The Virginia enterprise., 1912-09-13

SAOA, OuI VI AASCA06S Al kA0 HOOH10 VI
the county; but here was Barnsfield
about to reap enormous sums from
the venture, and he might as well
have the money which was offered.
They agreed, then, that Barnsfield
should pay him one thousand dollars
deed for the mineral rights under his
land, the money to be paid when the
transfer was made by Barnsf1eld to
the Great Lakes Railroad company.
There were th1rty-four Of these men.
Balduc's popularity, the reputation
he had established with the people
and his prestige as county treasurer
gave weight to his words. He went
back to his people, assured them that
he had Investigated Barnsfield's plan
and that it would certainly be carried
out. He had seen the very surveys for
the road, the estimates, the prof1les.
Finally he secured the deeds of nine
teen of these recalcitrant landowners.
The others could not be induced to
sell. Barnsf1eld marked their names
on his list, expressed himself salts
fed with the matter and put all his
deeds to record. The county, now at
the gateway OF its fortunes, rejoiced.
A great mass meeting was held in
the court house; q vote of thanks was
awarded Jean Balduc; he was carried
to his home on the shoulders of his
admiring fellows; tar-barrels we're
burned on the hills; horses were pa
raded; the local papers ran their elec-
ton roosters and eagles.
Then came the gray morning, and
the gradual rising of the sun. The
minions of Barnsfleld vanished.
Months passed, and no engineer of
the Great Lakes railroad sighted his
transit into Huron county. No carts
were trundled across her rivers, no
Italian came to make a footpath for
the iron beast; but, instead, little
man in spectacles arrived from Mar
quette and staked out shipping wharf
at Plymouth for the Lake Shore
Steamship company. To Inquiries he
replied that Barnsfleld wished to take
the copper out Of Huron county, and
the steamship company must have a
wharf from which to load it. Copper!
The county sat literally with its jaws
agape. But was this merely another
subterfuge Of Barnsdeld? It was not.
A little later wellknown superin-
tendent from the regular mining
region came with workmen and un-
! covered the copper-bearing strata. It
was copper territory! The whole
county richer than the Indies!
Jean Balduc stopped here in his
narrative, drew down the muscles of
his face until bis eyes narrowed to
pale Sits. He crushed and ground
the flaps of his coat pockets in his big
hands. His mind was evidently
crammed with incidents-vivid, crowd
ing incidents: A flood of Indignation
poured over Jean Balduc. He was
cursed, waking and sleeping, as with
Roman anathema. Even Barnsfleld,
chuckling in his den In New York,
goaded him. He would pay the nine
teen thousand dollars when the deeds
| were transferred to the Great Lakes
Railroad company-if he were living
then.
Exile was the only solution. Jean
Balduo determined to close up his af-
fairs as treasurer of the county, come
to New York, collect from Barnsfleld
the twenty-eight thousand dollars
which he owed Huron county for taxes
h}c {oh 10 IN
the county, and then settle his own
affair with Barnsfleld. After that, ii
he got away, he would go back to the
Jacques Cartier river; but he would
likely not get away
Have you seen Barnsfeld?" said
Randolph Mason.
YES" replied the man; Il went to
him yesterday to collect these taxes,
and he tried to beat me even on that.
He was hard up, he said, he had no
ready money; but he would give me
bonds Of the Empire Copper company
If l would take these bonds at par
and turn over the tax receipts to him.
refused, and he asked me to come
back today at one o'clock"
Randolph Mason turned to me.
What are these bonds worth?" he
said.
They are not listed on the stock
exchange" l answered; but there is
curb market for them at seventy
five cents"
Randolph Mason walked over to the
window and stood looking out at the
| heavy snow-flakes driving against the
glass. The big northerner waited, but
Mason remained motionless, his hands
behind him. Finally, the man took up
his hat and put 1t on.
WELL" he said. lis there any trail
out?"
Mason turned abruptly. Go back
to Barnsfeld," he said, land take his
bonds at par for the taxes. Mr.. Parks
will accompany you and write into
the tax receipts that these taxes are
paid in full by the delivery to you of
| the bonds, setting out the number and
denomination, as you receive them.
Give Barnsf1eld the receipts, and come
back to me-"
The man was aghast. why, sir"
he said, you cannot mean that! I
would be a damned fool to do that.
The county would be losing ten thou
sand dollars to take the bonds at
par"
"Obey me-" said Randolph Mason,
and he turned back to the window.
"All right" said the big fellow:
you're the doctor. What you say
goes, but it certainly does sound damn
fool"