Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-04-05


all the preliminary surveys and had
spent the better part of the former
summer in the Niquoia. had reported
on the Massingales. father and son. and
his report had conveyed a hint OF pos
sible antagonism ON the part of the
mine owners to the government prof.
ect But there had been no mention
of woman.
THE Massingale mine. eh?" broke
in the appraiser OF values crisply.
They showed US some ore specimens
from that property while we were stop
ping over in Red Butte. It's rich
good and plenty rich--if they have the
quantity And somebody told me they
had the quantity, too: only it was too
far from the railroad couldn't jack
freight it proiltably over the Timan-
yonis."
In which case it is one of many"
Brouillard said. taking refuge in the
generalities.
But Mr.. Cartwright was not TO be so
easily diverted from the pointed par
ticulars-the particulars having to do
with the pursuit of the market trail
I'm beginning TO get my feet on
bottom, Brouillard, he said, dropping
the courtesy prefix and showing his fat
hands deep into the pockets of the
dust-coat. There's a business propo-
sition here, and it looks mighty good
to me. | tell you, ] can smell money
in this valley of yours-scads of it,"
BroniIlard laughed 1T is only the
| fragrance of future reclamation-serv-
ice appropriations. he suggested
There will be a good bit of money
spent here before the Buckskin desert
gets its maiden wetting."
II don't mean that at all, was the
| impatient rejoindeT. Let me show
you: you are going to have popula-
ton of some sort That's the basis
Then you're going to need cement
lumber and steel 1t can be manufac-
tured right here on the spot"
THE cement and the lumber can be
produced here, but not the STEEL"
Brouillard corrected.
That's where you're off," snapped
the millionaire. There are fine ore
beds in the Hophras and pretty good
quality of coking coal. Ten or twelve
miles of a narrow-gauge railroad would
dump the pig metal into the upper end
of your valley, and there you are.
With small reduction plant you could
tell the big steel people to go hang"
'Unquestionably But this is a case
of can't-help-it," Brouillard argued
You couldn't begin to interest private
capital in any of those industries you
speak of"
Why not?" was the curt demand.
Because when the dam is eomplet-
ed and the spillway gates are closed,
the Niqoyastcadje and everything in it
will go down under two hundred feet
of water"
"The-what?" queried Miss Cort-
wright
"The Niqoyastcadje - 'Place-where-
they-came-up said Brouillard, eluci-
dating for her. THAT is the Navajo
name for this valley. Our map max
ers shortened it to 'Niquoia' and the
cowmen of the Buckskin foothills have
cut that to 'Nick-wire'"
This bit of explanatory place lore
was entirely lost upon Mr.. j. Wesley
Cartwright. He was chewing the ends
of his short mustaches and scowling
thoughtfully out upon the possible site
of the future industrial city of the
plain.
Say, Brouillard. " he cut in, you get
me the right to build that power dam,
and give me the contracts for what
material you'd rather buy than make,
and I'll be switched if | don't take a
shot at this drowning proposition my
self / tell you, it looks pretty good
to me. What do you say?"
Il say" laughed the young chief of
construction, that I'm only a hired
man. Youll have to go a good few
rounds higher up on the authority lad
der to close a deal like that I'm not
sure it wouldn't require an act of
congress"
We'll, by George, we might get even
that If we had to" was the optimistic
assertion. You think about it,
Il guess it isn't my think" said
Brouillard. inclined to take the retired
pork packers suggestion as the mere
rawlings of a money-mad promoter.
''As the government engineer in
charge of this work. couldn't afford
to be identified even as a friendly in
termediary in any such scheme as the
one you are proposing.
"of course, suppose not" agreed
the wouldbe promoter. sucking his
under lip in way ominously familiar
to his antagonists in the wheat pit.
Then he glanced at his watch and
changed the subject abruptly. Wen