Evening star., 1922-04-23

James Austin March that the'
situation was very singular
indeed. There was humor in it.
viewed one way, though Mr.. March
failed TO perceive any point to the
joke.
Mr.. March, or somebody, had mislaid
a shall parcel. consisting of ten thou
sand acres-good. solid. ledge-founded
acres Of timberland, for which he had
paid five dollars an acre. 1t was re-
corded on the books of the state land
Office as a gore" Its location was
given as being in range 1906 the wild
lands, and 1t was described as q sur
veying set-otf from four townships
According to r. the state accounts.
which ran back for many years. the
N-shaped section did exist. and had
reverted to the state because the
taxes had not been paid for so long
that the tax titles allowed the land
agent to give a clear deed to q pur-
chaser.
Mr. March lived in New York. and
was not in the land or the timber
business. He was speculator. On
account of the development Of the
,,
heard of tho fortunes that were made
in the pulp-timber enterprise, he de-
cided to take a flyer. and he ran down
to a border state and asked the land
agent what he happened to have on
the shelf that day. Land agent pulled
down the gore. The land agents Of
flee was in the capital building of the
state, and Mr.. March had admired the
structure vefy much from the out
side. Doing business with state
right in it's own state house certainly
seemed to be a more reliable PROPOSE
ton than buying wheat on margin.
Therefore. Mr.. March took the gore
and paid cash and went right back
TO New York.
WHEN he later went bump by SELL
w ing wheat which he had never
seen to somebody who did not want
to see any wheat but only the color
of Mr. March's money, the owner OF
the gore asked a paper mill mag
nate to send some timber cruisers
over the tract and make an offer.
1t was then that Mr.. March was as
sured, after the cruisers had reported
back, that he did not have any gore.
According to deeds of adjacent town
shin owners. figuring from their re-
corded metes and bounds. there was
not one acre of land that Mr.. March
could call his own.
, He hustled down into the state and
interview ed that land agent under the
dome of the capitol. The agent
averred that the situation was very
singular. But he declared that he
had had no hand In making the land
up in the timber country: that he had
done only what he was entitled to do
sell on the basis of the states
records.
After that Mr. March went to the
governor and interviewed members OF
the state legislature He found no
alacrity anywhere in regard to hand
ing back his money. Buying tax titles
from a state at cut rates was diff
fersnt from buying real land. he was
told. He hired lawyers. They told
him that q state could not be sued
unless the legislature passed spe-
cial act permitting the suit. He hired
lobbyists to help him in putting
through that special act. Apparently.
the state did not care to get INTO a
lawauit over q small matter. Mr..
March's idea was turned down by both
branches.
That was in April. early. One day.
lust before the middle of the month.
Mr.. March dropped dead in his New
York office. Apoplexy was ascribed.
So that was the end of James Austin
March.
FULLY two weeks ahead of time in
May, because the season was open.
tho head of the Cupsuptic drive
reached the gore of Misery Jaws
Roaring Bill Benson was drive mas
ter. He, drove his crew more saw
agsly than usual that season because
the winter snowfall had been light
and there was not much reserve water
behind the driving pitch.
Benson gave his men four meals
day-the second at 10 in the fore
noon They had taken their tin plates
of food and their pannikins of tea
from the cook and his helper and
were scattered around the cook tent.
sitting on rocks and the ground.
Tho drive master had two men as
guests at a table made of boards
nailed between trees. One OF them,
whom he addressed respectfully as
esquire" was Tristan Shaw, field at
tcrney for &c o. G." The men Of the
section never called the Great Onawa
Grant-powerful paper and pulp syn
h;no h,,t
Shaw was elderly, and his face was
as full of wrinkles as his black suit.
The sullen man who accompanied him
wore . deputy sheriff's badge. Shaw
had told Roaring Bill what business
was taking them through the terri
tory under the sway of &c G." They
were serving legal notices on the
squatters to get OF the timberlands.
Good idea when every spruce tree
10 worth SO. and timber amt
growing fast enough for the pulp
grinders" agreed Benson. How
about this settlement at Misery"
They've got to 60"
Benson surveyed the settlement.
narrowing his eyes evilly. On. the
ledgy slope that stretched back from
the falls were log houses and shacks
with roofs of tarred paper. He
rrlnned at Shaw when he turned
again to the lawyer.
I'm wondering where the pretty
girl will go. I'll hate to lose her on
the river before I get better ac-
ouainted with her"
What girl?" snapped the attorney,
not especially interested.