Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-07-22
MASTER OF THE MINE
By Robert Buchanan.
By Robert Buchanan.
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dampness and sliminess the stripes of
pure copper ran in rich bars, forming
part of the finest and most precious lode
In the whole mine.
"Why, it's almost solid ore," he said.
"Iss, Master Jarge," returned my un-
Gle, "but us can't 60 no further this ways
without flooding the shaft. 1t would be
warth thousands O. pounds to gaw on,
and twill cost a heap to keep tight and
safe as it be-"
The young master made no further re-
mark just then, but continued his exam
nation of the other parts of the mine.
In several other places the roof was
dangerous. My uncle pointed out the
various unsafe portions.
At last We re-ascended to the sunshine.
How bright and dazzling all seemed after
that subaqueous darkness! Redruth
seemed in a brown study. Not until he
had washed himself any reassumed his
ordinary attire, did he find his tongue.
By this time, my uncle had returned to
his labors down below.
SIS there anything else you wish to
reportT' asked Redruth, sharply, as we
stood together at the Office door.
Nothing more than l have already
reported in writing. The whole mine
wants repair. Putting aside the outly-
ing galleries, where the sea may enter at
any minute, the engines and machinery
need replacing, the ladders are rotten; in
fact, verything is in the last stage of de-
cay; and no wonder, seeing that scarcely
a penny has been spent ON it within my
memory"
you are a pretty fellow, a very pretty
fellow. You a to ruin me, eh?"
AT any rate, sir" l returned, follow
Ing him, you will have the outer gal
leries filed up, at once? If you don't
I'll not answer for the consequences"
"Who asked your" he cried. "Your
place Is to report, not to advise. As to
ceasing to work the outer galleries, l sup
pose you know that the richest lode of
ore runs there, and that the inner por-
tion of the mine is almost barren? You
seem to prefer mutiny and disaffection
to study of your employers interests. l
tell you fatty, / don't intend to listen to
such nonsense. Thanks to you, the mine
at present yields little or no profit, and
l am in q fair way to become a beggar."
Then you will do nothing?"
81 will do nothing under your advice,
for 1 don't trust you. A gentleman in
whom l have the utmost confidence will
be here tomorrow morning. You will ac-
company him down the mine, and you
will show him what you have shown me.
l shall then be guided by his advice,
not by yours"
Soon after sunrise the next morning,
as sat in the office, l was visited by the
person to whom young Redruth had al
luded. He was a thin, spare, sandy-hair-
ed young man Of about thirty, with a
mean type of countenance, and an accent
which was a curious compound of Cock
neyisms and Americanisms. He had been
born within the sound of Bow Bells; but
having spent a portion of his manhood in
the United States. he affected the free
and easy manners of a Yankee citizen,
telling me his name was Ephraim John
son, a civil engineer, from New York. He
informed me that he had been instructed
by Mr.. George Redruth to go down the
mine, and report on its prospects and con-
ditions.
l treated him as civilly as possible,
and we made the tour of inspection to-
gether. When we came to the outlying
gallery, above which the sea was thun-
dering, he trembled a good deal and gave
other signs of agitation, and he did not
recover himself until he had regained
the open air. Curious to know what he
would say to his employer, l questioned
him:
WELL, Mr.. johnson? Die l e~xaggerate
when l said that the mine was unsafe?"
He answered me sharply and impu-
IDENTIFY. but averting his small, keen eyes
from mine.
Excuse me, young man, l shall report
my opinion to Mr.. George Redruth, not
to you. 1 don't mind saying, however,
that l guess you did exaggerate, on the
whole"
you didn't seem to express that opin-
ion when you were down below"
What do you mean 2" he cried, turn
ing crimson.
II mean that you seemed rather in a
hurry to get back to the terra frma, up
here!"
He did not reply, but gave me a look
full of malignity and dislike. Then he
walked out of the office, but the next
minute he put his head in again at the
door.
You think yourself smart" he said;
az,
but you'll have to get up early before
you're as smart as me. / mean to do my
duty, young man, and SO you'll find afore
very long,"
He left me with this curious valedic-
ton. l saw neither Redruth nor John
son for some days. Then | heard casu-
ally that the latter had gone back to
London. About a week after his depart
ure, l saw it publicly announced that ar.
rangements had been made with George
Redruth, Esq, the proprietor, to turn st.
Gurlott's copper mine into a joint stock
company. the said George Redruth, Esq.
receiving half the purchase money and
retaining the other half in fully paid up
shares. Nothing was said about the pre-.
else amount of commission money which
went into the pocket of Mr.. e. S. John.
son, but the name of that worthy was
down on the prospectus as surveyor and
inspecting engineer, and | had no doubt
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