Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-10-16

1 1RFE1- eASE VI q A4du0-
Mason had. therefore. called this meet
ing to propose that these two direc-
tors sell their tracts of worthless oil
territory to Captain Shelton in con-
/ alteration of this money and. after de-
Quoting their individual expenditures.
refund the balance Of It to the various
stockholders of the Union COnsolidat-
ed OIL Company.
The two bank directors. who had
been until now greatly mytified.
agreed instantly to this proposition.
the elder speaking for the other They
| considered their Investment In this
oil territory somewhat in the nature
Of trust. and had determined to hold
/ the tracts Indefinitely, in the hope
that at some future time they would
/ yield enough money to repay what
| the stockholders of The company had
lost. They had gone to .'ittsburg as
I ENJOYS. In a way, for the stockholders,
/ and any gain arising from that jour
| ney was equitably the property of all.
They had consequently asked one
hundred thousand dollars in ca. b Tor
/ each of these tracts, and had agreed
TO pool the two properties. so that if
1 oil were ever discovered on either
tract, it would pay in full the losses
of the stockholders. This price they
knew to be prohibitive, but the tracts
We're either to adjust the matter or
remain unsold until the end of time.
The Pennsylvania, sitting with
calf-skin satchel on his knees, OBJ
served the difficulty In the way Of his
fortune thus easily overcome with a
sudden mounting JOY he could not
wholly conceal. His face fell into the
sanctinonious expression of one who,
at the cost of abnegations, would be
| perfect Even the hands of the in
scrutable attorney opened wide their
! fingers as in admiration of a master.
/ The next statement of Mason won
still further their amazed approval.
| He said that the two sales must be
understood to be complete and sepa-
rate transaction concluded absolutely
in every detail upon the signing of the
/ deed, and In order that no claim
could be afterward set up that in this
/ 7AstS captain OAAEANon AODAA ciu aAANeaEO
of any secret knowledge of the value
of either of the two tracts, he sug-
| gested that Shelton be permitted to
/ select the tract which at this time he
| considered the more valuable, In or
| der that his opinion might be known
| before the deeds were signed, pay for
| il seYenty-nine thousand dollars, and
take the other tract at nominal sum,
say one thousand dollars. Then il
either tract should prove in the future
to be oil-producing. Captain shelton
could enjoy that good fortune free
from any imputation of deception in
| its purchase.
The attorneys nimble fingers
danced on the rungs of his chair
| this piece of strategy was excellent.
| shelton, too instantly saw its wis
dom. If he took, now. the worthless
tract at the large prize, he very fact
| of this selection would conclusively
| prove that when this worthless tract
| was purchased he knew nothing of the
| fabulous value of the other, His good
| faith, his innocence OF secret knowl-
edge, would be here and now ire
vocably established for all time to
| come Those who sold estates for pot
| tage usually came crying to the courts,
and If the deeds showed on their faces
| that the purchaser was himself mis-
taken in the value of these estates,
that cry would fail. Separate, the two
sales ought also to be. that no one
other than the signer of the deed
could afterward claim an attaching
equity.
The two New Englanders assented
to this. and Captain Shelton instantly
| selected the worthless tract. The at
torney took two deeds from his pocket
and laid them before him on the table.
He then stated in detail the terms OF
| the purchase; seventy-nine thousand
dollars in cash for th1 tract of twelve
hundred acres. ono thousand dollars
/ in cash for the tract of nine hundred
acres; the two sales distinct, sepa-
| rate transaction directly between the
| parties named in the deed. He wished
| this agreement clearly understood.
/ The sentimental reason moving Roger
| Shelton to this purchase, as given by
| Randolph Mason, was an observation
| beside the poirt. He alone represent
| ed Roger Shelton. The purchase OF
these tracts was now a ciean-cut mat
ter of business. showing wholly on the
face of the deed Then he took up
one of the deeds, wrote into it the
consideration. seventy-nine thousand
! dollars, and handed it to the younger
man. who, it happened. was the own
er of this tract The latter looked
swiftly over the deed and signed it,
| the notary took his acknowledgment
affixed the seal and returned the deed
to the attorney, who looked over it
and nodded 10 his client
Captain Shelton set his calf-skin
satchel on the table. unlocked it with
brass key. took out a thousand dol
lars in Ole-hundred-do dollar bills and
pushed the satchel across the table.
There's your money" he said, and
l throw in the satchel.'
The New Englander took the money
cut in packs, counted it and put it
| back: then be reached over on the
/ table. took the brass key, locked the
satchel. set it down on the door be-
tween his feet and tucked the key
into the pocket of his waistcoat. The
attorney put the executed deed into
his pocket, wrote the consideration OF