The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1920-03-18
CHAPTER III.

Throughout the happy years Of
Bryces boyhood his father continued
to enlarge and improve his sawmill,
to build more schOoners. and to &C
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
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
went from him-also at his own price.
In fact, all well-laid plans matured
satisfactorily with the exception of
one, and since it has very definite
bearing on the story, the necessity for
explaining it is paramount.
Contiguous to Cardigan'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-
lDlc, anu inexpensive OutleI lOF WHICH,
when it should be logged, was the
Valley of the Giants. For thirty
years John Cardigan had played a
waiting game with the owner of that
timber, for the latter was as fully
obsessed with the belief that he was
going to sell it to John Cardigan at a
dollar and a half per thousand feet
stumpage as Cardigan was certain he
was going to buy it for a dollar
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 it time we
got together on that timber of yours?
You know you've been holding it to
block me and force me to buy at your
figure. I'll give you dollar 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
country and log twenty miles south
of Sequoia. Remember, Bill, the man
who buys your timber will have to log
1t through my land--and I'm not 60
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,"
''I'm just going to let it stay there
until l die. When my will is filed for
probate, your curiosity will be salts
fed-but not until then. Better take
a dollar, Bill. It's a 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. if don't buy your
timber, you'll never log 1t yourself
and neither will anybody else. You'll
be stuck with ii for the next forty
years-and taxes aren't getting any
lower"
"Fn hang on a little longer. ]
think"
81 think so, too" John Cardigan re-
piled. And that night. as was his
wont. even though he realized that it
was not possible for Bryce to gain
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. -r. a 4
Bryce pondered. "But isn't it
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?"
ut would be, son, if had to build
the railroad. Fortunately, l do not.
I'll just shoot the logs down the hill
side to the San Hedrin river ana
drive them down the stream to log
boom on tidewater."
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 l know why
you've been picking up claims in the
San Hedrin 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 a railroad
will be built in from the south-from
San Francisco; and when it comes, the
only route for it 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 be
logging there fifty years from now.
And when the railroad people come to
you for right of way, my boy, give
it TO them. Don't charge them a cent.
1t has always been my policy to en-
courage the development of this
county, and | want you to be for
Ward-looling, philosophical 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
| of the world Listen to me, son.
Hr1lt