"
"What kind of a proposition have you?" asked Taylor after a pause.
"I can get ten thousand acres at an average price of eight dollars
an acre," replied Orde.
"Acres? What does that mean in timber?"
"On this particular tract it means about four hundred million feet."
"That's about twenty cents a thousand."
Orde nodded.
"And of course you couldn't operate for a long time?"
"Not for twenty, maybe thirty, years," replied Orde calmly.
"There's your interest on your money, and taxes, and the risk of
fire and--"
"Of course, of course," agreed Orde impatiently, "but you're getting
your stumpage for twenty cents or a little more, and in thirty years
it will be worth as high as a dollar and a half." *
* At the present time (1908) sugar pine such as Orde described would
cost $3.50 to $4.
"What!" cried Taylor.
"That is my opinion," said Orde.
Taylor relapsed into thought.
"Look here, Orde," he broke cut finally, "how old are you?"
"Thirty-eight. Why?"
"How much timber have you in Michigan?"
"About ten million that we've picked up on the river since the Daly
purchase and three hundred million in the northern peninsula."
"Which will take you twenty years to cut, and make you a million
dollars or so?"
"Hope so.
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