The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-06-21

I've come from your best friend"
spoke the lawyer He wants you to
accept pension, free and clear
town residence an automobile and"
Gabriel Purcell burst out into a
hearty laugh. He held In his hand a
letter he had Just received from his
son. He was strangely changed from
the wandering misanthrope OF the
early morning.
stop right there, Mr.. Randall" he
said heartily. Il understand Mr.
Wynne and he understands me. The
new experiment is forced on him, and
no hard feelings. 1t won't go through.
Remember what l say, that before a
year is out I'll be back and the old sys-
TEN resumed. And say" and the old
mans eyes glowed. "Ill be able to help
him out II he finds he's cramped for
capital"
The lawyer eyed Purcell as though
he was getting rid Of his senses.
"Oh, I'm not talking Wild" chuckled
the old man. He waved the letter in
his hand towards the old quarry pit. II
own that, you know"
THAT hole In the ground. you
mean?
Exactly, and it's going to be gold
mine"
Il can't make out Purcell" reported
the lawyer to Mr.. Wynne. HE talks
millions. He's got some dream OF
wealth and he seems happy as a lark.
He says he'll be back In year"
Il honestly hope it, groaned Mr..
Wynne. ALREADY some Of the mod
ern efficiency tactics Of the new SUI
perintendent have set the older work
ing gangs by the ears, and they are
quitting by the score"
Mr.. Wynne put himself out of the
way to meet Purcell whenever he
could. He was surprised, pleased and
gratlfied to note the glad, sincere well
come of the discarded faithful old fell
low worker. Purcell was more than
friendly, he was cheerful. loquacious,
and referred constantly to his "vaca-
tion," and blinked jocularly at the
founder and referred to "the good old
times coming back all new"
Then came a period of care and
trouble for the plant. A good many OF
the old expert workmen sought new
fields Of labor. The new superintend-
ent took large contract at loss.
In rushing special order they for
feited the trade Of one of their old
est and most substantial clients.
Meanwhile, something that puzzled
the townspeople was going on at the
old quarry. Near the edge OF the big
| pit new tracks were laid, a large
weighing scale put In, derricks erect
ed and scoops, elevating and lower
Ing machinery. Purcell hustled about
the busiest, cheeriest being ever was
and his son Arnold made frequent In
spection visits to the old home at the
quarry pit.
One day. like a thunderclap. cam,
the news that the big plant was shu
down pending reorganization. TIL
new superintendent had resigned
Some outside stockholders had becom
alarmed at the reports Of fast shrink
ing profits, and had thrown their hold
| IIiSS vi tie iudihct Ut IL iuiHVuS ue
cline.
That very morning a train of s.
gondola dump cars gracefully wount
round from the main railroad tracks
and half encIrcled the quarry pit Each
car was weighed, the contents dumped
| Ashes, building debris, all the daily
accumulated rubbish and waste OF a
great city was represented In this first
dumping into that useless, valueless,
almost fathomless quarry pit.
Thomas Wynne looked up from his
desk In the office OF the deserted plant
as Gabriel Purcell entered. The found
ers face was worn and drawn.
as it as bad as they sayw ques-
toned Purcell.
"Worse. Outside Of my wife's cap
ital I have no resources. I must have
two hundred thousand dollars to get
back where we were before this
CHASTITY experiment was made, or go
into bankruptcy"
"Good !" cried Purcell animatedly.
"Tll provide the deficit amount for a
like amount Of stock"
"You?" cried Wynne incredulously.
Myself and my son, yes. You see.
old friend, the quarry pit. Arnold is
the head expert In recovery and dis
posal work for the city. We are only
II miles away, and the nearest avail
able dumping pit. They have been
carrying the refuse out into the lake,
but the barge rates have become pro-
hibitive. In fact, we have ten years
contract for disposing Of the rubbish
at forty cents cubic yard. Fifty
cars day and all profit, but the
weighing. Figure 1t up, and don't won
der that we are able to anticipate a
million in payment any time we want
It,"
"And you propose"
''To go back to my old Job and run
the plant on the old safe, sensible ba-
sis. Old friend" suggested Purcell,
with twinkling eyes, "did it happen to
occur to you that In Oslerizing the
plant you forgot that you were ten
years older than myself?'
And then when affairs had been