The Dolores star., 1920-11-26
CHAPTER III,

A"t OusHoul lNe HappE years or
Bryce's boyhood his father continued
to enlarge and improve his sswmill,
to build more schooners, and to ac-
quire more redwood timber. Lands,
the purchase OF which by Cardigan a
decade before had caused his neigh
bors to Impugn his Judgment. now
developed strategical Importance. As
a result those lands necessary to con-
sOlldate his own holdings came to
him at his own price. while his ad-
verse holdings that blocked the log
glng operations OF his competitors
went from hlm-also at his own price
In fact, all well-laId plans matured
satisfactorily with the exception OF
one. and since II has very definite
bearing on the story, the necessity for
explaining 1t is paramount.
Contiguous to Cardlgan's logging
operations to the east and north OF
SeQuoia. and comparatively close in,
lay a block OF two thousand acres
of splendid timber. the natural, feas-
lble. and inexpensive outlet for which
when II should be logged. was the
Valley of the Giants. For thirty
years John Cardigan had played
waiting game with. the owner Of that
timber, for the latter was as fully
obsesSed with the belief that he was
going to sell 1t to John Cardigan at a
dollar and half per thousand feet
stumpage as Cardigan was certain he
was going to buy II for a dollar a
thousand-when he should be ready
to do so and not one second sooner.
more timber arrived. John Cardigan,
meeting his neighbor on the street,
accosted him thus:
Look here, Bill, isn't It time we
got together on that timber Of yours?
You know you've been holding 1t to
block me and force me to buy at your
figure. I'll give you dollar thous-
and stumpage for your timber, Bill
81 want q dollar and half"
"a dollar Is my absolute limit"
Then I'll keep my timber"
"And I'll keep my money. When
I finish logging in my present hold
Ings, I'm going to pull out OF that
country and log twenty miles south
of Sequoia. Remember. BIZ. the man
who buys your timber viii have to log
II through my land-and I'm not CO.
ing TO log that Quarter-section In the
valley. Hence there will be no outlet
for YOUR timber in back"
Not going to log It? Why, what
are YOU going TO do with it?''
Pm Just going to let 1t stay there
until die. When my will is filed for
probate, your curiosity will be salts
fed-hut not until then. Better take
n dollar, Bill. It's good. fair price,
rs the market on redwood timber is
now, and you'll be making an even
hundred per cent. on your investment
Remember, Bill, II don't buy your
timber, you'll never log it yourself
and neither will anybody else. You'll
be stuck with 1t for the next forty
years-and taxes aren't getting any
lower"
"Tll hang on little longer, /
think"
81 think so, too" John Cardigan re-
piled. And that night. ms was MS
wont. even though he realized that IT
was not possible for Bryce to gain
nrofound understanding Of the business
problems to which he was heir, John
Cardigan discussed the Squaw creek
timber with his son, relating to MN
tbc details OF his conversation with
the owner.
Bryce pondered. "But Isn't 1t
cheaper to give him his price on Squaw
creek timber than go logging IN the
San Hcdrln and have to build twenty
miles of logging railroad to get your
logs to the mill?"
at would be, son, IL had to build
tbe rairoad. Fortunately, l do not.
I'll lust shoot the logs down the NIL
side to the San Hedrin river and
drive them down the stream to los'
boom on tidewater.'
Bryce looked at his father admir-
inely. 81 guess Dan Keyes is right
Dad" he said. "Dan snys you're
crazy-like n fox. Now know why
you've been picking up claims In he
San Hedrin watershed.
mo. you don't. Bryce. I've rcver
tod ycu, hut T'll lei! you 70" the
ron, reason ilmnh"''' 60 80 -