River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-10-03

door of the storehouse, he can rife
It 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. SHAH
lease the land to it for any royalty It
suggests, even a 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 royalty of one hun
dred dollars per acre. Ordinarily any
company would take out ten acres
| every year. Under the existing con-
ditions, this company will take out
| twenty. This will yield Mr.. Hopkins
some twenty thousand dollars in the
end, and the company profit of a
| 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 so 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 a 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 explosives
of Mr.. Flint were eloquent.
! Presently he placed the receiver on
its 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 dont!" 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 year,
and every minute raise it 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 dollar more
nor less. ] do not intend that either
| you or this company shall take an adj
vantage"
| do not know which regarded Ma,
son with a 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 cratic 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 were COM
ing to the door, he plucked my sleeve
| and spoke his comment, which,
phrasA differently, was, indeed, the
| comment Of us all.
"The old boys terror! amt her