The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-10-11

door OF the storehouse, he can rife
1t to the last penny. He can disem'
bowel the land and leave his success
sor only a worthless shell. Does this
seem to you to be any sounder JUS
tice?"
The president of the Union Fuel
Company fell back into his attitude of
business interest, as by the swapping
Of lever.
What! what" he said. Let me
understand you"
You shall understand me exactly"
replied Mason. There is little mine
In operation on this land If you do
not choose to make this contract with
| Mr.. Hopkins, shall take him to the
coal company across the street, which
also operates in this region. shall
lease the land to it for any royalty it
suggests, even cent a ton. This
Pittsburgh vein is eight feet thick.
1t will yield ten thousand tons to the
acre. At one cent ton that would
net Mr.. Hopkins a royalty OF one hun
dred dollars per acre. Ordinarily any
company would take out ten acres
every year. Under the existing con-
d1tions, this company will take out
twenty. This will yield Mr. Hopkins
some twenty thousand dollars in the
end, and the company a profit OF
hundred thousand; and you at the
farmers death will have a shell OF
broken rocks to inherit as your es-
tate. Does my proposition seem now
a matter of Sc much amusement"
Mr.. Flint saw that the matter had
reached that practical status which he
called business, and, after his Gus
tom, he prepared instantly to meet it.
Just moment, please" he said
He turned to his telephone on the
table and called up one of the great
law firms Of the city. He stated in a
few rapid words the legal question in
volved. We could not, of course, hear
the answer, but the jerky expletives
of Mr.. Flint we're eloquent
Presently he placed the receiver on
it's horn.
1--WE will take Mr. Hopkins's title at
your figure" he said.
But just then the sick man emphat-
ically thrust into the conference
mo, you don't!" he cried, bouncing
out of his chair. 1--WE got the harpoon
in you, an I'm goin' to Jump on it.
You pay me thousand dollars a year,
and every minute raise 1t five hun
dred!"
Randolph Mason reached over his
hand, caught the excited Mr.. Hopkins
by the arm, and replaced him in his
chair.
your silence" he said, will oblige
me. You shall receive exactly the sum
] have named, neither a dollar more
nor less. ! do not intend that either
you or this company shall take an ad.
vantage"
do not know which regarded Ma
son with greater wonder, the hum
bled fellow or Mr.. Andrew Flint. The
one, no less than the other, expected
an advantage to be pressed home; it
was the first law of commerce, as
they knew it; all else was theory
Of churches.
think the sick man would have
broken into protest, but the manner
of Randolph Mason was not to be mis-
read, and, too, in the formers eye he
was something of the magician In the
fairy book, and not to be set in anger
lest the gold in sight vanish.
A deed was swiftly written executed,
and a check for twelve hundred dol.
lars passed over to Mr.. Hopkins.
! shall always remember the com.
ment of that erratic but cheerful per.
son as we left the building. He walk
ed along through the corridor beside
me, his eye travelling in sort of child.
ish wonder over Randolph Mason, who
strobe before him, doubtless like a
Providence. Finally, as we we're com
ing to the door, he plucked my sleeve
and spoke his comment, which,
phrased differently, was, indeed, the
comment of us all.
"The old boys a terror! amt he?"