Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-07-28


dred thousand you squandered on old
David, but all you've made besides. l
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 cant sell and make any
money"
"Well?"
1--WE got a proposition to make that
ought to look good to you. What we
need just now in this town is a little
more Notwithstanding doing. You
can relieve the situation II you feel
like it."
"How?"
"1f I 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 a dead-open-and-shut fight
to kill this Buckskin reclamation pro.
ject. Very we'll; the way for you fell
lows to win out is to hurry-finish
your dam and finish it quick, before
congress or anybody else car get &C
ton"
For a single instant Brouillard was
puzzled. Then he began to under
stand.
60 on" he said.
What l was going to suggest Is
this: You prod your people at Wash
ington with a hot wire; tell 'em now's
the time to strike and strike hard.
They'll see the point, and if you ask
for an increase Of a thousand men
you'll get it. Make it two thousand,
just for the dramatic effect. Well
work right along with you and make
things hum again. Well start up the
cement plant, and | don't know but
what we might give the Buckskin NJ. G.
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, I might have felt the
necessity of convincing your %scruples,
but you've cut away all that foolish
ness. It's a little tough on our good
old Uncle Samuel, III admit, but it'll
be only a pin-prick or so 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 and only salvation-person-
ally, l mean. You've got to unload or
go broke, and you can't unload on a
falling market. You think about it 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 a 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 a panic
at this moment. Would 1t go up, or
down, with a sudden resumption of
work on the damn"
THE careless thinker would say
that 1t would yell Fret and go up In.
to the air SO far that it could never
climb down." was the prompt reply.
"But we'll have the medicine dropper
handy. In the first place, everybody
a afford to stay and boost while
Uncle Sam is spending his million or
SO right here In the middle of things.
Nobody will want to pull out and leave
that cow unmilked. In the second
place, we've got a mighty good anti
dote to use in any s%ure-enough case
of hydrophobia your quick dam build
ing may start"
"You could let 1t leak out that, in
spite Of all the hurrah and rush on
the dam, congress is really going to In.
terfere before we are ready to turn
the water on" said Brouillard musing-
ly and as If 1t were only his thought
slipping into unconscious speech.
Precisely. We could make that prop
hold If you were actually putting the
top course on your wall and making
preparations to drop the stop-gate In
your spillway."
Il see," was the rejoinder, and 1t
vas made in the same h~alf.absent
monotone. But while we are still on
the knife-blade edge . a little
push Mr.. Cartwright, If there