Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-06
TIE TREASURE OF THE srREsg.

NY SoCu Hldn, you're WaSunR my
time" said the president OF the com.
pany affab1y. lie could afford to be
arable. II can't help it if you've no
water on your farm. Take my price
TWO hundred and ffty-and it isn't
worth the fifty alone-or stay here
and rot"
The lands-nTigated lands, they
called them, with fine irony-had been
first settled by miners, who had come
there attracted by marvellous stories
OF lost gold mine. They had labor
iOusly scraped the thin illuvial from
the banks Of the stream and then do
parted. Afterward the settlers came
Homesteads sprang mp beside the
stream which made all the land fer<
tile for seven miles on either side OF
1t. But they were outwitted by cap
italists from the east. John Bascom
had seen, with the eve Of an expert,
the marvellous possibilities OF the dry
soil two miles eastward where once
the river had been, before the courses
Of the stream changed. He had ac-
uuired rights on the hillside and bo-
gun to builG the great dam which
was to divert the river into it's ancient
bed and irrigate thousands OF acres
now nothing but SANDY desert
Meanwhile the settlers, finding their
water supply gradually diminishing,
had one by one sold out to the Land
Co, till only Gregson and his wife
remained
1t was not Bascom's intention to
divert the entire stream. He calcu-
lated, by leaving the end OF the dam
open, he could divide the flow, and
thus acquire possession OF two tracts
Of fertile soil, one along either tribu-
tary. But first he must Brighten Greg
son away Thus it was that. as the
dam drew TO completion, The river
shrank daily until it was nothing but
4 rivulet
God help u.s. Mary. well have to
60" Grcgson muttered, staring out
over his parched acres Ten years
e homestead built and prosperity fac
Ing us-and now
1t had been worth twelve thousand
the preceding year. Now the desert
had crept in, and where the broad riv-
The stream had been diverted and the
Land Co. was growing rich
We'll, Gregson are you ready to
move?" asked Bascom pleasantly the
following week, as he rode by.
Curse you, no." Gregson cried to
him. "I'll rot first You'll never get
this place-never.
wait till next month" said Bas-
com pleasantly.
Well, there was nothing but TO
complete the dam and shut off the
entire stream. 1t would cost a cool
thousand to tear down the masonry
again, but Gregson's farm was worth
II times that-would be worth forty
thousand when properly divided up
into settlers lots. So, in due course
of time, Gregson and his wife were
left high and dry upon the face of
the desert
Gregson drew his last penny from
the bank. He had 5000 left in the
world, beside his worthless homestead.
1t was 100 little to take them east
even.
Wen fight him while we are
alive" said his wife. do you re-
member what that travelling surveyor
said two years ago. that there might
Ae an underground stream? Sink a
Well. dear"
by God, / win" creid Gregson.
Il cost all that he had to run down
% rock level and board the sides
against the sand And. when this
was done. there was no water.
"Gregson, I'll give you seventy-fve
for your house, TO use for lumber"
said Bascom. Come, III make it q
couple Of hundred, so that you can
get away. Font be a fool, man.
Think OF your wife. You've got TO
20: a mouse couldn't earn living
here. Or, III sell you FIVE lots in the
companys land, fifty down and eve a
month"
And Grcgson flung back his defiance
at him and still remained.
Now they had only food for week
remaining. They scOoped up water
for drinking ont OF the wet sand with
difficulty. And even that tailed them
We've got TO co." said Greg5on %
Inst. Put well leave them nothing
Let us on in the well. at any rate
Before we leave"
FOR three days they worked inces-
sanity, shoveHng sand from tho bed
of the stream and filling w the we'll
on the fourth day Gregson trippcd in
the excavation and sat up with q cry,
holding his foot Hc had stuDbed IL
against o. boulder. His wife ran up to
him. She saw his face freeze sud-
drnly saw his features distorted
heard .s .uea OF q madm.a come
from bis roa. Ho pointed into the
M Round hu Jay 1ouldors, each
or them .o.uJ with Jagged stripes
OF dull yellow, sDerdiug 500 the s1u-
1furf