Oil (filmed as There Will Be Blood) by Upton Sinclair Read Free Book Online Page B

a plasterer, who lived in a temporary "garage-house" on the "little lot" adjoining the Sivons. His dwelling amounted to nothing, nevertheless he had been the one who had clamored most strenuously that the houses should be moved at the lessor's expense; he had even tried to put in a provision for compensation for the rows of beans and tomatoes he had planted on his lot. The others had sought to hoot him down, when to their dismay the silent Mr. Dumpery, the carpenter, arose, declaring that it seemed to him a quite sensible request; he had seven rows of corn, himself, and beans in full blossom, and he thought the contract should at least contain a provision that the first well should be drilled on some lot which was not planted, so as to give the gardeners time to reap the benefit of their labor.
    III
    It was seven-thirty, the hour set for the meeting; and everybody looked about, waiting for somebody else to begin. At last a stranger rose, a big six-footer with a slow drawl, introducing himself as Mr. F. T. Merriweather, attorney for Mr. and Mrs. Black, owners of the southwest corner; by his advice, these parties wished to request a slight change in the wording of the lease. "Changes in the lease?" It was the hatchet-faced Mr. Hank who leaped up. "I thought it was agreed we'd make no more changes?" "This is a very small matter, sir—" "But Mr. Ross is to be here in fifteen minutes, ready to sign up!" "This is a detail, which can be changed in five minutes." There was an ominous silence. "Well, what is your change?" "Merely this," said Mr. Merriweather; "it should be explicitly stated that in figuring the area for the apportioning of the royalty, due regard shall be paid to the provision of the law that oil-rights run to the centre of the street, and to the centre of the alley in the rear." "What's that?" Eyes and mouths went open, and there was a general murmur of amazement and dissent. "Where do you get that?" cried Mr. Hank. "I get it from the statutes of the State of California." "Well, you don't get it from this lease, and you don't get it from me!" There was a chorus of support: "I should think not! Whoever heard of such a thing? Ridiculous!" "I think I speak for the majority here," said old Mr. Bromley. "We had no such understanding; we assumed that the area of the lots to be taken was that given on the maps of the company." "Certainly, certainly!" cried Mrs. Groarty. "I think, Mrs. Groarty," replied Mr. Dibble, the lawyer, "there has been an unfortunate accident, owing to your unfamiliarity with the oil-laws of the State. The provisions of the statute are clear." "Oh, yes, of course!" snapped Mrs. Groarty. "We don't need to be told what you would say, seeing as you represent a corner lot, and the corner lots will get twice as much money!" "Not so bad as that, Mrs. Groarty. Don't forget that your own lot will run to the centre of Los Robles Boulevard, which is eighty feet wide." "Yes, but your lot will run to the centre of the side street also—" "Yes, Mrs. Groarty, but El Centro Avenue is only sixty feet wide." "What it means is just this, you make your lots ninety-five feet lots, instead of sixty-five feet lots, as we all thought when we give up and consented to let the big lots have a bigger share." "And you were going to let us sign that!" shouted Mr. Hank. "You were sitting still and working that swindle on us!" "Gentlemen! Gentlemen!" boomed the voice of Mr. Golighty, the conciliator. "Let me git this straight," broke in Abe Lohlker, the tailor. "Eldorado Road ain't so wide as Los Robles Boulevard, so us fellers on the east half don't git so much money as the others." "That amounts to practically nothing," said Mr. Merriweather. "You can figure—" "Sure I can figger! But then, if it don't amount to nothin', what you comin' here bustin' up our lease about it for?" "I can tell you this right now!" cried Mr. Hank. "You'll never get me to sign no such agreement." "Nor me," said Miss Snypp, the trained nurse, a decided