The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1916-04-06
va CHAPTER XVIII IN,
The Setting of the Ebb

AOiiIdIl W inc llOHl ndlb GA
pectations OF the SPECTATORS
trary. perhaps, even 10 those OF Mr.. ]
Wesley Cortwright-th upward surge
in Mirapolis values, following the visit
OF the distinguished citizens" proved
to be more than a tidal wave; II was
a series OF them. Day after day the
curb" markets were reopened, with
prices mounting slfyward: and when
the news OF how fortunes could be
made In day in the Miracle city OF
the Niquoia got abroad In the press dis.
patches there was a fresh influx OF mad
money hunters from the East.
Now. II never before, the croaker
was wrathfully shouted down and ST.
fenced No one admitted. or seemed to
admit, the possible impermanence of
the city.
To the observer, anxious or casual,
there appeared to be reasonable
grounds for the optimistic assertion. 1t
was an indubitable fact that Brouil-
lard's force had been cut down first to
one-half. and later to barely enough
men 10 keep the crushers and mixers
moving and 10 add fresh layers OF con-
crete to the huge wall of sufficient
quantities to prevent the material-in
technical phrase-from dying" The
Navajos had been sent home to their
reservation, the tepees were gone, and
two-thirds of the camp shacks were
empty.
Past these material facts II was
known TO everybody in the frenzied
market place that Brouillard himself
was, according to his means, one OF
the most reckless of the plungers, buy
ing, borrowing. and buying again as If
the future held no threat of a possible
debaclo. II was an object lesson for
the timid. Those who did not them
selves know certainly argued that
there must be a few who did know, /
and among these few the chief OF the
reclamation service must be in the
very foremost rank.
For the better part OF fortnight the
tidal waves Of prosperity. as evinced |
by increasing speculative values, kept !
on rolling in. each one apparently a lit |
tie higher than its immediate prede- |
cessor Then the flood began to sub. !
side, though so slowly that at first it
was only by careful comparison of
the daily transfers that the recession
could be measured.
Causes and consequences extraneous
to the city itself contributed to the al
most imperceptible reactionary ten.
dency. For one. the Buckskin Mining
and Milling company reluctantly aban.
doned its pastime OF blowing barren
burrows on Jacks mountain, and a lit.
lie later went into liquidation, as the
phrase ran. though the eastern bond.
holders probably called 1t bankruptcy.
About the same time the great cement
plant, deprived of the government
market by the slackening of the work
IN the dam, reduced its ,Jut to less
han onefourth of it's full capacity.
Most portentous of all, perhaps. was
he rumor that the placers at Quad.
email were beginning to show signs OF
exhaustion. II was even whispered
bout that the two huge gold dredges
ecently Installed were not paying the
OF operating them.
Quite naturally. the pulse of the
Wonder city beat sensitive 70 all these
rumors and incidents, re-
slowly at first but little
ater in accelerated throbbings which
ould no longer be ignored by the most
ptimistic bidder at the curb" ex-
hanges.
Still there was no panic AS the ac-
yities in local sales fell of and the /
lirapolitans themselves were no long
r crowding the curbs or standing in
ne at the real estate offices for their
i'm at the listings, the prudent ones, |
18th MIR, Cartwright and his chosen |
ssociates far in advance of the field, |
ere placing Mirapelis holdings tempt |
Ugly on view in distant markets; plac- |
g them and sIlling them with
azonry of advertising worthy OF the
lvy of those who have called them
lives the suburb builders of Greater
ew York.
II was after this invasion of the dis
mt market was fully in train that n
ortwright once more sent for Brouil- Y
I'D, receiving the engineer this time 81
the newest offices of che power com. 81
any. on the many -times,bo ught-and. I
I'D corner opposite Bongras. n
Hello, Brouillard!" said the mag.
ate loosely, indicating a chair and /,
lie never-absent open box of cigars in ID
lie same gesture You're getting to IA
as much of a stranger as a man u
light wish his worst enemy to be-" h
You sent for me?" Brouillard broke Il
tersely. More and more he was a
'ming to acknowledge a dull rage Y
vhen he heard the call of his master.
Eyes. What about the dam? Is your C
7ork going to start up again? Or is it
ding off for good?" It
Brouillard bit his lip to keep back e
he exclamation of astoundment that
be blunt inquiry threatened to evoke II
o assume that Mr.. Cartwright did not s
now all there was to be known was "a
0 credit the incredible.
Il told you a good while ago that l Il
7as only the governments hired man."