The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-28

hurry whiriing the stagnant waters
this way and that. until the spirit of
enterprise awoke within them. and a
nervous atmosphere Of progress replac-
ed the old nonotony.
Billy had credited TO him $50. COO;
Silly SpOrted a new hat and new
clothes, Billy had vast enterprises to
accomplish before the ground frOZe up;
Billy drew a salary; Billy possessed
an engraved certificate of shares, which
he displayed. Billy had a new watch;
Billy was looking for men; Billy was
deep in complicated plans which re-
Quired above all things haste. haste,
haste; until the narrow little canon
rang With the name of Billy, which
was esteemed great in the land.
The new superintendent entered at
once into the discharge of his duties
His first care was TO sink the shafts
mentioned at the first informal meet
ing in his own shack. There were ten
claims. on which eleven shafts were
planned. The very evening of his re-
turn. eleven of the handiest prospectors
in the camp We're summoned to Billy's
cabin. where they found awaiting their
signatures eleven contracts to sink on
the various claims a specific number
OF feet at specified price. Next morn
ing they looked the ground over. Next
noon they signed Next afternoon they
hired two helpers each, bought pow
der and fuse. and sharpened drills. The
day after. thirty-five men were busily
at work on the new company's group
OF claims. 1t looked like business.
The same noon Billy's effects began
to come in from the East He had
received a liberal advance on the ac-
count of his salary. and the results
were various. Among them were new
saddles. a new blackboard a new rifle,
silver-mounted harness and a quantity
of clothes of rather loud pattern But
most marvellous was a clean-limoed,
| deep chested. slender running horse,
accompanied by a Sawed-om English
groom. Billy spent a good share of
the next week with this individual,
constructing a corral of email timber
in which the new horse might roll
| about. Each morning the groom led
the animal. astonishingly hooded,
| blanketed and leather banded, up and
down the hundred yards or so of level
road which was all that strip of rug
ged country offered fit for such deli
cate hoofs and fine limbs The beast
always progressed lettering a little
sideways, nearly dragging the groom
from his feet. The camp speculated
that Billy had designs on the next
great prairie fair" in the spring but
: lHe ITuln Is the WoSLeTIGE ndu little
idea of what his designs were. He
had been pleased with the horse, and
had bought it, without bestowing a
| thought on expediency. After the nov
city of possessing so thoroughbred
creature had somewhat worn away, he
confessed to himself a slight bewider-
lnent as to what to do with it.
Other interests claimed his attention
now. The work on the mines them
selves lon Opadad his nd
the hundred feet of shaft had been
quite finished and timbered, he would
inspect them in his official capacity.
If the job came up to specifications,
he would sign its acceptance; if it did
not, the contractor would have to rem
edy the defect. In the meantime he
had on hand the building of the camp
itself, for which he had already plan
ned largely.
Lafond climbed the gulch and the
knoll, after activity had been we'll I'M
der way for about a week He found
Billy paying the freight bills on several
loads of heavy red-painted machinery,
while the teamsters sPat and swore Just
outside the little shack, which he now
used as an office. Billy was signing
slips from his new check book I'm
til he should have finished, Lafond
strolled about examining the grounds.
Around the mouths of the shafts
themselves the debris had accumulat-
ed astoundingly. showing that the con-
tractors, too. had been industrious, but
Lafond paid little attention to them.
He was more interested in the clear
ing, leveling, trimming and digging
which seemed to indicate the under
taking of rather extensive works above
ground. Perhaps a dozen men were
at work. Some were engaged in
"trueing' the four great foundation
beams of what was evidently to be a
large building. Others squared smaller
timbers near at hand. The remainder
were measuring and indicating with a
shovel the outlines of other and less
pretentious structures. In a moment
Billy came out ready to dissertate at
length
THAT thar is the boardin' house." he
explained. II thought at first I'd only
make her big enough for thirty, cause
that's as big a gang as l starts with;
but then 1 figgers it out. AN it won't
be long before 1 takes on more, so l
thinks it Jest as we'll to start where |
ends So she's goin' to accommodate
sixty, two-story, you know. Then
yere's the cookies shack. 1 aims to
have tn kitchen separate yere-don't
like that Prairie Dog game, nohow.
CThe Prairie Dog" was the hotel; and
the game" was the inclusion of the
Kitchen ana the Qlnlng room IN the
same apartment) Then yere's 10 be
the Office. ! uses my old shack for
an Office now. l aims to have three
sleepin rooms, an a dinin' room and
kitchen"
What for?" asked Lafond. a little
puzzled.
For me"
For"
Il don't aim to eat with the men.
And over yander II be tn stables. and
thar tn blaoksmith's shop: and then
the powder house is on tn other side
/ OF the gulch.. The chicken house is
1 beyond Z blacksmith's shop"
THE WHAT" asked Mike.
THE chicken house"
"Oh." said Mike.
/ II amt got the ground all broke yet %
pursued Billy but the plans is al
ready, and IL amt takin' long when
once We Fit started The stun fer IN
mill Is comm along slow" he obssrv-
| I'd, pointing 20 the d-paiuted ma
/ chinery but ! sin'i Amin 20 put her
up tili mex tpring. Can't do much
/ Rfth her fill / gifs m shafts sunk"
mo" agreed f.afond.
ffNInf 4 arnf an MANA fer fTnf fTo