Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-03-12


operations to the east and north of
Scquoia, and comparatively close In.
lay block of two thousand acres
Of splendid timber. the natural. feas'
ible, and inexpensive outlet for which.
when II should be logged, was the
Valley of the Giants. For thirty
years John Cardigan had played II
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 n
dollar and half per thousand feet
Stumpage as Cardigan was certain he
was going to buy 1t for dollar a
thousand-when he should be ready
to 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 II time we
got together on that timber of yours?
You know you've been holding II to
block me and force me to buy ut your
figure. I'll give you dollar a thous-
and stumpage for your timber Bill"
IL want a dollar and half"
"A dollar is my absolute limit"
Then I'll keep my timber"
And I'll keep my money. When
finish logging In my present hold
ingS. I'm going to pull out of that
I country and log twenty miles south
of Seauoia. Remember, Bill, the man
4 who buys your timber will have to log
/ II through MY land-and I'm not go
/ ing to log that quarter-section in the
/ valley. Hence there will be no outlet
for your timber in back"
mot going to log it? Why, what
are you going to do with it?'
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,
rs the market on redwood timber Is
j now, and you'll be making an even
( hundred per cent. Oh your Investment
Remember, Bill, II l don't buy your
/ timber. you'll never log 1t yourself
/ and neither will anybody else. You'll
be stuck with It for the next forty
I years-and taxes aren't getting any
4 lower"
"Ill hang on little longer, /
/ think"
! II think so, too" John Cardigan re-
piled And that night, rs was his
wont, even though he realized that 1t
was not possible for Bryce to gain II
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 1t
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 mill?'
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 tidewater,"
Bryce looked at his father admir-
ingly. 81 guess Dan Reyes is right.
Dad" he said. Dan says you're
ciAzy-llke fox. Now I know why
you've been picking up claims in the
San Hedrln watershed"
mo you don't. Bryce. I've never
told you, but I'll tell you now the
real reason. Humboldt county has no
rail- connection with the outside world,
so we are forced to ship our lumber
by water. But some day railroad
will be built In from the south-from
San Francisco: and when 1t comes, the
only route for II to travel Is through
our timber In the San Hedrin valley.
I've accumulated that ten thousand
acres for You, my son, for the railroad
will never be built in my day. 1t
doesn't matter. son. You will still he
logging there fifty years from now.
And when the railroad people come to
you for a right of way, my boy, give
II TO them. Don't charge them cent.
1t has always been my policy to en-
courage the development of this
county, and | want you to be for
ward-lOoking publc-spirited citizen,
That's why I'm sending you East to
college. You've been born and raised
In this town, and you must see more
o. the world. Listen to me, son.
You're only boy, and you can't I'M
derstand everything | tell you, but
some day Understanding will come to
YOU. You mustn't fail the people who
work for you--who are dependent upon
your strength and brains and enter
prise to furnish them with an oppor
tunity for life, liberty, and the pursuit
OF happiness. When you are the boss
of Cardigan's mill, you must keep the
i wheels turning; you must never shut
4 down the mill or the logging-camps
| in dull times just to avoid loss you
can stand better than your employees. "
i His hard. trembling old hand closed
over the boys. II want you to be a
brave and honorable man." he con.
Guided.
True to his word. when John Cardi.
gan finished his logging In his old