Going out into the suburbs of the town, he selected an open field in which oats were growing. This field was the property of Mr. Jamison, already alluded to. Without consulting that gentleman, Ben went to work on a certain Monday, and in just one week's time erected a structure, one hundred by twenty feet, containing fifteen bedrooms, a ball room, bar, and other requisites. He had this house open and in full blast before the worthy Mr. Jamison had so much as discovered that a building had been erected on his property. When he did discover it he was naturally excited and enraged. He went out to the spot, and, meeting Ben, asked him if he knew who had put up that house.
Ben said he hadn't the remotest idea who did it.
"Don't you know I own this ground?" demanded Mr. Jamison, angrily.
"Well, what if you do?" answered Ben. "You know I couldn't get a lease anywhere in the town, so I have come out here where I don't molest anybody."
"But you molest me," was the rejoinder. "You molest my oats!"
"Oh, well," said Ben, "I'll buy your oats, for that matter. And as I only want to stay here for three months, you'd better let me remain. The fact of it is, Mr. Jamison, you live here in Petrolia, own property, and do business. I have come here to live here also, and I am going to carry on my business as I see fit. This is an oil region, and it's all nonsense to talk about stopping the sale of liquor. It will be sold, of course. And I am going to sell it!"
Mr. Jamison began to weaken under these arguments. Perhaps he did not consider it safe for his own welfare to arouse Ben's anger. He therefore adopted a pacifying tone.
"Well, if you will agree not to keep your place open Sundays, you can stay," he said.
Ben assured him that he would never sell any liquor on Sundays, as six days in the week were all he cared for.
But it so happened on the first Sunday that a party of thirty men drove out for a day's sport, and out of sheer tender-heartedness Ben was obliged to open up the ballroom and furnish them with music. Of course they could not dance without liquor, and so he gave them that also. It was his tender-heartedness, you will observe, that was to blame for this.
Among the amusing incidents which occurred at this time, I will relate one of an exceeding spicy nature: