To say that Mays was angry with me would be expressing it mildly. He said that those people in Washington would think I was made of money and would eagerly await my return visit.
"Yes, sir," said he, "you have ruined the game, Puter, and from this time on, it will be a case of 'money talks' or no business, whereas, heretofore, we could get most anything- asked for at comparatively little expense."
Mays thought that $500 was a great plenty for the work involved, and upbraided me severely for having paid a cent more.
Having escaped from Mays' office, the question arose as to which of my experiences was the most exciting. In Washington, I was in danger of becoming a bankrupt and losing my credit; while upon my return home, it appeared, for the moment, that my very life was in jeopardy.
My first thought was to leave the country, but as I had gone to the trouble and expense to secure patents to those lands, I decided to stop off at Albany, Oregon, where I had the patents recorded and obtained an abstract of title. I then mustered up sufficient courage to return to Portland, where I called on Frederick A. Kribs, the financial agent of C. A. Smith, the millionaire lumberman of Minneapolis, Minn., mention of whom has been made in a former chapter. I informed Mr. Kribs that patents had been issued to the twelve claims in Township "11-7" and that, as I had agreed to sell them to him upon receipt of patents, I asked as to his disposition in the matter at this time.
Mr. Kribs was glad to learn that the title had been made clear, as he had an opportunity to select twelve quarter claims of extra fine timber land in lieu thereof.
As Mr. Kribs wanted to secure transfer of the property immediately, I had him make out a deed, which I presented to Mrs. Watson upon her return from the East, and had her appear before a notary public to acknowledge the same, transferring the property to Kribs, after which Mrs. Watson returned the deed to me, and I called on Mr. Kribs again, turning over the deed and abstract of title to him, and receiving in return, a check made payable to Emma L. Watson in the sum of $10,080, which was at the rate of $5.25 per acre. The check in question was delivered to Mrs. Watson by me and deposited by her to her personal account, at which time she deducted the amounts advanced toward the purchasing of the claims, together with the amount she was to receive for her personal claim, and handed me a check for the balance.
Page 66
