Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-01-27
CHAPTER ky.

tlemen who successfully exploit their
fellows, Mr.. Duxbury Farley did not
deem 1T necessary to confide fully in
his son when the representative of
American Aqueduct broke off negotia-
tions abruptly and went back to New
York.
When the comfortable arrangement
with the pipe trust threatened to mis-
carry, all he did was to urge Vincent
to hasten the day when Miss Dabney's
stock could be utilized as a Farley as
set. Pressed gor particular reasons, he
turned it off lightly. A young man in
the fever of ante-nuptial expectancy
was a mere pawn in the business
game; let it be over and done with, so
that the nominal treasurer of CHA
wassee Limited could once more be-
come the tire s'..cr in fact.
WhereupoL incent, VINO rode badly
at best, bought new saddle-hors and
took his place at Miss Dabney's whip
hand in the early morning rides, the
place formerly filled by Tom Gordon
which was not the part of wisdom, one
would say. Contrasts are pitileSs
things; and the wary woman hunter
will break new paths rather than ira
verse those already broken by his ri
val
Tom, meanwhile, had apparently re-
| lapsed into his former condition of dis
interest, and was once more spending
his days on the mountain, seemingly
bent on effacing himself socially, as he
had been effaced business wise by the
Farley overturn.
| off
ne was crossing the road leading over
the mountains shoulder, he came on
the morning riders walking their horses
toward Paradise, and saw trouble in
Miss Dabney's eyes, and on Farley's
tmpassive face mask of sullen anger
With the negotiations for the sale 70
the trust so abruptly terminated, the
promoter president set instant and
anxious inquiry afoot to determine the
cause. 1t was soon revealed; and when
Mr.. Farley found that the .pipe-pit pat
ents had not been transferred with the
Gordon plant, and that Major Dabney
had given Caleb Gordon a power of at
torney over Ardea's stock in the COM
pany, there were hard words said in
the town offices of Messrs. Trewhitt e.
Slocumb Chiawassee attorneys, and a
torrent of persuasive ones poured into
the Majors ear-the latter pointing 10
the crying necessity for the revocation
Of the power of attorney. summarily
and at once.
The Major proved singularly obstin
ate and non committal "Mistah Caleb
Gordon is my friend. sub, and 1 was
mighty proud to do him this small ia :
veh. What his object is makes no man
neh of Offence to me, sub; no man
neh Of diffe'ence, whateveh." was all an
anxious promoter could get out of the
old autocrat of Deer Trace. But Mr..
Farley did not desist; neither did he
fail to keep the telegraph wires to New
York heated to incandescence with his
appeals for renewal of the negotia-
tions for surrender.
When the wired appeals brought
forth nothing but evasive replies, Mr..
Farley began to look for trouble, and
It came: first in mysterious closing
Of the market against Chiawassee pipe,
and next in an alarming advance Of
freight rates from Gordonia on the
Great Southwestern.
Colonel Duxbury doubled his field
force and gave his travellers a free
hand on the price list. Persuasion and
diplomacy having failed, frenzy like
that Of one who finds himself slipping
into the sharp staked pitfall prepared
for others seized on him. 1t was the
madness of those who have seen the
clock hands stop and begin to turn
steadily backward on the dial Of sue
cess.
Ten days later the freight rates went
up another notch and there began to
be painful dearth of cars in which to
ship the few orders the statesmen were
still able to place. Mr.. Farley shut his
eyes to the portents, put himself reck-
lessly into Mr. Vancourt Hennikers
hands as a borrower, and posted a no
lice Of slashing cut in wages at ths
works.
! AS a matter of course, the cut brod
immediate and tumutuous trouble with
the miners, and in the midst of 1t tho
president made flying trip to New
York; to the metropolis and to the Of
fees Of American Aqueduct to make
final appeal III person.
But the door was shut. Mr.. Dracott
was not to be seen though his assist
ant was very affable. No; American
Aqueduct was not trying to assimilate
the smaller plants, or to crush out all
competition, as the public seemed to
believe. With fifty million dollars in
vested 1t could easily control market
for It's own product, which was all the
shareholders demanded. Was Mr..
Farley In the city for some little timer
and would he not dine with the assist
ant at the Waldorf Astoria?
Mr. Farley took fast train, south
bound. instead. and on reaching South
Tredegar, wired his New York broker
to test the market with a small block
Of Chiawassee Limited. There were no
takers at the upset price; and the high
80 bid was less than half Of the ask