Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-12-23

lney pOfeu over SldlSuCdl ldDles
showing how the lake had been. on an
average, at least one foot higher be
fore the mines in Virginia City had en-
countered water in the lower levels,
and to them the mystery of the fall In
the water of the lake was explained.
II was decided to send a man into
the Savage, to watch for the piece of
pine with Meeker's initials on. But
why trust it TO a third party? Meeker
himself went to Virginia City. and, on
letter of recommendation from Col
Clair. was given work in the Savage,
and placed at the foot of the incline as
station tender.
He had not been long at his post
when the little piece OF wood with the
initials w. NJ. came up on the surface
of the waters of the stump and his
heart gave a great bound of joy. That
night he was flying to San Francisco
on a fast train, and next morning was
closeted with Col Clair, the mining OPP
orator and millionaire.
The plan these two men fixed on was
the boldest ever conceived in the an
mails of stock speculation. 1t was moth
ing less than a method by which the
hole in the bottom of Tahoe might be
stopped by a mechanical contrivance
and then opened and closed at will. BY
this means the mines might be cleared
of water or flooded to suit the con-
venience of the two operators, and
this condition, having its influence on
the stock market, would make millions
of money for the men who had con-
ceived the bold design.
Before the week was over, Meeker.
backed with the money of Col Clair.
was back at Lake Tahoe He ordered
large flatboat, built, ostensibly for
fishing purposes. II was completed in
couple of weeks and fitted with a
good cabin and here he took up his
> abode. From that on lot of mysterS
Gus consignments reached Tahoe for
| Meeker, and he received them on his
fatboat at Tahoe city and moved the
boat from place TO place by the aid OF
| a small gasoline launch.
To all intents and purposes 1t was
an anglers craft, the mere pastime OF
a man who had the money at his dis
posal to catch Tahoe trout in his own
! way.
r ,croved really a simple matter to
stoo tha ne in the lake. Careful in
vestigation Shows it to be nearly cir
culai and about four 10, across. me
dimensions of the hole beihgSa,.2wNnH
approximately was sufficient The butt
of a log about Ave fee,, in diamsfer
was given a conical shape and bolts
were sunk into the end, to which a
heavy chain was attached This was
connected with a windlass and let
down through the well in the bottom
of the boat
During the next ten days brokers
who watched the market noticed that
the firm of Goodman & Crowley were
buying Savage in any lots offered.
There was nothing special in the way
of developments in the mine, and those
who had become tired of holding Saw
age began to unload on rising mar
ket Presently the brokers who had
the handling of the deal were active
bidders on the stock. The tall form Of
the center OF gesticulating crowd.
bidding up Savage. The price rose
gradually. and still he stood calm and
serene, as was his wont, and taking In
all the Savage offered.
Something was on. The brokers
scented a big deal in Savage.
The wires were hot between San
Francisco and Virginia City with cipher
dispatches, but no one could report
anything extraordinary in Savage
There was no development, and the
water in the lower levels required the
full working capacity of the big Cor
nish pumps to hold II in control.
Goodman was a commission broker
and evidently not specializing on his
own hook, and Col. Clair's brokers
were selling Savage-but in mighty
small lots.
Col. Clair was moving about the
street in front of the Exchange build
ing. deprecating the idea of rise in
stocks not based on actual merit.
/ ME son." he said to one Of the
curbstone brokers. there can never be
anything in buying Savage until the
water is out of the lower levels"
Inside a week the water was nearly
all out of the Savage, and also out OF
the adjoining mines, and stocks began
TO soar. The pumps all along the big
lead were slowing down and the word
went out that the water had been con.
quered at last and now the big bonan'
zas were going to be uncovered. Vir.
ginia City was happy and the stock ex.
change in San Francisco was whirl
of speculation.
Then came a series of rises and
breaks in the market and Col. Clair
always "hit them just right" No man
seemed so shrewd as he, and so the
deals went on and his wealth accu-
mulated. William Meeker had but to
raise or lower the plug in Lake Tahoe
according to advices.
One night. as Meeker was raising
~. n a. ,.nI he, hn