The Delta independent., 1916-04-14
Wa CHAPTER XVIII IN,
The Setting of the Ebb

Contrary to the most sanguine ex-
pectations of the speculators-co
trary, perhaps, even to those OF Mr.. J.
Wesley Cortwright-the upward surge
in Mirapolis values. following the visit
of the distinguished citizens" proved
to be more than tidal wave: it was
a series Of them. Day after day the
curb" markets were reopencd. with
prices mounting skyward; and when
the news OF how fortunes could be
made in a 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 81
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
was an indubitable fact that Brouil-
lard's force had been cut down. first to
one-half. and later to barely enough
men to keep the crushers and mixers
moving and to 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 1t was
known to everybody in the frenzied
ovIrn ut MI nrntti1lnrd him QQlf
was. according to his means. one of
the most reckless of the plungers. buy
ing. borrowing, and buying again as II
the future held no threat OF a possible
debacle It was an object lesson for
the timid. Those who did not them.
selves know certainly argued that
there must be 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 food began to sub
side. though so slowly that at first II
was only by a careful comparison of
the daily transfers that the recession
could be measured.
Causes and consequences extraneoua
to the city itself contributed to the al.
most imperceptible reactionary ten.
dency. For one. the Buckskin Mining
and Milling company reluctantly abap.
doned its pastime OF blowing barren
burrows on Jacks mountain. and lit.
tie 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
on the dam. reduced its output to less
than one-fourth Of its full capacity.
Most portentous OF all. perhaps, was
the rumor that the placers at Quad.
| jenai were beginning to show signs of
exhaustion. II wa even whispered
about that the two huge gold dredges
recently installed were not paying the
expenses OF operating them.
Quite naturally. the pulse OF the
Wonder city beat sensitive to all these
Oppressive rumors and incidents. re.
spending slowly at first but little
later in accelerated throbbings which
could no longer be ignored by the most
optimistic bidder at the curb" ex.
changes.
Still there was no panic. As the 40.
tivities In local sales fell on and the
Mirapolitans themselves were no long
or crowding the curbs or standing In
line at the real estate ofiices for thee
turn at the listings, the prudent ones.
with Mr.. Cartwright and his chosen