The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-10
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| are at the foot OF Broadway. an entire
| floor, reached BY great semicircle OF
elevators. banging. rattling. clicking, in
| their amDhitheater Of cages. The bust
ness carried on here is OF necessity stu
pendous II has TO do with modifying
the temperature OF the whole country.
| The forces. too. that labor everywhere
under n mans fingers. are sold here
stored in a. block OF carbon. The COM
panies housed under this roof. and the
rival ones occupying as great building
across Broadway. practically own TIE
available coal beds OF America. the vir-
Gin sources Of all the energy used COM
his egg 10 the fire driving his steamship.
That there should be two wcll-dehned
groups Of such companies thus In rivairy,
standing like duelists with the street be-
tween them arises from the fact that
there are two great railroad systems.
as yet uncombncd, Leading into the
storehouses OF Americas coal each rail-
road greater In Its authority than an en-
pire having IFS retinue of operating COM
ranies attached like feudal dependencies,
bound 20 the overlord under penalty OF
ruin. and coming and going at its beck
like the servants OF the centurion. The
two buildings are thus packed with the
mines on the thoroughfare OF these roads:
Any one OF these companies would find
an alert rival across the street.
It quito an hour before we got into
the office o. Andrew Flint. the president
of the Union Fuel company although 1t
was ono of the smallest companies in the
combine. He was man magnetized by
the rubbing OF gold coins: he seemed 10
point constantly TO the financial north,
no matter how the needle were flung, II
swung finally back there. The very
physical p 1EPe OF the man ,S vas IN, metsie'
eye blue like the points OF a drill, and
manner as OF constant clicking, He
had abridged the courtesies Of life To
formula OF brief conventions. out In the
discussion Of dollars he was almost voiu-
bel. his voice raced. He waited seem
inGly hung on a string like q suspended
pendulum. while Randolph Mason in a
dozen sentences stated the gist Of the
unfortunate-s story.
Mr.. Flint spoke a Tnonosylable to a
clerk who brought case of papers and
laid 1t open on table before him. For
file
Correct he said; your Mr. Hopkins
owns life estate in these lands. We
Mr., Flint looked again at his papers.
The advice here is against It," he an
swered. This tract Is a patch attach
ing TO the eastern corner OF our field
Our main openings are four miles west
the coal won't be available 40 US for ten
years This life estate may he termi-
mated then, Why should we buy it
now?"
For the very reason that it may be
terminated then" answered Randolph
Mason,
a smile fitted across the face of Mr.
Andrew Flint IKE the sun over gun
You have come to the wrong place"
he said; This is not charity bureau"
Mason; we have come TO the right
place. BY the use Of the machinery of
the law, you have taken this mans
money You must now purchase his title
TO the land pay him in cash the two
years interest already due on his pur-
chase money, that Is twelve hundred
dollars. and the interest semi annually
hereafter. that is, six hundred dollars
per year until his death This is not an
unreasonable proposition. because, In the
present condition OF Mr.. Hopkins's health
II is not likely that he will live for a
longer period than the farmer at whose
death the estate terminates
The president Of the Union Fuel COM
pany laughed. his voice cackling like a
spinning cog wheel.
Really, he said. you amuse me"
An ugly sneer gathered in the corners
Of Mason's mouth.
You do not anluse me-" he said;
Mr.. Andrew Flint flushed and turned
sharply in his chair
I believe this conference is ended"
he said. ,.
Mason. Listen a moment. If You please
IL Is the law OF the state OF West Vr-
sinia that a life tenant-that Is. one
owning a life estate in lands-cannot
open mines and remove coal or minerals
from such lands during his life. but must
get his living from the surface and pass
over all the wealth beneath his feet to
his successor He may he sick weighted
with debt. starving. the wealth OF the In
dies may lie beneath the sod OF his lands
like q buried treasure. yet II Is held in
certain decisions that he cannot touch II
Does such a rule of law seem to you 10
be justice?
IL was now Andrew F1ints turn to
sneer.
II am not interested" he replied. ain
the Justice OF it,
Perhaps" continued Mason. "you may
be interested in q further provision of
that doctrine. quite curious 1t is
also the law of the state of West Eir-
gInia that, If at the time the life tenant
comes into his estate there is a mine
opened on the land and In operation, |
then this person with the life estate |
cannot only continue the operation OF the !