Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-05-11

what we are discussing at present is
the departments attitude toward your
enterprise l shall be exceeding nv
instructions if l make that attitude
friendly to the detriment of my owu
work"
The new resident manager sat back
in his chair and chewed his cigar re,
flectfvely, staring up at the log beam
ing Of the Office ceiling.
you're just like all the other gov
eminent men I've ever had to dc bust
ness with, Brouillard; pig-headed, OBJ
stinate, blind as bats to their own in
terests. l didn't especially want to
begin by knocking you into line, but
] guess it'll have to be done. l guess
the best way to get you is to send
little wire to Washington. How does
that strike you?"
I haven't the slightest interest in
what you may do or fail to do" said
Brouillard.
But you have made the plans for
this power plant, haven't your
yes; and they are the property Of
the department. If you want them
I'll turn them over to you upon a
proper order from headquarters"
That's little more like it. Where
did you say I'd lind your wire of7fce?"
Brouillard gave the information, and
as Hosford went out Grislow came in
and took his place at the mapping
table.
GLAD you got back in time to save
ny life" he remarked pointed1y. with
shy glance at his chief He's been
blowing burrows up and down my little
potato patch all day"
"Humph! Digging for information,
I suppose?" grunted Brouillard.
Just that; and he's been getting it,
too. Not out of me, particularly, but
out Of everybody. Also, he was willing
to impart little. We're in for the
time of our lives, Victor"
Il know It," was the grabbed rejoin-
der
You don't know the tenth part Of
it, asserted the photographer slowly
It's modest name, The Niquoia I'M
provement company but it is going
to be like charity-covering a multi
tude Of sins. Do you know what that
plank-faced organizer has got up his
sleeve? He Is going to build us a
neat, up-to-date little city right here
in the middle Of our midst. If l hadn't
made him believe that l was only a
craftsman, he would have had me out
with a transit, running the lines for
the streets"
"A city?-in this reservoir bottom ?
l guess not. He was only stringing
you to kill time, Grizzly"
Don't you fool YOURSELF" ex-
claimed the mapmaker. He's got the
plans in his grip. We're going to be
on little reservation set apart for US
by the grace of God and the kind
ness of those promoters. The remain
| der Of the valley is laid off into cute
| little squares and streets, with every
thing named and numbered, ready to
| be listed in the brokers' Offices You
may not be aware of it, but this pala-
tial office building Of ours fronts on
| Chigringo avenue"
Stuff" said Brouillard. what has
| all this bubble blowing got to do with
| the building of a temporary dam and
the setting up Of "a couple of cement
kilns?'
| Grislow laid his pen aside and
whirled around on his working stool.
| Don't you make any easy-going
| aiCto 10 so&
| THE cement and power proposition is
only side issue. These new people
are going to take over the sawmills,
| open up quarries, build stub railroad
to the Hophra mines, grade a practi-
cable stage road over the range to
freight line to serve until the railroad
builds in. Wouldn't that set your
teeth on edge?"
Il can't believe it, Murray It's a
| leaf out Of the book of Bedlami
Take fair shot at it and see where
the bullet lands; this entire crazy fake
is built upon one solitary, lonesome
fact-the fact that we're here, with a
job on our hands big enough to create
an active, present-moment market for
labor and material. There is absolute
ly nothing else behind the bubble
blowing; If we were not here the Nj.
| quota Improvement company would
never have been heard Off
Grislow laughed. Your arguing that
twice two makes four doesn't change
the iridescent hue Of the bubble" he
volunteered. eff big money has seen
a chance to skin somebody, the mere
fact that the end of the world is due
| to come along down the pike some
day isn't going to cut any obstructing
figure. Well all be buying and sell.
| ing corner lots in Hosford's new city
before we're month older Don't you
believe it?"
I'll believe 1t when I see It," was
Brouillards reply; and with this the
matter rested for the moment.
1t was later in the day, an hour or
so after the serving of the hearty
supper in the engineers mess tent
that Broui1lard was given to see an
| other and still less tolerable side OF
his temporary guest. ,Hosford had
come into the Office to plant himself
solidly in the makeshift easy chair fol
the smoking Of big, black after-sup