“I am sure that it would, sir. The district
is practically worthless.”
“All right, boys; that will be all for this
evening. We will start on that inspection tour
day after to-morrow instead of in the morning as I
had planned. I have a little business with our
friend Worth to-morrow morning.”
JAMES GREENFIELD SEEKS AN ADVANTAGE.
The next morning Jefferson Worth, in his office in
the store building, again received the president of
The King’s Basin Land and Irrigation Company.
James Greenfield, with outstretched hand, was quite
cordial in his greeting.
“I owe you an apology, sir. I did not know
until my return to the hotel last night of the demonstration
to be held this evening in your honor and in celebration
of the turning on of our new lights, or I should have
congratulated you sooner. I am glad the people
of Kingston are recognizing you in this public manner.
Permit me to express my personal appreciation also.”
“Thank you,” said Worth from behind his
mask. “I figure that my interests in Kingston
will pan out all right some day.”
Greenfield dropped his complimentary manner and came
at once to business. “Look here, Mr. Worth,
I have been thinking over the matter I mentioned last
night. I can see the strength of your position
here and I appreciate the value of your operations
in the development of this country, which mean, of
course, an added value to the Company’s property
and interests. We don’t want to fight you;
such things are bad for all concerned. We would
all lose money and it would have a bad effect on the
whole project. If you won’t come in with
us, will you consider a proposition that you can handle
independently?”
“What is your proposition?”
“It is this. In forming our plans for extending
the Company’s system we have laid out a new
district—the South Central. Before
placing the water rights on the open market, it occurred
to me that we might make a deal whereby the development
of the district would be assured and at the same time
we would be free to use our forces in still further
extensions. As you know, the settlers are coming
in so rapidly now that we need all our equipment to
get the water to them as fast as they are located.
My proposition is this: We will sell you the
entire amount of water rights covering this South Central
District—sixty thousand shares—at
the lowest figure we can make; you to build your own
canals and structures. The entire district will
thus be altogether in your hands to handle as you see
fit, we, of course, being bound only to deliver into
your canals the amount of water called for by the
regular contract under which the rights are sold.”
“You have already completed the survey and formed
the district?”
