"Not doing very well?"

"How could it be expected when he didn't know enough of the
milling business to grind a bushel of wheat right? He lost half of
the custom I transferred to him in less than three months. Then he
broke his main shaft, and it took over three weeks to get in a new
one. Half of his remaining customers discovered by this time, that
they could get far better meal from their grain at Harwood's mill
near Lynwood, and so did not care to trouble him any more. The
upshot of the whole matter is, he broke down next, and had to sell
the mill at a heavy loss."

"Who has it now?"

"Judge Hammond is the purchaser."

"He is going to rent it, I suppose?"

"No; I believe he means to turn it into some kind of a factory--
and, I rather think, will connect therewith a distillery. This is
a fine grain-growing country, as you know. If he does set up a
distillery he'll make a fine thing of it. Grain has been too low
in this section for some years; this all the farmers have felt,
and they are very much pleased at the idea. It will help them
wonderfully. I always thought my mill a great thing for the
farmers; but what I did for them was a mere song compared to the
advantage of an extensive distillery."

"Judge Hammond is one of your richest men?"