Спрут: Каліфорнійська історія

           Itwasaflockofvulturesdescendinguponacommonprey—thecommissionmerchant,theelevatorcombine,themixing-housering,thebanks,thewarehousemen,thelabouringman,and,aboveall,therailroad.SteadilytheLiverpoolbuyerscutandcutandcut.Everything,everyelementoftheworld’smarkets,tendedtoforcedownthepricetothelowestpossiblefigureatwhichitcouldbeprofitablyfarmed.Nowitwasdowntoeighty-seven.Itwasatthatfigurethecrophadsoldthatyear;andtothinkthattheGovernorhadseenwheatattwodollarsandfivecentsintheyearoftheTurko-RussianWar!

           HeturnedbacktothehouseaftergivingPhelpsfinaldirections,gloomy,disheartened,hishandsdeepinhispockets,wonderingwhatwastobetheoutcome.Sonarrowhadthemarginofprofitshrunkthatadryseasonmeantbankruptcytothesmallerfarmersthroughoutallthevalley.Heknewverywellhowwidespreadhadbeenthedistressthelasttwoyears.WiththeirowntenantsonLosMuertos,affairshadreachedthestageofdesperation.Derrickhadpracticallybeenobligedto“carry”Hoovenandsomeoftheothers.TheGovernorhimselfhadmadealmostnothingduringthelastseason;athirdyearlikethelast,withthepricesteadilysagging,meantnothingelsebutruin.

           Butherehecheckedhimself.TwoconsecutivedryseasonsinCaliforniawerealmostunprecedented;athirdwouldbebeyondbelief,andthecompleterestfornearlyallthelandwasacompensation.Theyhadmadenomoney,thatwastrue;buttheyhadlostnone.