The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-11-28

Woh. Queilcu GTiblOW. nc
RAILROAD over War Arrow Pass
would be the biggest thing that
ever happened for our job here. II
1t did nothing else, 1t would make
us Independent of these boomers
that are coming in to sell US ma
terial at their own prices"
Exactly. But my hands are
tied; besides, Massingale's offer
was a rank bride.
when | turned him down.
young Massingale began to buster
and to say that I'd have to boost
the railroad deal, whether | want
ed to or not. l told him he
couldn't prove it, and he said he
would show me, If I'd take half an
hours walk up the valley with
him. You know that long, narrow
sandbar in the river just below
the mouth of the upper canyon?"
Grislow nodded.
THAT is where we went for the
proof. Massingale dipped up a
painful of the bar sand, which he
asked me to wash out for myself.
| did 1t and you have results there
in that paper. That bar is COM
paratively rich placer dirt"
Good Lord" calculated the
map-maker. Comparatively rich.
you say?-and you washed this
spoonful out of single PAM"
Keep your head" said Brouil-
lard coolly. "Massingale explained
that | had happened to make a
ten-strike; that the bar wasn't
any such bonanza as that first re-
suit would indicate. l proved that,
too, by washing some more of it
without getting any more than a
few 'colors.' But the fact remains;
it's placer ground"
"a gold strike!" the hydro
grapher gasped. "And we---we're
planning to drown it under two
hundred feet of a lake!"
Brouillard's laugh was harsh.
Don't let the fever get hold of
you, Grislow. Don't forget that we
are here to carry out the plans of
the Reclamation Service-which
are more far-reaching and of a
good bit greater consequence than
a dozen placer mines. Not that 1t
didn't make me grab for hand
holds for minute or two, mind
you. Massingale had calculated
pretty carefully on the dramatic
effect of his little shock. Anyway,
he drove the peg down good and
hard. If l would jump in and pull
every possible string to hurry the
railroad over the range the secret
of the placer bar would remain
secret. Otherwise he would ad-
vertise 1t to the world. You know
what that would mean for us,
Murray"
My Lord! should say so.
Every white man in the camp
would go to gravel washing!"
That's 1t precisely" Brouillard
acquiesced gloomily. "Massingale
is a young tough, but he is shrewd
enough, when he is sober. He had
me dead to rights, and he knew
it."
"Say, Victor. I'm beginning to
acquire a great and growing re-
spect for Mr.. Stephen Massingale.
This field is too small for him;
altogether too small. He ought to
get a job with some of the male
factors of great wealth. How did
you settle 1t finally?"
"Massingale was too shrewd to
push me. He told me to take a
week or two to think about 1t.
We dropped the matter by COM
mon consent, and on the way
down the valley Massingale pitch
ed in a bit of information out of
what seemed to be sheer good will.
1t seems that he and his father
have done a lot of test drilling up
and down the side of yCrigringo at
one time and another, and he told
me that there is a bed il micace-
GUS shale under our south anchor
age, cautioning me not to let the