Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-06-10
CHAPTER VII.-(Continued.)

year by year-this was Caleb'S own
honest provision inserted in the con-
tract for the Majors protection-and
renewable only by the Majors friend.
Further, practical man at the practi-
cal end of an industry is a sheer ne
cessity; and by contriving to have
honest Caleb associated with himself
in the receivership, a fine color Of up
rightness was impaired to the promot-
er's far-reaching plan of aggrandize-
ment.
So, later when the reorganization
was effected; when the troublesome,
dividend hungry stockholders Of the
original company were eliminated by
due process of law, Caleb's name ap-
peared on the Farley slate with the IT,
tie of general manager of the new com
pany-for the same good and sufficient
reasons.
1t was during the fervid six months
of Chiawassee Coal and Iron develop
ment that Thomas Jefferson had
passed from the old life to the new
from childhood to bOyhOOd.
simultaneously there were the coal
mines opening under the cliffs or
Mount Lebanon, the long, double row
of coking ovens building on the fiat
below the furnace, and the furnace It
self taking on undreamedof magnl-
tudes under the hands of the army OF
Workmen. Thomas Jefferson did his
best to keep the pace, being driven 10y
a new and eager thirst for knowledge
mechanical, and Of gripping desire to
be present at all the assembling OF all
the complicated parts of the threefold
machine And when he found it i'm
possible to be in three places at one
and the same moment, it distressed
him to tears.
Of the home life during that strenu-
Gus interval there was little more than
the eating and sleeping for one whose
time for the absorbent process was all
too limited. Also, the perplexing ques-
tons reaching down into the under
soul of things were silent Also, again
mark of a change so radical that
none but a Thomas Jefferson may read
and understand-an awe-insptrtng Ma
jor Dabney had ceased to be the first
citizen Of the world, that pinnacle be-
ing now occupied by a TALL sallow,
smooth faced gentleman, persuasive OF
speech and superhuman in accomplish
ment, who was the life and soul Of the
~~NO
mother always addressed respectfully
as Colonel" Farley.
One day, in the very heat Of the
battle, this commanding parsonage, at
whose word the entire world Of Para
disc was in travail, had deigned to
speak directly to him-Thomas Jeffer-
son. It was at the mine on the noun
tain. The workmen were boiling into
place the final trestle of the inclined
railway which was to convey the coal
in descending carloads to the bins at
the coke ovens, and Thomas Jefferson
was absorbing the details as dry
sponge soaks water.
Making sure that they do 1t just
right, are you, my boy?" said the great
man, patting him approvingly on the
shoulder. That's good. I like to see
a boy anxious to get to the bottom of
things Going to be an iron-master,
like your father, are you?"
"N-no," stammered the boy. II wisht
I was!"
well. what's to prevent? We are
going to have the comp1etest plant in
the country right here, and it will be a
fine chance for your fathers son; the
finest in the world.
"'Tain't goin' to do me any good"
said Thomas Jefferson, dejectedly. i
got to be a preacher"
Mr.. Duxbury Farley looked down at
him curiously. He was a religious per-
son himself, coming to be known as
pillar in ST. Michaers Church at South
Tredegar, a liberal contributor, and
prime mover in a plan to tear down the
old building and to erect a new one
more in keeping with the times and
South Tredegar's prosperity. Yet he
was careful to draw the line between
religion as a means of grace and bust
ness as a means of making money.
THAT Is your mothers wish, l sup
pose; and it's worthy one; very wor-
thy. Yet, unless you have a special
yocation-but there; your mother
doubtless knows best. 1 am only anx-
tous to see your fathers son succeed
in whatever he undertakes"
After that, Thomas Jefferson secret
ly made Success his god, and was
alertly ready to fetch and carry for
the high priest in its temple, only the
opportunities were infrequent.
For, wide as the Paradise field SEEM
ed to be growing from Thomas Jeffer-
sons point of view, it was altogether
too narrow for Duxbury Farley. The
principal offices of Chiawassee Coal
and Iron were in South Tredegar, and
there the first vice president was
building q hewn-stone mansion, and
had become a charter member of the
city's first club; was domiciled in due
form, and was already beginning to
soften his final RS" and to speak of
himself as a Southerner-by adoption.
So sped the winter and the spring
succeeding Thomas Jefferson's 18th
birthday, and for the first time in his
life he saw the opening buds of the
ironwood and the tender, fresh green's
of the herald poplars, and smelled the
sweet, keen fragrance of awakening
nature, without being moved thereby.
Ardea he saw only now and then, as
old Scipio drove her back and forth
between the manor-house and the rail-
way station, morning and evening. He
had heard that she was going to school
IL