"'Now,' said the Judge, 'let me give you some advice. Settle up that foolish lawsuit outside of court. The claim is not worth what either one of you will pay out in attorneys' fees if you fight it out in the courts.'
"By this time the three men had grown familiar, so the superintendent ventured to say:
"'Judge, will you tell me what caused you to urge me to buy those shares?'
"'I thought it was a good investment,' was the reply.
"'But was not there something else?' asked the superintendent.
"'To tell you the truth,' replied the Judge, 'I had received ten thousand dollars from the President here, and I was afraid if the matter went that way into the court I might be prejudiced, so I sold you a like amount that I might go upon the bench, to try the case, entirely unbiased.'"
"He was a good judge, no doubt, but he ividently had a leaning toward the east side," said Corrigan.
"That was one case where the only justification was success," said Brewster.
"He took his chances, that was all," Miller remarked, "and that is the corner-stone on which every fortune on the coast has been builded. I mean every fortune in mining."
"That is so," chimed in Carlin. "Mining is simply a grand lottery and is about as much of a game of chance as poker or faro."