Cheyenne record., 1921-05-05
CHAPTER xI-continusd.

-12-
Dolores voice broke In upon his cum
ming reflections. ''isut Billy tells me
you already have fortune sufficient
for the needs of culiph without a
court. Why risk your precious life to
acquire more? Money Isn't everything
In Ilfe."
mo. but the game is."
"What gameI Miningf"
'4The game OF life"
"l3ut this Is the game Of death."
(which makes life all the sweeter
II can beat the game. Perhaps can
better illustrate my point Of view with
q story. Some years ago ! was sent
to Arizona to examine mining prop
erty and report upon 1t; II ! advised
its purchase. my principals were pre-
pared to buy at my valuation. Well.
when l arrived. found a miserable
ehanty close to a shaft and dump. and
In the shanty found weather-beat-
en- couple. The woman was probably
forty but looked fifty. The man had
never been anything but a hard-rock
miner-$4 day had been the limit of
his earnings in any one day until he
stumbled on some float, traced 1t up,
and located the claims was there to
examine and try to buy.
"His wife had been miners daugh-
ter. knowing nothing but drudgery and
poverty and continuing that existence
after marriage. For 20 years she had
been darning her husbands socks.
washing his clothes. and cooking his
meals. Even after they uncovered the
ledge. It wasn't worth any more than
the country rock TO them unless they
could sell 1t, because the man had
neither the money nor the ability to
develop 1t himself. He even lacked
the ability to sell 1t. because 1t re-
quIres real ability to unload any kind
Of a mine for $l.OOOOOO. and real
nerve on the part Of the man VINO
buys. examined the mine. decided
It was cheap at $1.O00.OOO. and so re-
ported to my principals. They wired
me to close. and SO I took GIday
option In order to verify the title.
swell. time passed. and one bright
day I rode up to that shanty with a
deed and certified check for $1,000
900 In my pocket; whereupon dis
covered the woman had had change
Of heart and bucked over the traces.
No, stree! She would not sign thet
there deed-and inasmuch as the claim
was community property. her sigma
ture was vitally necessary. She asked
me 90 many questions. however. as to
the size Of the stamp mill We wouid
install and how many miners would
be employed on the job. that finally !
saw the light and tried shot In the
dark. "My dear Mrs. Skaggs," l said.
"if you'll sign this deed aud save US
all a lot of litigation over this option
you and your husband have given me.
TIL do something handsome. ! will
on my word of honor-I'll give you the
exclusive boarding house privilege at
this mine"
"And what did she say. Caliph?"
"She said: Give me the pen. Mr.
Webster. and please excuse my hand
writing; I'm that nervous In business
matters"
Dolores silvery laughter rippled
through the room. "But ! don't see
the point" she protested.
"We will come to 1t presently. l
was merely explaining one persons
point of view. You would not. OF
course. expect me to have the same
point of view as Mrs. Skaggs of Ari.
coma"
Certainly not
"All right! Listen to this. In 1907.
at the height of the boom times In
Goldfield. New. l was worth Sl.OOOOOO.
On the first day OF October ! could
have cashed In my mining stocks for
1.OOO.OOO-nnd had II lot OF cash In
bank. too. But I'd always worked so
hard and been poor SO long that my
wealth didn't mean anything to me.
wanted the exclusive privilege OF
more slavery. and so staked copper
prospect. which later ! discovered to
consist of unc0unted acres OF country
rock and about $25 worth Of copper
stain. In order to save 500 did my
own assessment work. drove a pick
into my foot, developed blood poison.
went to the hospital. and was nice and
helpless when the panic came niong
the middle Of the month. The hank
went bust. and my ready rash went
with It: couldn't give my mining
stocks away. Everybody knew I was
a pauper-everybody but the doctor.
He persisted In regarding me as mil
lionaire and sent me hill for $1,000"
.How perfectly outrageous! Why.
Caliph, I would have let him sue me-"
II would have. too-but didn't.
induced him to settle for $lOO.OOO
shares of stock In my copper prospect.
The par value was 81 share and
was going to sell q block at 10 cents.
but In view Of his high professional
standing let him have 1t for nickel
q share. I imagine he still has 1t.
bought back later all the other stock
sold, because the property was
worthless. and In order to be sport
I offered him $500 for his block. hut
he thought was trying to swindle
him and asked S5,0o0."