Morning calculated that the amount of money needed for labor, supplies, machinery, and buildings, to work the mines in accordance with his plans, would be about $300,000, and his first thought was to obtain this money by breaking down, and shipping to reduction works in California or Colorado, about thirty tons of the quartz before he should commence the work which he projected for the concealment of the ledge. With his own hands he could mine and sack such an amount of ore in a fortnight, and with the aid of half a dozen pack animals, managed by himself, transport it a mile or two from the rift, where it might be thrown into the channel cut by the waterspout, and, with a blast or two, be covered with rocks and dirt until teams should be brought from Tucson for it. With this idea uppermost, he sought the freight agent of the railroad company of Tucson. Then he came in contact with the system in vogue on the Pacific Coast—and possibly elsewhere—that of a one-sided railroad partnership with the producer, on the basis that the producer furnish all the capital and suffer all the losses, the railroad company providing neither capital, experience, nor services, but taking the lion’s share of the profits. “What,” said Morning, “will your freight charges be for three car loads of ore to Pueblo or San Francisco?” “What kind of ore?” “Gold-bearing quartz in sacks.” “What does your ore assay?” inquired the agent. “What has that got to do with it?” questioned Morning sharply. “Everything,” answered the official. “We charge in car-load lots $12 per ton to San Francisco, or $24 per ton to Pueblo, and $2.00 per ton in addition for each $100 per ton of the assay value of the ore.” “Very well,” said Morning, “I believe I will ship thirty tons to San Francisco.” “Have you it here?” said the agent. “It will not be ready for some weeks yet,” replied Morning. “You did not mention its value,” said the agent. “I will state its value at $100 per ton,” said Morning. “All right,” said the agent, “we will take it at that, subject, of course, to assay according to our rules by the assayer of the company at your expense.” “Well, I don’t know that I care to trouble the assayer of your company,” replied Morning. “In fact, the ore is a good deal richer than $100 per ton. But I will ship it at that valuation, and release the company from all liability for loss or damage beyond that. In brief, I will take all the chances, and if the ore shall be lost, or stolen, or tumbled off a bridge, or overturned into a river, the company will only account to me for it at $100 per ton. I suppose that will be satisfactory?” The agent shook his head. “It looks as if it ought to be satisfactory,” said he, “but my orders are imperative. The ore must be assayed, and you will have to pay two per cent of its value.”