The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-12-23

charter and n bOnded ueOt' eIeS'i'N
lights. waterworks and a trolley sys-
tenn. Grierson's interest predominated
in every considerable business venture
In Il, save and excepting the Aaymer
Foundry and Machine works.
lie was president OF n bank n
the principal stakeholder In the other
which was practically an allied institu'
ton: he was the sole owner OF the
grain elevator. the saw and planning
mills. the box factory and a dozen
smaller industries In which his name
did not appear. Also. II was his money
or rather his skill as a promoter, which
had transformed the Wahaska x Pine
boro railroad from n logging switch,
built to serve the sawmill, into an i'm
portant and independent connecting
link in the great lake region system.
In each OF these commercial or In
dustrtal chariots the returned native
eat In the drivers seat; and those VINO
remembered him as q loutish young
farmland overlooked the cducative re-
suits OF continued success and mar
veled at his gifts, wondering how and
where ne had acquired them.
While the father was thus gratifying
a purely Gothic lust for conquest, the
daughter figured. In at least n small
circle. az a beautiful young Nandal,
with a passion for o%verturning all the
well.settled traditions. AZ first her at.
titude toward Wahaska and the Wa.
haskans had been s%erenely tolerant:
the tolerance OF the barbarian who
neither understands, nor sympathizes
with. the homely virtues and the Gus
toms which have grown out OF them
Then resentment awoke. and with II
a soaring ambition TO reconstruct the
social fabric OF the %countrifled town
upon "a model OF her own dcvising.
In this charitable undertaking she
a aided and abetted by her father,
who induigontly paid the bills. At her
%instisatiOn he built an imposing red
brick mansion On the sloping shore OF
Lake Minncdasba, named tor sui.
fercd her TO name it-"Mereside.' had
ar artist OF parts up from Chicago TO
desied the decorations and superintcnd
the furnishings. had a landscape gar.
dcner from Philadelphia TO lay out the
Iro.nds and. when all was in roadi.
ness, gave a housewarming TO which
the invitations were IN some sense
mandatory. since by that time he had
q hager In nearly every commercial
and industrial pie in Wahaska.
But there we're sim obstacles to be
surmuuntcd From the first there had
been a peryerse minority refusing
~stubbornly 10 bow the head In the
house of-Gricrson. The Farnhams
We're OF II. and the Raymers, with a
following OF u few OF the families
caned old" as age is reckoned in the
middle West. The men OF this minor.
ity were slow TO admit the omnipo.
tcnce OF Jasper Grierson's money, and
the women were still slower TO accept
Miss Grierson on terms OF social equal.
ity
At the housewarming this minority
had been repr, sented only by various.
~ wOrded regrets. At a reception,
given TO mark the closing OF Mereside,
socially, on the eve Of Miss Margery's
departure for the winter IN Florida,
the regrets were stu polite and still
unanimous. Miss Margory laughed de-.
ilantly and set her white teeth On a
determined resolution to reduce this
inner citadel OF conservatism at all
costs. Accordingly, she opened the
campaign on the morning after the re-.
Coption: began T. At the breakfast "a.
BILE when she Was pouring her fathers
coffee.
You know o~yory body, and every.
body's business, poppa: who Is the
treasurer Of ST. Johns she inquired
How should ! know grumhlod the
magEate. whose familiarity with
church affairs vas limited 10 certain
writings OF a legal nature concerning
the Presbyterian house Of worship
upon which he held "A MORTGAGE
You ought to know" asserted Miss
Margery. with some gspcrIty. Isn't II
MIR, Edward Raymer?"
Jasper Grierson frowncd thoughtful,