to avail
themselves Of the existing craze for
American mining properties
IL was the announcement OF the with
drawal Of the property that had plunged
Douglas Gaskell into the depths Of de-
spondency in which this narrative finds
him.
As his retrospection ended he sat lost
in thought and barely conscious Of the
ebb and fow of the city's gilded youth
| - A., .,,a,, ~ .t4oiva ms ho fh rnuu Hal.
monico's in ever increasing numbers.
He was al consciously being very
closely obsS-S.l by three gentlemen
seated at distant table-Mr. Oswald,
who had accompanied him across from
England; Hector Marble and Hamilton
Gilbey, all "speculatoIs, in other peo'
Piles money. They were, in fact, the
owners Of the Withdrawn mine.
Mr.. Gilbey broke the silence at theil
table. "It is just as easy to make q
large haul as small one, no said
"We must manage to fix something W
for this Scotch expert who is sitting
over there looking SO glum. He is dis
appointed at our withdrawal OF thai
mine, and is, imagine, ready for g
fresh suggestion. Now. have been
casting about for something to suit him,
aud think have discovered IL At last. '
The three drew their chairs closer TO-
gether than strictly honest men found
il necessary to do in Delmonico's, and
the champagne in their glasses grew fiat
and their cigars went out while the ons
expounded and the two received and up
proved one Of the choicest plans which
villainy ever concocted In connection
with International syndicate or corpo
rate business.
The proposition laid by Mr.. Gilbey
before his colleagues with much graphic
) force and wealth of luminous illustra'
tion began with the preamble-they
must have money. The Scotchman sit
ting near by suggested means OF get
! ting it. He was only useful in conpec
! tion with mines; he could not be fooled
~ to the quality Of . mine; therefort
: be must be fooled in some other way
as they could not promptly get the con
troll Of any honest mine on terms which
would bs acceptable to the syndicate
and profitable to them. That was th'
argument. and il was considered a. be
ing to the point. The proposition va
as follows: Gilbey knew OF mine
called the Gold Queen In California
which had at one time embraced grea
number Of claims and covered consid
erable extent Of territory. This min'
became quite valuable property, ant
a dispute having arisen ~ to the owner
ship of one-haif Of it the property wa