Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-11-29

glasses all in rows Indicated the char
acter of the entertainment that await
ed them. The mems eyes were too
busy with the unaccustomed sight to
note details carefully, but they felt soft
carpet beneath their feet and observed
that the walls were smooth and har-
moniOusly papered.
"This is m-marve,ous," murmured
Emerson. I'm afraid we're not In
keeping"
Indeed you are," said the girl, land
I am delighted to have somebody to
talk to. It's very lonesome here"
This is certainly swell tepee," Fra
ser remarked. How did you do it?
II brought my things with me from
Nome"
Nome" calculated Emerson quickly.
YES"
"Why, I've been in Nome ever since
the camp was discovered. It's strange
We never met"
81 didn't stay there very long; went
back to Dawson"
Again he fancied the girls eyes held
a vague challenge, but he could not
be sure, for she seated him and then
gave some instructions to the Aleut
girl. Boyd. becoming absorbed in his
own thoughts, grew more silent as the
signs of refinement and civilization
about him revived memories long
sti1ed This was not the effect for
which the girl had striven. Her
younger guests taciturnity, which grew
rs the dinner progressed, piqued her,
so at the first opportunity she bent her
efforts toward rallying him. He an
Swered politely, but she was powerless
to shake of his mood.
At last he spoke:
"You said those watchmen have In
Btructions not to harbor travellers.
Why is that?"
1T is the policy of the companies.
They are afraid somebody will discov-
er gold around here You see. this Is
the greatest salmon river in the world.
The rum is tremendous and seems to
be unfailing; hence the cannery people
wish to keep it all to themselves"
81 don't quite underestimate
at Is simple enough. Kalvik Is so
isolated and the fishing season Is SO
short that the companies have to send
their crews in from the States and
take them out again every summer.
Now, If gold were discovered here
abouts the fishermen would all quit
and follow the strike, which would
mean the ruin Of the years catch and
the loss of many hundreds Of thou
sands Of dollars. Why, this village
would become city In no time II such
thing were to happen. The whole
region would fill up with miners. and
not only would labor conditions be en-
tirely upset for years. but the eyes of
the world. being turned this way, 9th
er people might go into the fishing
business and create competition
which would both influence prices and
deplete the supply Of fish In the Kali
vik river. So, you see, there are many
reasons why this region Is forbidden
to miners. You couldn't buy pound
Of food nor get a nights lodging here
for a kings ransom The watchmen's
Jobs depend upon their unbroken bond
Of inhospitallty, and the Indians dare
not sell you anything, not even dog
fish, under penalty Of starvation, for
they are dependent upon the compa-
MES stores"
$50 that is why you have establish
ed trading post Of your own:'
"Oh. dear. no. This isn't a store
This food is for my men."
"Your men"
Eyes. have crew out In the hills
on a grub stake. This is our cache
While they prospect for gold | stand
guard over the provisions"
Fraser chucked softly. "Then you
are bucking the salmon trust"
"After fashion, yes. knew this
country had never been gone over, SC
staked six men, chartered a schoon
er and came down here from Nome IN
the early spring. We stood of the
watchman, and when the supply ships
arrived we had these houses complet
ed. and my men were out In the hills
where It was hard to follow them.
stayed behind and stood the hrunt OF
things"
But surely they didn't undertake t.
injure you" said Emerson. now thcr
oughly interested in this extraordinary
young woman.
ooh, didn't they" she answered
with peculiar laugh. "You don't ap
preciate the character Of these people
There is no real code of financial mo
rality. and the battle for dollars Is thu
bitterest Of ali contests. OF course
being a woman, they couldn't very wei
attack me personally, but they triet
everything except physical violence
and don't know how long they vii
refrain from that. These plants are
owned separately, but they operate un
der an agreement with one man at th'
head. His name is Marsh-Willi'
Marsh-and of course he's not m!
friend"
"Sort of united we stand, divided
we fall"
Exactly. That spreads the respon
: sibility and seems to leave nobod!
guilty for his evil deeds. The frs
thing they did was to sink my schoon
er. In the morning you will see hel
spars sticking up through the Ice ou
in front there. One Of their tugs 'ac
cidentally' ran her down. although sh'
was at anchor fully 800 feet inside the
) channel line. Then Marsh actually
had the effrontery to come here per
sonally and demand damages for the
injury TO his towboat, falsely claiming
~ ~ y Aqcn