The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-05-27
CHAPTER ~.

Throughout the happy years of
Bryce's boyhood his father continued
to enlarge and improve his sawmlll,
to build more schoopers, aud to ac-
qulre more redwood timber. Lands,
the purchase of which by Cardigan
decade before had caused his neigh
bors to impugn his judgment, now
developed strateglcal Importance. As
a result those lands necessary TO CON
solidate his own holdings came TO
him at his own price. while his ad-
verse holdings that blocked the log
ging 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 a 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 q 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 n dollar a
thousand-when he should be ready
10 do so and not one second sooner.
Eventually the time for acquiring
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 II to
block me and force me to buy at your
figure. I'll give you dollar a thous-
and stumpage for your timber, Bill"
~ want q dollar and a half"
"a dollar is my absolute limit"
"Then I'll keep my timber"
"And ri keep my money. When
I finish logging in my present hold
country and log twenty miles south
of Sequoia. Remember. Bill, the man
who buys your timber will have to log
Il through my land--and I'm not go
Ing to log that quarter-section In the
valley. Hence there will be no outlet
r.. .-o,. tip,ha, In koniy
mot going to log it7 Why, what
are you going to do with III"
Pm just going TO let II stay there
until die. When my will Is filed for
probate. your curiosity will be salts
fied-but not until then. Better take
a dollar. Bill. It's good, fair price,
as 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 1t yourself
and neither will anybody elae. You'll
be stuck with It for ths next forty
/ years-and taxes areU' getting any
| lower"
"I'l hang on a little longer, ]
i
think"
81 think so, too" John Cardigan re-
piled. And that night. as was his
wont, even though he realized that II
was not possible for Bryce to gain a
J profound understanding of the business
problems TO which he was heir. John
Cardigan discussed the Squaw creek
| timber with his son, relating to him
the details Of his conversation with
the owner.
Bryce pondered. "But isn't II
cheaper to give him his price on Squaw
creek timber than go logging In the
San Hedrin and have TO build twenty
miles Of logging railroad to get your
logs to the MILF"
at would be, son. II had to build
the railroad. Fortunately. do not
I'll just shoot the logs down the hill
side to the San Hedrln river and
drive them down the stream TO log
boom on tldewater"
Bryce looked at his father admir-.
ingly. Il guess Dan Reyes Is right
Dad" he said. Dan says you're
crazy--like a fox. Now ] know why
you've been picking up claims In the
San Hedrln watershed."s
"No, you don't. Bryce. I've never
told you, but I'll tell you now the
usal reason. Humboldt county has nc