The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-05-11
BOWSer'S |
Little Plan
He Is Going to Reduce
the Cost of White
Paper One-Half
BY M. QUAD.
. seeose . % . Q 30 90 eosose . .

When Mr.. Bowser came up to din
ner the other evening there was let
ter awaiting him which had come in
the afternoon mail. 1t was letter
from a postmaster up the state. He
opened 1t. and expressed great salts
faction. He had no particulars to give
out, and Mrs. Bowser had learned to
repress her curiosity.
Half an hour after they had gone
upstairs Mr.. Bowser began pacing
the floor, as he always does when he
has got little scheme on hand. BY
and by he suddenly made up his
mind to unbosom himself, and he sat
down and drew the letter from his
pocket and said:
Mrs. Bowser / hold a fortune in
my hand"
HAS some one died and left you a
legacyW she queried with a smile.
II have left myself a legacy" he
continued. "and l am going to tell
you about it, although think l have
made an idiot to do so. l should have
been worth millions and millions of
dollars had you not discouraged me
whenever l got hold of sure thing.
You will probably do so in this in
stance, but by the seven seas, l shall
go right ahead in spite of what you
say"
swell, if it's so serious as that per-
haps you hadn't better tell the story
''But shall tell it, that you may
see what a golden opportunity has
presented itself, but any time wish
to stop short ! shall do so. Mrs. Bow
ser, you have read about the scar
city and the consequent high price of
white paper, haven't you-indeed, of
all kinds of paper?"
II have" was the quiet reply.
YOU You know ne shat paper is made Of
Il do"
"They take wood and soften it up
in some way so as to make q pulp
Of 1t. This pulp is then treated so
that 1t becomes q sort of mash, and,
out of this mash they make paper.
| do not understand exactly how it's
done, but it is done. There is ire
mendous scarcity. of trees. and that's
why paper is at higher price now
than was ever known in this country
before. You follow me, don't you?"
Yes, understand everything"
'The papgrfnakers have tried In
vain to find substitute for this
woodpulp. They have even ground
UP old hats. They can make wrap
ping paper out of bootlegs, and
straw stacks and kind of grass,
but nothing but woodpulp makes the
paper they want to make most. and
whole forests have disappeared in
the last two or three years."
Eyes, l have read about it several
times" said Mrs. Bowser. "Your
coming fortune has something to do
with the woodpulp, hasn't it?"
ut has all to do with it, my dear,
as you will soon learn. About a
month ago a stranger came into my
office and introduced himself as Mr..
Riley. He wanted to go to war and
become q great general, but he could
not do so unless he could make GER
tain business arrangements. He owns
a tract of woodland, comprising 1000
acres. 1t was worth SIS an acre, but
he would sell it to me Tor $40, and give
me plenty of time to pay for it. That
is, | am to pay him half down in cash
and he takes a mortgage on the land
for three years. Those are very favor
able terms, and they could not have
been offered me. except that Mr.. Riley
was anxious to be general"
"Well?" was the query.
"He said that about half dozen
paper manufacturers were after that
woodland, but he would give me the
preference. There are trees enough
on that land to keep 10 paper mills
going night and day for year. The
new supply of woodpulp will bring
down the price of white paper fully
so per cent. / buy that land at $40
an acre. hold 1t six months and
I am just as sure to get $25 for 1t
MS the sun rises"
II do not take anything for
granted. / am too good a business
man for that. Mr.. Riley could not
give me the number of trees ON his
thousand acres. | put him off and
wrote to postmaster to get me
q man to go over the land and do
the counting, and here is his report.
It is more than satisfactory, and Mr..
Riley will be here tomorrow night
and we will close the bargain. / will
read you the report. The man made
d careful count, and he says there
are about 40 trees to the acre-that
is, good-sized trees. These trees
comprise oaks, naples, beech and iron
woed trees. There are also few chest
nut trees and elms."
"The man did not count any spruce
trees. did hep" asked Mrs. Bowser.
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