The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-02-22
Sola were more respected than John
Simpson, assayer and ore buyer.

af1oat in Palma Sola that some pro-
moters had at last doomed the "Es-
peranza" gold prospect near by on the
London market; that one of the big
gest mine-brol1ing concerns there had
ably impressed in fact, that the head
of the concern very rich man and
member Of parliament, ,was himself on
the way to make personal investiga-
tion of the mine. If ii "panned out" as
represented, the Englishmen intended
to buy it and erect costly stamp-mills
for working the ore, with cyanide
plants for treatment of the tailings.
In due time the rich Englishman ar.
rived. Simpson at once recognized in
the puffy, pompous member of parlia-
ment, who represented the greatest
combination of mining capital in Great
Britain, his old chum and deadly en-
emy, Hadley-Benton. Needless to say
the latter did not recognize in Simp-
son, assayer and ore buyer, the Dun
can Dudley of IS years agone. In this
rough, bearded, sloppy-looking west
erner, whom he ratronizingly ad-
dressed as "My good man." Mr.. Had
ley-Benton, M. p, saw merely hui
man machine which would be useful
later in assaying the "Esperanza" sam
Piles, for the machine was considered
the only reputable and accurate assayer
in or within reach of Palma Sola. And,
having engaged Simpson to make the
said several assays, this pompons in
dividual departed for the "Esperanza"
prospect in peace and content of mind
i'm which frame of spirit he did not
leave Mr.. Simpson, assayer and ore
buyer. For very little things often
bring back to us hates and loves and
aches that we fatter ourselves are
dead within us, lost sight Of, and
drowned in the limbo of the past. So
it was with poor Simpson. Tie sight
of Hadley-Benton brought back to
him, with a sharpness of despair that
cut and tore his very heart-strings, the
thought of what he had been, what he
might have been, and (worst of al)
what he really was now, and what he
N'uit J'uNN " bS'
That entire night Simpson spent in
fighting phantoms of the past, mem
ories of his lost and only love, mem
ories of home and friendsat the position
and happiness which might have bee1
his but to his own folly and his traitor
Gus confidant, Hadley- y-Benton. 1t was
hard night and hard fight, but
Simpson went to his office eXulting next
morning with plans fully thought out
aud arranged. His enemy had at last
been placed in his power, and Mr.. Simp-
son proposed that there should be a
plentiful settling of old scores.
When Mr.. Hadley-Benton and his
large number of carefully-sealed sum-
Piles from the "Esperanza' reached
Simpsons assay Office later that week,
the latter person was entirely and
deferentially at the disposal of the lord
ly capitalist, only Simpson preferred
in fact, stipulated--that IIadley-Ben-
ton himself should unseal the samples,
with his own hands, and remain in the
assaying Office, so that the entire
process, from grinding the samples down
to the weighing Of the gold residue,
could be carefully witnessed and over
looked by him. For, as Mr.. Hadley-
Benton must realize, assaying such val
liable ore as that of the "Esperanza"
was seripns matter, particularly
where, as in the present case, there
were no other assayers to check against,
and one mans results had to be ac-
cepted.
This was quite in ORDER" Mr.. Had
ley-Benton stated, and with his own
hands he undid the seals that he had
placed on the jute sacks containing his
precious samples, and watched POM
pously the while Mr.. Simpson heated up
his furnaces, deftly ground up the
samples, weighed the pulp carefully,
and then poured it into the crucibles
containing his gold fuN, first in
sisting that the Englishman test
the fiux itself, TO prove that ii
was absolutely free from gold, so
that any possible sailing might be
prevented. With all of this Mr. Had
ley y-Benton declared himself content.
The assaying was long and tedious
process, but it was carefully watched
in its every detail by the capitalist,
who announced himself. when the last
button had "blinked,' as being entire
iy satisfied with the proceedings and
methods of Mr.. Simpson. Not a button
had frozen; not one had been lost; du-
plicates presented the same showing
as originals; and no matter What re-
turns final partings might give, he
would be satisfied to abide by Mr.. Simp-
sons figures.
The final parting of the silver-gold
buttons was done with the greatest pos
sible care and slowness. Aud weI that
it was, for the results given by each and
every assay were so exceedingly high
that Mr.. Hadley-Benton might have
been incredulous had he not watched
the process from first to last. There
were l5 different assays on which each
duplicate checked its original; there
was no discrepancy of any sort, and
the total average gave result in gold
of II 2-10 ounces to the ton!
Would the "Esperanza" pay to work ?