Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-01-11

ionY ana cost US q hundred and nTTy
thousand dollars. but we raised the
money In ten minutes! We're going to
build two more. And Sam Brannan
and n lot of US are talking Of putting
down plank roads. Think what that
VIII mean! And there's no limit to
what we can do In real estate! Just
knock down n few Of these hills to the
north
He stopped. for | was laughing.
Why mo- drain the bay?" sug.
gested. "There's a-plenty OF land down
there
Well" said Talbot in IL calmer man.
me-. won't quite do that, but we'll
put some Of those sand hills into the
edge OF the bay. You wait and see.
II you want to make money YOU just
buy some Of those water front lots.
You'll wake up some morning to find
you're a mile inland"
laughed again. but just the other
day, In this year 1899, l rode in a
street a where fifty years ago great
ships had lain ut anchor.
We discovered Johnny and Yank and
pounded each others backs and had
drinks and generally worked off u
high spirits. Then we adjourned to a
corner, lit cigars, a tremendous luxury
for us miners, and plunged into recital.
talbot listened to us a~ttentively, his
eyes bright With interest, occasionally
breaking in on the narrator to ask one
of the others to supplement some too
modcStly worded statement.
Well" he sighed when we had fin
islied. you boys have certainly had Il
time. What an experience. You'll
ne"cr forget it,. IIe brooded awhile.
II suppose the world will never see it's
like again. 1t was the chance Of q
lifetime. Id like-no, l wouldn't! I've
live,l too. Well. now for the partner
ship. AS l understand it, for the Hang
mans Gulch end of it we have. all
told, about $o.OOO-at any rate, that
was the amount Mcclellan SEM down
to me-"
That's it" said /.
And the Porcupine Flat venture was
Il bad loSs?'
THE robbers cleaned us out there
except for what We sent you" agreed
regretfully.
Since which time Yank has been
out of it completely
Haven't made a cent SINCE ac-
knowledged Yank cheerfully, and l
W somethink to Frank here for my
keep. Thought l had about $1,000. but
| guess l amt
AT Italian Bar" went on Taboo.
"how much did you make?"
doesn't matter what | made" in
tcrposcd Johnny, for, as Frank told
you. it's all Mt the bottom Of the Sacra-
mento river"
II did pretty WELL" said I. land
pulled out PIG ounces"
about $1,000" computed Talbot.
You're the p%lutocrat, ali right. Well.
I've done pretty we'll with this end Of
the partnership too. I think-but l
guess we'd better take a fresh day to
it. 1t must be ungodly late. Good
Lord. yes! Three o'clock
Nobody would have thought so. The
place seemed nearly as full as ever.
We accompanied Talbot to his hotel.
where he managed. after some diff
Guilty. to procure us Il cot apiece.
Our sleep was short. and in spite Of
u youth and the vitality we had
stored in the healthy life Of the hills
We felt dragged out and tired. Five
hours sleep in two days is not enough.
l was up a few minutes before the
rest, and l sat in front Of the hotel
bnsking In the u like Il lizard.
Talbot appeared last, fresh aud smil-
ing. Breakfast finished. he took us all
with him to the new brick building.
After some business we adjourned
once nor to the Arcade. There Tai
bet made his report.
1 wish I could remember it and re-
peat tito you verbatim. 1t was worth
it. Bat l cannot. AID the most l can
do is to fly to convey to you the sense
Of that 'sccffe-wc three tanned, wealth
er beaten ~out'anGcrs listening open
mout!fel to the keen. competent, self
assured magician who before our eyes
spun hfs tslittcring fabric. Talbot
Ward had seized upon the varied pos
sibi!fties Of the new city. The earn
ings OH his first Setlemc-the ship store
houses and the rental Of the brick
building on Montgomery street, you
will Observation-Disclosures net the first
month, l believe. to some $4,000. With
his share Of this money he had laid
narrow margins on a dozen options.
Day by day, week by week, his op-
erations extended. He vas in wharves,
sand lots, shore lots, Tightening, plank
roads, II new hotel. Day after day
week after week, he had turned these
things over, and at each turn money
hal dropped out. Sometimes the play
thing proved empty, and then Talbot
lad promptly thrown it away, appar.
emily without afterthought or regret.
AS fast as he acquired a dollar he in
vested it in a new chance, until his in
terests extended from the Presidio to
the water front Of the inner bay. These
interests were strange odds and ends.
IIn orJ ~,i%I H.. ,sx~