The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-10-14

on it since them. wonder Farley
didn't snap at It"
He was willin' to-" said Caleb, grim
ly. only he wanted me to transfer
the patents to the company: in other
words. to make him a present OF tn.
controlling interest. bucked at that
and we come near havin' a fall-out II
there was any market for pipe now
There is a market" said Tom. hope
fully. Il got pointer on that before
left Boston. Did I tell you had
little talk with Mr.. Clarkson the day
came away?"
mo"
well, did. I told him the condi-
lions and asked his advice. Among
other things, spoke Of this pipe pit Of
yours. and he said at once, There is
your chance. Cast-iron water-pipe Ia
like bread, or sugar or butchers meat
Its necessity. In good times or bad.
II that machine is practicable, you can
make pipe for less than half the pres
ent cost Then we talked ways and
means. Money Is tighter than a shut
fist-up East as well as everywhere
else. But men with money to invest
will still bet on a sure thing. Mr..
Clarkson advised me to try our own
banks first Failing with them, he au-
tnorized me to call on him. Now you
know where I'm digging my sand"
The old fron-master sat back in his
chair with his hands locked over one
knee. once more taking the measure of
this new creation calling itself Tom
Gordon and purporting to be his son.
Say, Buddy" he said at length, ARE
there many more like you out yonder
in the big road?-young fellows that
can walk right out O. school and tell
their daddies hsw to run things?"
Toms laugh was boyishly hearty.
Plenty OF 'em. pappy; lots Of 'em.
The old world is moving right along:
it would be pity If it didn't, don't you
think? But about this pipe business:
I want you to make over these patents.
to me-"
They're yours now. Tom; everything
I've got will be yours in a little WHILE"
said the father: but his voice betrayed
the depth Of that thrust Was the new
Tom beginning so soon to grasp and
reach out avariciously for the fruit of
the old tree?
You ought to know that I don't
mean 1t that way" said Tom, frowning
a little. But here is the way 1t sizes
up. There Is money in this pipe max
Ing; some money now and big money
later on. Farley has refused to go into
1t unless you make 1t company prop
osition: as president and a controlling
stakeholder you can't very well 20 into
1t unless you make it a company prop
osition; as president and a controlling
stakeholder you can't very well go into
it now without making it some sort Of
company proposition. But you can
transfer the patents to me, and I can
contract with Chiawassee Consolidated
to make pipe for me-"
THAT would certainly be givin' Colo
mel Dubbury dose Of his own medi-
cine; but I don't like it, Tom It looks
as II we were taking advantage of
him.
mo. I'd make the proposition to
him, personally, If he were here. and
the boss; and he'd be a fool If he didn't
just jump at it," said Tom, earnestly.
But there Is more to it than that. If
we make go Of this, and don't protect
ourselves, the two Farleys will come
back and put the whole thing in their
pockets. I won't go in on any such
terms. When they do come back. I'm
going to have money to fight them with.
and this Is our one little ghost of a
chance. Ring up Judge Bates and get
him to come over here and make a To-
gal transfer of these patents to me-"
The experiences Of the summer were
all hardening. He plunged into the
world of business, into a panic-time
competition which was in grim reality
a fight for life, and there seemed to be
little to choose between tramplin9 or
being trampled. BY early autumn the
iron Industries Of the country were
sasping. and the stacks of pig In the
Chiawassee yards. kept down q little
during the summer by q few mea9er
orders, grew and spread until they COW
cred acres. AZ long as money could be
had. the iron was bonded az fast az II
was made, and the proceeds were turn
ed into wages to make more. But when
money was no longer obtainable from
this source. the pipe venture was the
only hope.
with the entire foundry force It the
Chiawassee making pipe, Tom had gone
into the market with his low priced
product But the commercial side Of
the struggle was hre-new to him. and
he found himself matched against men
who knew buying and selling a. he
knew smelling and casting. They rout-
ed him. easily at nrst, with increasing
difaculty az he learned the new trade.
but always with certainty. II was Nor
man. the correspondence man. trans
formed now into sales agent. who
ga va him hia f1rnt hint of the inWnrd-