Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-09-19

take an hour or so off, I'm going TO
get you to show me around in your
little mu-zeeum of seif-conceit, John.
Maybe l can learn how to gather me
up one"
Smith matched the mine owners
good-natured smile. For some unex-
plainable reason the world. his particu-
lar world, seemed to have lost its
malignance. He could even think of
Stanton without bitterness; and the
weapon which had been weighing his
hip pocket for the past few days had
been carefully buried in the bottom OF
the lower dressing-case drawer before
he came down to breakfast.
you may laugh, Billy, but you'll
have to admit that I've been outfigur-
ing the whole bunch of you. right from
the start" he retorted braZenly. But
let's get down to business. This is
practically Stanton's last day of grace.
If he can't get some legal hold upon
US before midnight tomorrow night,
or work some scheme to make us lose
our franchise, his job is gone"
"Show me-" said the mine owner sue
cinctly.
Its easy. With the dam completed
and the water running In the bitches,
we become at once a going concern,
with assets a long way in advance of
our liabilities. The day after tOmor-
row-if we pull Throughout won't
be able to buy a single share of
Timanyoni High Line at any figure.
AS natural consequence, public senti-
ment which, we may say, is at pres
ent a little doubtful, viii come over
to our side In a landslide, and Stan
toms outfit, If it wants TO continue the
fight. Will have to fight the entire
TimanyOni, with the city of Brewster
thrown in for good measure. Am 1
making it plain?"
Fright you are. so far. Go on"
"Billy. I'll tell you something that
haven't dared to tell anybody, not
even Colonel Baldwin. I've been
spending the company's money IKE
water to keep in touch. The minute
we fail, and long before we could
hope to reorganize a second time and
apply for a new charter, Stant0n's COM
pany will be in the field, with it's char
ter already granted. From that to TAX
ing possession of our dam, either by
means of an enabling act of the leg
islature. or by purchase from the pa
per railroad, will be only a step. And
we couldn't do a thing We'd have
no legal rights, and no money to fight
with ~
Starbuck pushed his chair away from
the table and drew a long breath.
"Good glory!" he sighed. II wish to
goodness it was day after tomorrow
Can you carry 1t any further, John?"
Yes; a step or two. For a week
Stanton has been busy on the paper
railroad claim. and that is what made
me buy a few cases of good rifles
and send them out to Williams was
afraid Stanton might try force. He
won't do that If he can help it; he'll
go in with some legal show, If possible,
because our force at the dam far out
numbers any gang he could hire, and
he knows we are armed"
HE can't work the legal game" said
Starbuck definitively. 1--WE known
Judge Warner ever since l was knee
high to a hop-toad, and a sQuarer man
doesn't breathe"
"That is all right, but you're forget
ting something. The paper railroad is
or was once-an interstate corpora
ton, and so may ask for relief from
the federal courts, thus going over
Judge Warmers head. I'm not saying
anything against Lorching, the federal
judge at Red Butte. I've met him, and
he is a good jurist and presumably an
honest man. But he is well along in
years, and has an exaggerated notion
of his own Importance. Stanton, or
rather his figurehead railroad people,
have asked him to intervene. and he
has taken the case under advisement.
That is where we stand this morning"
Starbuck was nodding Slowly. 81
see what you mean. now" he said. at