The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-11-10
eY ARTHUR sTANWooD PIER

vein we have struck what seems 10
be merely an isolated deposit. The
money we have spent on development
work has been thrown away. 1t would
hardly pay us To transport the ore We
have blocked cut to smelter-so re-
mote as we are from a railroad. In
short, our mine is worth literally moth
ing"
But. Mr. Dane" cried Paul Her
rick, rising and pointing to the chart
of the mine that hung on the wall.
how is it possible? Here is the main
lode" He stepped up to the chart
and with his finger traced the mark
ings. As he did so ne talked rapidly
appealingly, stating what they all had
believed-what was so at variance with
Danes astounding news.
Dane rose and stood behind him.
Yes" he said. I'VE thought so. But
we were mistaken. l can only repeat
that the case, so far as / know. is
without a parallel" He went patiently
into a technical explanation, describing
the dwindling and failure of the ore.
THE superintendent report" he ad-
ded, covering the matter fully, is on
the way. We made every possible eX-
ploration-and the superintendent will
give you all the details. l hurried home
to lay the matter before you"
bQt-Dul yOQ dSSdlGO U.s. Dc1i4C-
cried Shinn with helpless pathos. His
face had turned a dangerous purple. he
stretched a gentlemanly, little, white
hand along the table with entreaty to-
ward Dane.
Il assured you," the chairman an
swered And am chagrined-like
the lawyer who loses his case, or the
doctor who loses his patient. No more
than other men are mining engineers
infallible.'
"Chagrined. Good Cod" exclaimed
Tweed, passionately. Then he stopped,
the great vein in his forehead was
swollen, and in his flushed face all the
| lines of age and care seemed TO have
frightened. He bent himself forward,
clutching his hands together between
his knees, thrusting his sleeves up
from his bony wrists.
WEIGH, sitting at his desk, had pen
ciled a line on a slip of paper, and now,
while the others waited in stricken 81
lence, he unobtrusively pressed a bell.
The door opened and the office boy
appeared.
"Stop!** cried Dane in his big voice,
| leaping up; the violence of sudden an
ger swept over the gravity of his face.
He sprang between Welch and the boy.
You are not wanted. boy; that bell
was a mistake" he said, and the boy,
open-mouthed and frightened, with
| drew.
Dane looked down at the lawyer.
THE chair rules that no one in this
/ room shall hold communication with
| any one outside till after this meeting
is adjourned" ne stated emphatically.
That note in your hand Mr.. WEIGH,
might be an order to sell stock; /
should advise you to destroy it,
an inn Yr=ln tod
/ the lawyer, flushing and pocketing the
note. Il wonder If one so shrewd has
not already profited by his advance in
formation"
Dana drew a packet of papers from
| his pocket and tossed it on Welch's
desk. II expected that question You
Will find those are the certificates of
my five thousand shares of Valdez
stock"
I'VE have no assurance that your
broker may not call for them tomor-
row." sneered WEIGH.
Dane laughed intolerantly. Il will
| leave them with you, my dear sir, for
safe keeping. Come, gentleman; we
may not trust one another-but we
must make up our minds not to betray
one another. Let US discuss the situa-
| ton calmly"
He returned to his place at the head
of the table. The two old men, Shinn
and Tweed, with anxious faces, were
figuring now on the backs of enVeI-
Opes; across from them Paul Herrick
sat low in his chair with his arms fold
ed and his eyes staring gloomily at the
table before him.
the thing for us to consider" said
Dane, lis what now to do. Is it your
| pleasure, gentlemen, that we should
at once publish the failure of the
mine?"
Tweed threw up both hands in a ges-
ture of despair and impioring dissent
And the stock selling today at forty
five!" groaned Shinn. Selling now, at
this moment, at forty-fivei"
WEIGH sat at his desk lingering
Danes certificates Of stock The flush
had left his face; of the four men who
had heard the announcement he SEEM
ed TO have most thoroughly recovered
himself. He began to speak now, with
| the persuasive art of the lawyer who
had won some reputation through his
cleverness in refining upon the truth
and investing a specious argument
with FEASIBILITY.
We seem, gentlemen, he said, ''to
be suddenly confronted by a moral
issue. In such a turn of fortune as
this, the first impulse is to blame some
Oiles we can Dear so great shock
without indignation. But here, on cool
Ell second thoughts, it appears that 10
one is to blame. We must not III
dulge in determinations. We must
charge our misfortune to the limits and
imperfections of human knowledge, and
not TO the fault of any individual. AS
say, we seem TO be confronted by a
moral issue and we must determine
where our duty lies. Is 1T our duty to
come out fiat-footed and announce
what we have learned? That seems
the simplest and frankest course. But
is it necessarily the right and wise
course?"
He paused for answer or suggestion,
but no one spoke. Tweed sat in an
attitude of utter detection, with his
mead resting on his hand, seeming not
to hear or notice anything. Shinns
expression was almost as listless, and
HeTrick seemed absorbed in his own
thoughts. Only Caspar Dane sat up
rlsht-massiVe, alert and to him Welch
mainly addressed his appeal.
We must consider" the lawyer said,
whether anything is to be gained by
proceeding of utter frankness. VIII
II advantage in any way the interests
OF our stockholders? I cannot see
that IT will-for the moment we make
our announcement. we reduce the value
OF their stock 20 zero. VIII il be treat
ing them with unfairness if we-ff we
hold back the information for some
days, during which. perhaps, the stock
gradually QeclineS2 Not at all. rather