Montgomery County sentinel., 1934-03-22

JdceuL Tree neIQ 0raIIlng table St0oQ
it had a sheet of tracing paper tackled
to it and hard by this table a sur
veying instrument was set up.
"Hello," Babson hailed them cheer.
fully. confident that his rod and creel
would excuse him of undue inquisi-
tiveness in penetrating to the camp.
"What are you boys doing here?"
"Playing poker. sir. How about TAX
ing hand? Twenty five cent ante and
a dollar limit"
MIR. Babson, not being accustomed to
such gentle rebukes flushed and passed
on down the creek. leaving the engi-
neering crew to their non-sabbatical
pleasure.
Evidently Tichenor had sold, or was
about to sell, his dam-site and lake
site to a power company, which had
sent an engineering crew to make a
preliminary survey and report before
deciding to close the deal His curl
osity aroused. Babson crossed the
creek. climbed the side of the hill, and
was rewarded by finding the stakes
of the engineering party. He followed
them readily; they led him over the
approximate route which any man with
a fair eye for contours would have
selected for the ditch to lead the
water to the penstocks.
AS country banker Silas Babson
had far better knowledge of the law
than most laymen; hence he realized
now that If Nate Tichenor's dam-site
and lake-site had been acquired by a
power company, which is a public
service corporation. no other public
service corporation could condemn it's
propertyl Hence once more the Bah
son soul was STEPPED in despair.
The following morning Mr.. Henry
Rookby. his cashier-paying-teller-re-
ceiving-teller and confidential man,
came to Babsons desk and laid upon it
copy of the latest edition of the
Gold Run Nugget. Mr.. Rookby had
marked. in blue crayon. an item under
the head of Real-Estate Transfers.
The item recorded the transfer by
deed of gift, of four thousand acres,
more or less. of certain lands, from
Ranceford Kershaw to Lorraine Ker-
shaw.
Cant be portion of the Circle
ranch," Babson decided, and drew
down from it's case a map of the
county.
Mr.. Babson made a most surprising
discovery. He had always assumed
that Rance Kershaw owned no land
east of the fence that divided the
Circle K from the Bar 81. To his
amazement he had now discovered
that Lorry Kershaw was the owner of
four thousand acres, more or less. in
that portion of Eden Valley which,
in the event of dam being built in
the gorge. must constitute all or the
greater portion of the area that must
be inundated when the dam filed up
And Babson had always thought Nate
Tichenor owned that landi
He could have cheered. No matter
what Nate Tichenor might do with his
dam-site now, he would have to con.
suit Lorry Kershaw before selling il
to a power company. and Babson
thought he knew what the girls an.
swer would be. A deadlock between
the two survivors of the feudl
Got to get that four thousand acres
more or less" Mr.. Babson exulted
stTrho rirl xx,ijl coil to mo W., ho. ~ =
will. And then I'll do some trading
with Nate Tichenor."
Within the week he had arranged
his personal finances and purchased
from the Savings Bank of San Fran.
cisco the first mortgage that the latter
institution held on the Circle X ranch
With the mortgage in his possession
Babson dictated to Ranceford Ker
shaw letter as firm as granite and
as cold as penguin's tail He in.
formed Kershaw that unless the mort
gage was paid within five days a suit
in foreclosure would be instituted
Then he dictated another letter, which
he signed as president Of the Bank oi
Nuikeys NtlteT, CuliiliR SOille LHlTIy
thousand dollars of Kershaw's notes.
He was striking at Rance Kershaw
over the shoulder of the latter's daugh
ter. quite confident that she would pro
tect her father when Babson suggested
that, in return for renewal of thC
unsecured notes and mortgage. she
should sell him at a reasonable price
that four thousand acres with which
he planned to embarrass Nate Tiche
nori
He realized he must keep such a
deal in abeyance until he could or
ganize the Forlorn Valley irrigation
district. for. with the district formed
before Nate Tichenor could complete
his deal with the power company. the
district could enter a condemnation
suit against Tichenor. and thus bloch
the aspirations of the power company
(To be continued)