I had no time to help him, and left him prowling around seeking for a landmark.
The Plaza was full of people. I made my way to the northerly corner, and, pushing a passage through the bystanders, contemplated three jagged, tottering brick walls, a heap of smouldering débris, and a twisted tangle of iron work. This represented all that remained of the Ward Block. The change of wind that had saved the shanties had destroyed our fortune!
433CHAPTER XLVI
THE VISION
Within ten hours men were at work rebuilding. Within ten days the burned area was all rebuilt. It took us just about the former period of time to determine that we would be unable to save anything from the wreck; and about the latter period for the general public to find it out.
Talbot made desperate efforts for a foothold, and in succession interviewed all the big men. They were sorry but they were firm. Each had been hard hit by the fire; each had himself to cover; each was forced by circumstances to grasp every advantage. Again, they were sorry.
“Yes, they are!” cried Talbot; “they just reach out and grab what ought to be my profits! Well, it’s the game. I’d do the same myself.”
By that night we knew that Talbot had lost every piece of property he owned–or thought he owned. The destruction of the Ward Block swept away every cent of income, with the exception of the dividends from the Wharf Company stock. These latter could not begin to meet the obligations of interest and agreed payments on the other property.
The state of affairs became commonly known in about ten days simply because, in those rapid times, obligations 434 were never made nor money lent for longer periods than one month. At the end of each thirty days they had to be renewed. Naturally Talbot could not renew them.
We knew all that long in advance, and we faced the situation with some humour.