“And you think it is a better country?” “Indeed I do, in some respects.” After passing out of the paper-manufacturing village of Papyrus, eastward, they came to a big, deserted, wooden mill, with many tumble-down houses near it. “Say, pop, what village is this?” “Sodom.” “And what is that old stone mill beyond?” “That is Gomorrah.” “Quite a place for Bible names,” broke in Mrs. Wycliff. “Those ruins of another old stone mill, also broken down and deserted, I suppose are Babylon?” “Exactly so, my dear, and farther up stream we shall pass Tyre and Sidon, also broken down and deserted. This entire river-valley along here is often called the Valley of Desolation.” “Who owns it?” asked Mrs. Wycliff. “The Baldwins, who bought it, for a very little, from the Quiet Valley Woolen Company.” “Why don’t the Baldwins build paper-mills here?” “I cannot tell you. It has always seemed to be the Baldwin policy to build up the other end of the town, at the expense of this end. Certainly the Baldwins have played the part of the ‘dog in the manger,’ in regard to East Papyrus. They will neither build mills here themselves, nor will they sell the property so that anyone else can build here. The Wessons, who own the paper-mills at Papyrus Center, would have built mills here, giving employment to a large number of people, if they could have secured the property. The Baldwins have already made plans for robbing East Papyrus of her water-power, which is all that this end of the town has left.” “But how can they do that?” “Very easily. The water-power can be transformed into electricity, and then the electricity can be transferred by wire, to the Baldwin Mills, at the west end of the town. The plans are already made. It will increase the dividends of the Baldwin Mills, which already pay enormous profits, but it makes the prospect for rebuilding East Papyrus much blacker than before.” “But wouldn’t it be better for the town of Papyrus to have all its mills rebuilt and running at a fair profit, than to have a part of them running at an immense profit?” protested Mrs. Wycliff. “Certainly; it is not the good of the town, but the enrichment of the Baldwins, which is to be considered. These shrewd financiers rarely spend a dollar, unless they feel sure that it will come back, leading several other dollars with it.” “But they gave that beautiful big building to the town, pop,” put in Robbie. “Yes. It cost the Baldwins one hundred thousand dollars, and it has cost the town twice that.” “How is that, pop?” “In taxes lost. The Assessors say:--‘we must tax the Baldwins lightly, because they are so generous to the town.’ Some of the Baldwin properties are not assessed for more than one-third value, an enormous loss to the town in taxes.” Soon they left the valley, and began to climb the mountain, still going eastward.