The first fortnight,
before he received any letters, he did nothing but make himself
acquainted with the way work was being carried on there. He found many
things to improve. The machinery had been allowed to run down, and the
men worked in the listless way men do when they are under no particular
supervision. The manager of the mine was very anxious about his position.
John told him the property had changed hands but, until he had further
news from England, he could not tell just what would be done. When the
letters came, John took hold with a will, and there was soon a decided
improvement in the way affairs were going. He allowed the old manager to
remain as a sort of sub-manager; but that individual soon found that the
easy times of the Austrian Mining Company were for ever gone.
Kenyon had to take one or two long trips in Canada and the United
States, to arrange for the disposal of the products of the mine; but,
as a general rule, his time was spent entirely in the log village near
the river.
When a year had passed, he was able to write a very jubilant letter to
Wentworth.
'You see,' he said, 'after all, the mine was worth the two hundred
thousand pounds we asked for it. It pays, even the first year, ten per
cent. on that amount. This will give back all the mine has cost, and I
think, George, the honest thing for us to do would be to let the whole
proceeds go to Mr. Smith this year, who advanced the money at a critical
time.
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