Evening journal., 1899-10-09
HIS YANKEE Il TRICK.
lmrIiten for thIa pa -


cation time. AZ no other place could he
end conditions that so well suited hin as
IN the Ontario wilds. AZ times he liked To
fish. and when the mood 10 fish struck him
there wsre the lakes filed TO overaowing
with the very best When he tired OF fishing
Gad wished for society it was eassy found
81 the many specious hotels; If he wished
ior scenery none finer could be found on
The continent than that which stretched out
before him in every direction; the irregular
lakes. dotted with hundreds Of granite is
lands and crowned with dense growths Of
virgin pine; the great forests, from which
The deer. the moose, the elk and the bear
have never been driven by the advance Of
civilization; where the clong Of the wood
mans ak awakcns The echoes for miles
around him. Such was the place and such
the conditions that Iice had found, and
they pleased him so well that he had made
an annual pilgrimage TO this land Of un-
suuied nature each srmmer
During these summer visits Iice had
formed a strong friendship with IN old hotel
proprietor on Lake Joseph The old gray
haired man was a genial Canadian. to whom
his own country was the fairest on earth,
while 20 Iice there was no place hike the
states This formed the basis of tlneir one
difference and with each visit came new
argument from each as 20 the relative merits
Of their native lands and the people OF each.
When the calendar announced the arrival
Of the first day Of August lice left his York
state home for his Canadian retreat Ind "a
hours later was seated with his old iriend
on the hotel vcranda, listening to a recital
of the news Of the district for the past
year.
''The biggest thing that's happened since
vou was here is the discovery in paying guam
titles Of copper and gold, said the old gen
/ tleman.
Seems to me 1 have heard something
about it, said Tice.
'Now, that's strange said the old man,
"for, while we've made good deal Of noise
about it, / did not suppose it was loud
enough to wazcn you people from the states.
Fact is, / didn't suppose you'd waken up
even when Gabriel blows his last horn
ooh, i don't know" said Tice "But the
strange thing to me ishow you people over
here ever scared up energy enough to find
copper and gold, even if 1t is here. al
ways classed the Canadians as most too slow
to sleep well. Il must have been some man
from the states who faind il for you, and
III bet IL is men from the states who are
working the mines.'
"Well, 1 guess it WASH any man from
the states who found it for us; we found Il
ourselves You people from the states
couldn't find ten-doHar gold pieces If You
was walking on them
"Have you found any copper on youi
landg" asked Tice. but. then, IL is useless
TO ask that question, for / might know with
out asking that you couldn't find II even D
the whole farm was made OF eoppers
"Well, you can bet that l wouldn't asa
any man from the states 70 find it'tor m'
il / really wanted it found.
The discussion went on in the same wa.
for some time, and nothing further came o
n for some DAYS afterward Tice, who j
a dealer in mining machinery, knew qtAt
well that copper was being mined at Parr.
Sound, and few days later visited tha
place in company with friend. Will
there he thought Of a scheme to even ae
counts with his friend on Lake Joseph, AM
before returning to that place he secures
about a peck of the best specimens Of COP
per ore possible for him to find.
Il wish you would loan me buclnet an'
pick and hammer for awhile" said lice &
his old friend after he had returned iron
Parry Sound.
Certainly / will, but what do yowwan
with such shingss" asked the old man.
Il thought 1 would go out here in th
woods and investigate this mining craze Will
which everybody seems TO be affected, sasl
Tica. Would you like to go with met'
Il should say not. Life is far too shor
to waste any Of it hunting for copper witt
any man from the states. / think there
copper on this farm Of mine, and some dal
/ am going out to find Il, but / won't TAX
any man from the states along to help me.
lice departed alone to meet the friend b.
had sent ahead Of him with specimens from
Parry Sound. He knew that he was saf
in inviting his host to accompany him, an.
40 was not in the least disappointed whei
he did not accept. After finding his frieni
he emptied the specimens into the buckle
he had borrowed, and then the two Of thea
amused themselves as best they could unit
! evening.
Tice returned to the hotel that evenin
with every evidence Of great enthusiasm. III
hunted up his host Immediately and aske
for an option on his farm
''You buy an option on my farml' sal
, the old man. "Well that is joke, for sur'
; Better by far than / gave you credit iol
with the exception Of few Canadians tina
have gone over there do not suppose ther
is q man in the states who has money enoug
to buy an option on a back door potat
/, patch. l doubt if you have money enoug
to pay your hotel bill when you get read
/, to leave, much less an option on these rocl
Of mine. What are you carrying thos
rocks around with you for, anyway"
That's what l found out here in th
woods. just have a look at it and see wh'
!. you think Of il"
Picking out the best piece he could fine
!, he handed it to the old man, who recognize
i IL Immediately as almost pure copper. III
: banter changed Immediately, and he beggc
= to be told where he had found IL, but Tic
\ wouldn't tell.
"Now, here, I'm in earnest. want a
option on this land if you viii sell It, sal
T, Ticc But the old man wouldn't sell FIT
/, thousand dollars would not have bougl
/, those acres Of rock at that time.
4 ''Tell me where you found j" said Il
!. old man, after a time again.
. "That's my secret" said Iice. Il don
= know whether it was on your land OF no
It was out here in the woods a ways wa
II ing his hand in a circular direction thi
4 might have meant any Of the points OF Il
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