The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-10-08

brought him In from the door. There
Is a ciose-sitting air OF the provinces
on NIL those who come from there In
20 New York. The smartest tailors.
the most Partisan modistes cannot dis
lodge It, 1t is the atmosphere OF his
own land minted into the man. living
deeper than the cut OF his coat I
put Jean Balduc up I'm British Amer
ica-his big. lank. hard body belonged
In the open. rugged. roomy, primeval
open. His light blue eyes were from
remote spruce forests reflected on the
xhmmering snow-crust. His hair was
that blue-black which the French car
ried for violent contrast into the white
north. His manner and speech were
! abrupt and direct.
He demanded an audience with Ran
/ doiph Mason. l tried first to get n
little history out of the big fellow
from which to determine the advisable.
NY OF such an audience. 1 got only a
| few craggy fragments. He had come
to New York to even up q score with
Barnsfield. the copper emperor on
broadway.
he wished to get ut the man within
the purlieus OF the law. II such a thing
was possible. II not. he knew another
way. very common In his country and
direct-and. IL not productive OF none
tary results. at least the balm of
Gtiead to ones injured sensibilities.
He had some other business to settle
with Barnsfield (not his own AFFAIR."
which would require dancing steps and
h.,t
cleaned up and ended. 1t would be the
Indian cheek on the stock OF the Win
chester and all white flags down.
l took him to Randolph Mason, and
ne told his story. walking up and down
the length OF the room and driving.
nov and then. his clenched right hand
Into the palm OF his left for emphasis.
lie was from Huron county on the
south shore OF Lake Superior. Earlier
no had come from the Jacques Cartier
river In the Dominion. He had been a
factor In the Affairs of Huron county:
he knew every man, woman and child
IN IL. every tract OF land. every nook
and corner of It. Three years before
ne had made house-to-house.m an-to.
man canvass Of the county for treas.
urcr. and got II. with q majority to
spare. He had gained. too. the good.
VIII OF the people. their confidence and
their hoGDitable friendship Then. like
the locu3ts Of Biblical record. came
the emissaries OF Barnsfleld to pur-
chase tho mineral rights under all the
lands In the county.
II was not known that there was
GDy copper in Huron county. Indeed.
eminent biologists and practical pros
pectors had long agreed that the coun-
ty was barren. These emissaries OF
barnsficld explained that he was not
mislod about the sterility OF the land.
lie know that he was paying out good
money for worthless rock, clay and
gravel; but his plan was to corrupt
the pros oecting engineer of the Great
Lakcs Railroad company-have him
secretly report to the company the
existence OF copper In this county.
Then he, Durnsfleld. would come gen
erously forward and offer to transfer
TO the railroad the entire mineral
rights OF the county. provided the com
Dany would build a line through 1t to
his wharf at Plymouth on the south
enable him to load ore from the known
copper regions directly on cars from
the lake boats at Plymouth, and
shorten the haul to his market by two
hundred miIeg.
This story was gladly swallowed by
tho nativos. They hoped for the COM
Ing Of railroad into the county. as
the advent OF a sort OF commercial
Messiah. Once or more they had
voted large bond subscriptions to lure
In such an enterprise. but IT was OF
no avail. Lake Superior remained the
only path OF commerce.
In a few months these agents had
obtained the mineral rights Of almost
the entire county. A few landowners
along the lake held out against them.
and finally. after eXhausting their ia
genutty, Bernsheld's men came to Jean
Balduc for assistance. They explained
that these landowners were blocking
tho prosperity OF the whole people.
The only chance OF an iron highway
to the south was being elbowed ont
Balduc said he would go to these
men and induce them to join in the
aaANs a. hC WOi0 dbbAItu uedu-
quarters that tho railroad plan would
be carried through. They took him to-
Duluth, and TO Barnsheld. He had
the plan from Barusfield's mouth. lie
was shown maps and profiles OF the
proposed route. elaborate plans and
specifications OF great wharf and
warehouses; which Bnrnsfeld expected
to build at Plymouth when the rail-
road came. drawings for an addition
to the town-indeed, all the paper de-
tails for a city. Balduc was intro
ducsd to- tho engineer OF the Great
Lakes Railroad company and read his
report
BLrnsfield talked very frankly His
plan was not philanthropic. He would
get back his money In a year from
isssened shipping rates from the
lakes. At present, his ore was at the
mercy Of one line; rival would mean
competition and fair tariff; II would
make bis town OF Plymouth a com
merctal center on the lake. and this
would bring large profits to him. lie
did not want jean Balduc'g assistance
for mere goodwill. lie was quite will.
Ing TO pay a thousand dollars for each
landowner whom Dalduc could induce
70 sell. the money to be paid when his
deeds were made to the railroad com.