The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1916-04-21

|
It all off You don't want the Mirapo-
lis we'll to go dry right now, not one bit
more than l do"
IT have been trying pretty hard to
make you understand that it is a mat
ter of utter Indifference to me-"
But you haven't succeeded very
well; it isn't at all a matter of indiifer-
ence to you," the magnate insisted per-
suasively. "As things are shaping
themselves up at the present speaking.
| you stand to lose. not only the hun
dred thousand you squandered on old
David. but all you've made besides.
keep in touch-its my business to
keep in touch. You've been buying
bargains and you are holding them
for the simple reason that with the
| present slowing-down tendency in the
| saddle you can't sell and make any
money"
''Well?"
I've got proposition to make that
ought to look good to you. What we
need just now in this town is little
more Notwithstanding doing. You
can relieve the situation If you feel
like it,
How"
IF tell you. you mustn't go and use
it against me. That would be a low
down welcher's trick. But you won't
See here, your bureau at Washington
is pretty well scared up over the pros
pect here. 1t is known in the capital
that when congress convenes there is
going to be dead-open-and-shut fight
to kill this Buckskin reclamation pro-
( ject. Very well; the way for you fell
lows to win out is to hurry-fnish
your dam and finish it quick. before
congress or anybody else can get ac-
ton"
For a single instant Brouillard was
puzzled. Then he began to under
stand
go on" he said.
What l was going to suggest is
this: You prod your people at Wash
ington with hot wire; tell 'em now's
the tine to strike and strike hard
They'll see the point. and If you ask
for an increase of a thousand men
you'll get 1t. Make 1t two thousand.
4 just for the dramatic effect. Well
work right along with you and make
things hum again. Well start up the
cement plant, and 1 don't know but
what we might give the Buckskin M. &
| M. folks a small hypodermic that would
keep 'em alive while we are taking a
few snapshot pictures of Mirapolis
on the jump again."
Let me get It straight" said Brouil
lard. putting his back against the door
You fully believe you've got us down;
that eventually. and before the water
is turned on. congress will pass a bill
killing the Niquoia project. But in the
meantime. to make things lively. you'd
like to have the reclamation service go
ahead and spend another million or so
in wages that can be turned loose In
Mirapolis. Is that it?"
You've surrounded 1t very neatly"
laughed the promoter. Once. some
little time ago. might have felt the
necessity Of convincing your scruples.
but you've cut away all that foolish
ness. It's little tough on our good
old Uncle Samuel, I'll admit. but it'll
be only pin-prick or 80 in comparison
to the money that is thrown away
every time congress passes an appro-
piration bill. And, putting it upon the
dead practical basis, Brouillard, it's
your own and only salvation-person-
ally, / mean. You've got to unload or
go broke. and you can't unload on a
falling market. You think about 1t and
then get quick action with the wire.
There is no time to lose"
Brouillard was looking past Cort.
wright and out through the plate glass
window which commanded view of
the great dam and its network of forms
and stagings.
1T is a gamblers bet and a rather
desperate one" he said slowly. You
stand to win all or to lose all in max.
ing it, Mr.. Cartwright. The town is
balancing on the knife-edge of panic
at this moment. Would 1t go up. OF
down. with a sudden resumption OF
work on the damn"
THE careless thinker would say
that it would yell Fire!' and go up in.
to the air 80 far that 1t could never
climb down." was the prompt reply
But well have the medicine 5ropper
handy. In the first place. everybody
can afford to stay and boost while
Uncle Sam is spending his million or
sc right here in the middle of things
Nobody will want to pull out and leave
that COW unpilked. In the second
place. we've got a mighty good anti.
dote to use in any sure-enough case
Of hydrophobia your quick dam build
ing may start"
"Ycu could let It leak out that. in
spite cf all the hurrah and rush on
a L..
terfere before we are ready to turn
tho wafor ~, " aatJ nrn,,t1lo - ID