The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-07-14

~
PRIMO ETON UNION:
I1f only they could get nold of hem uKe
| that
Thorpe himself, of course, made his
headquarters at Camp One. During
the five years he had never crossed the
strait of Macksnaw. The rupture with
his sister had made repugnant to him
all the southern country. All winter
long he was more than busy at his log
ging. Summers he spent at the mill.
Occasionally he visited Marquette, but
always on business.
He was happy because he was too
busy to be anything else. The insist
ent need of success which he had Gre
ated for himself absorbed all other SEN
timents. He demanded it of others
Vigorously. He could do no less than
demand it Of himself. The chief end
of any man, as he saw it, was to do
we'll and successfully what his life
found ready.
| Success, success, success. Nothing
|
could be of more Importance. It's at
tainment argued mans efficiency in
the scheme Of things. Anything that
interfered with it-personal comfort,
inclination, affection, desire, love of
ease, individual liking-was bad.
Thorpe cared for just three people,
and none of them happened to clash
with his machine. They were Wallace
Carpenter, little Phil and Injun Char
ley.
Wallace was always personally agree
able to Thorpe. Latterly, since the cree
ton of the mill, he had developed unex-
pected acumen in the disposal Of the
seasons cut to wholesale dealers in
Chicago. Thereafter he was often in
the woods both for pleasure and to get
his partners ideas on what the firm
would have to offer. The entire respon-
sibility of the city end of the business
was in his hands.
1njun Charley continued to hunt and
trap in the country round about. Once
or twice month the lumberman would
snowshoe down to the little cabin at
the forks. Entering, he would nod brief
II and seat himself on cracker box.
"How do, Charley?" said he.
GLOW do?'' replied Charley.
| They filed pipes and smoked. At
rare intervals one of them made a re-
mark tersely:
Catch UNI beaver las week." re-
marked Charley.
Good haul" commented Thorpe.
| Or:
II saw a mink track by the big bowl.
der,' offered Thorpe.
''H'mv' responded Charley in long
drawn falsetto whine.
Yet somehow the men came to know
each other better and better, and each
| felt that in an emergency he could de-
pend on the other to the uttermost in
spite of the difference in race
AS for Philip, he was like some
strange, shy animal, retaining all it's
wild instincts, but led by affection to
become domestic He drew the water.
cut the wood-none better. In the even
| ing be played atrociously his Violin
| none Worse-bending his great white
| brow forward with the wolf glare in
| his eyes, swaying his shoulders with
fierce delight in the subtle dissonances
of the horrible tunes he played. And
often he went into the forest and gazed
wondering at occult things. Above all
he worshiped Thorpe. And in turn the
| lumberman accorded him a good ma
tured affection.
Financially the company was rated
high and yet was heavily in debt. This
condition of affairs by no means con-
stltutes an anomaly in the numbering
business.
The profits of the first five years had
been Immediately reinvested in the
business. Thorpe intended to establish
IN few years more big plant which
would be returning benefces in pro-
portion not only to the capital original
~ invested, but also in ratio to the en-
ergy, time and genius he had himself
expended.
Every autumn the company found it.
self suddenly in easy circumstances.
At any moment that Thorpe had cho-
sen to be content with the progress
made he could have, so to speak. de-
| clared dividends with his partner. In
stead of undertaking more improve
ments, for part of which he borrowed
some money, he could have divided the
profits of the seasons cut. But this he
was not yet ready to do.
He had established five more camps;
he had acquired over 15O,OOO,OOO more
Of timber lying contiguous to his own;
he had built and equipped a modern
high efficiency mill; he had constructed
harbor breakwater and the neces-
sary booms; he had bought tug; built
a boarding house. All this cost mon
ey. He wished now to construct a log
ging railroad. Then he promised him
self and Wallace that they would be
ready to commence paying operations.
he had made all the estimates and