Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-09-06
he Corrector of Destinies
Reing Tales of Randolph Mason as Related BY
His Private Secretary, CORTLAND Parks
The Copper Bonds
By Melville Davisson Posi-
Copyright by Edward ]. Clode

III
.1oee-sitting air of the provinces
those who come from there in
~ York. The smartest ta1lors,
ost parisian modistes cannot dis
q II is tho atmosphere OF his
ond minted into the man. lying
! than the cut of his coat. !
ean Ralduc up in British Amer
ID big. lank, hard body belonged
OMEN, a rugged, rSomy, primeval
His light blue eyes were from
o enruce forests reflected on the
Doring snow-crust. His hair was
bIue-black which the French car
Or violent contrast into the white
His manner and speech were
Il and direct.
demanded an audience with Ran
Mason. I tried first to get a
history out of the big fellow
which to determine the advisable
such an audience. / got only a
raggy fragments. He had come
w York to even up a score with
field, the copper emperor on
way.
wished to get at the man within
Irlieus of the law, If such a thing
1ossible. If not, he knew another
very common in his country and
and. if not productive of none
results. at least the balm Of
to ones injured sensibilities.
ad some other business to settle
Barnsfeld (not his own affair.",
would require dancing-steps and
flags; but, when that was
ed up and ended, it would be the
b cheek on the stock of the Win
er and all white flags down.
box him to Randolph Mason, and
ID his story, walking up and down
ength of the room and driving,
and then, his clenched right hand
he palm of his left for emphasis.
gas from Huron county on the
shore of Lake Superior. Earlier
ID come from the Jacques Cartier
in the Dominion. He had been a
in the affairs of Huron county;
lew every man, woman and child
every tract Of land, every nook
eorner of it. Three years before
d made a house-to-house, man-to-
canvass of the county for treas
and got 1t, with a majority to
He had gained, too, the good
i the people, their confidence and
hospitable friendship. Then, like
ocusts of Biblical record, came
emissaries of Barnsfield to pur-
the mineral rights under all the
in the county.
was not known that there was
copper in Huron county. Indeed,
Pnt biologists and practical pros
rs had long agreed that the coun-
Rs barren. These emissaries of
Fteld explained that he was not
d about the sterility of the land.
new that he was paying out good
for worthless rock, clay and
!; but his plan was to corrupt
respecting engineer of the Great
Railroad company-have him
tly report to the company the
ence OF copper in this county.
he, Barnsfeld, would come gen.
" forward and offer to transfer
e railroad the entire mineral
OF the county, provided the COM
would build a line through 1t to
'harf at Plymouth on the south
OF Lake Superior. This would
him to load ore from the known
7 regions directly on cars from
lake boats at Plymouth, and
en- the haul to his market by two
led miles.
story was gladly swallowed by
suyes. They hoped for the COM
railroad into the county, as
IdVent of a sort of commercial
an Once or more they had
large bond subscriptions to lure
ga an enterprise, but it was of
al. Lake Superior remained the
path OF commerce.
lew months these agents had
leu the mineral rights of almost
lFe county, A few landowners
Tue lake held out against them,
Tally, after exhausting their in
,, bsrnsheld's men came to Jean
'oT assistance. They explained
AeSe landowners were blocking
YoSperity of the whole people.
'"'F chance of an iron highway
south was being elbowed out.
ruc SAID he would go to these
, ~ Induce them to join in the
= ne were assured from head
mat the railroad plan would
''eu through. They took him to
and to Barnsfield. He had
~ from Barnsfield's mouth. He
uo"n maps and profles of the
y route, elaborate plans and
1auons of a great wharf and
uses which Barnsfield expected
~ at Plymouth when the rail
'%me' drawings for an addition
O"h-indeed, all the paper de-
-. d city. Balduc was intro
70 the engineer of the Great
"S'Foad company and read his
-susld talked very frankly. His
~ not philanthropic. He would
"a MS money in a year from
81 shipping rates from the