Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-03-26

my contracts, Whlle unavoidable, never
theless would have caused them Il
serious loss, and when they were
forced to buy elsewhere, paid them
the difference between the price they
paid my competitors and the price al
which they originally placed their or
ders with me. And the delay caused
them further loss"
He smoked medtatlvely for min
ute. 1--WE always been land-poor,' he
explained apologeticnlly. "Whenever !
had idle money. l put 1t into timber
In the San Hedrin watershed, because
! realized that some day the railroad
would build In from the south, tap
that timber and double its value. I've
not as yet found reason to doubt the
wisdom Of my course; but'-he sighed
the railroad Is Il long time com
ingw
John Cardigan here spoke OF most
important factor in the situation. The
crying need of the country was feeder
to some transcontnental railroad. BY
reason of natural barriers, Humboldt
county was not easily accessible to the
outside world except from the sea.
and even this avenue of ingress and
egress would be closed for days at n
stretch when the harbor bar was on
a rampage. With the exception of a
strip Of level, fertile land, perhaps five
miles wide and thirty miles long and
contiguous 10 tle seacoast, thu heavily
tmbered mountains to the north east,
and south rendered the building of n
railroad that would connect Humboldt
county with the outside world n pro-
foundly difficult and expensive task.
Don't worry, Dad. 1t will come"
Bryce assured his father. ITS bound
to-"
"Yes, but not In my day. And when
1t comes, stranger may own your
San Hedrin timber and reap the re-
ward of my lifetime Of labor"
Again silence fell between them,
broken presently by the old man.
THAT was mistake--loggng In the
San Hedrln," he observed. 81 had my
lesson that first year. but ! didn't
heed Ii. If had abandoned my
camps there, pocketed my pride, paid
Colonel Pennington two dollars for
his Squaw creek timber, and rebuilt
my old logging road | would have
been safe To-Day. But | was stubborn;
I'd played the game so long, you
didn't want to let that man
Pennington outgame me. It's hard to
leach an old dog new tricks, and be-
sides, | was obseSsed with the need
If protecting your heritage from at
lack in any direction"
John Cardigan Strengthened up in
MS chair and laid the tip of his right
ndcX finger in the center of the palm
If his left hand. Here was the sit
lation, Bryce: The center of my
palm represents SequOia; the\ ends of
ny fingers represent the San Hedrin
nber twenty miles south. Now, II
he railroad built In from the south, |
'ou would win. Rut If II built In from
irant's Pass. Oregon, on the north |
rom the base of my hand. the terminus
# the line would be SequOia, twenty |
niles from your timber in the San
Iedrin watershedw
Bryce nodded. "ln which event"
lie replied, 1--WE would be In much the
anne position with our San Hedrin
lmber as Colonel Pennington Is with
lis Squaw creek timber. We would |
ave the comforting knowledge that
We owned it and paid taxes on 1t but
ouldn't do dad-burned thing with
Right you are! The thing to do.
hen, as | viewed the situation, Bryce,
lus to acquire body Of timber north
( Sequoia and be prepared for either
ventuaity. And this | did"
Silence again descended upon them;
nd Bryce, gazing into the open fire.
lace. recalled an event in that period
his fathers activities: Old Bill
henderson had come up to their house
, dinner one night, and quite sud-
emily, in the midst of his soup. the
Id fox had gared across at his host
nd beloved:
John. | hear you've bought six
acres up In Township nine.
oing to log It or hold It for invest
lent?"
ut was good buy" Cardigan had
'plled enlgmatically; $50 thought
d better take It at the price. sup.
use Bryce Will log II some day"
"Then | wish Bryce wasn't such
Dy, John. See here, now, neighbor.
II Tess up. took that money Pen
Ington gave me for my Squaw creek
mber and put II back into redwood
Township nine, slam-bang up
yainst your holdings there John,
d build mill on tidewater If you'd
III me site. and I'd log my timber
-"
It'll sell you mll-slte, Bill. and |
ont stab you to the heart, either.
Dnsider that settled"
That's bully, John; but still, you
lily dispose of part of my troubles.
here's twelve miles Of loggIng-road
build to get my logs to the mill, and
haven't enough ready money to make
g grade. Better throw In with me,
I'm, and Wen build the road and /
'erate II for our Joint interest" .
I'll not throw in with you, Bill, at G
Y time Of life. don't want to have {
e worry of building, maintaining,
I'd operating twelve miles of private {
ilroad. But I'll loan you-the {
oney you need to build and equip 4
q runu In ratttru vntt ura IN | I,