among the Humboldt redwoods and had come under the spell of the
vastness and antiquity, the majesty and promise of these epics of a
planet. He was a big man with a great heart and the soul of a
dreamer, and in such a land as this it was fitting he should take his
stand.

In that wasteful day a timber-claim was not looked upon as valuable.
The price of a quarter-section was a pittance in cash and a brief
residence in a cabin constructed on the claim as evidence of good
faith to a government none too exacting in the restrictions with
which it hedged about its careless dissipation of the heritage of
posterity. Hence, because redwood timber-claims were easy to acquire,
many men acquired them; but when the lure of greener pastures gripped
these men and the necessity for ready money oppressed, they were wont
to sell their holdings for a few hundred dollars. Gradually it became
the fashion in Humboldt to "unload" redwood timber-claims on thrifty,
far-seeing, visionary John Cardigan who appeared to be always in the
market for any claim worth while.

Cardigan was a shrewd judge of stumpage; with the calm certitude of a
prophet he looked over township after township and cunningly
checkerboarded it with his holdings. Notwithstanding the fact that
hillside timber is the best, John Cardigan in those days preferred to
buy valley timber, for he was looking forward to the day when the
timber on the watersheds should become available. He knew that when
such timber should be cut it would have to be hauled out through the
valleys where his untouched holdings formed an impenetrable barrier
to the exit! Before long the owners of timber on the watersheds would
come to realize this and sell to John Cardigan at a reasonable price.