The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-03-30
The Right Of Way
By Paul Shoup

THE president OF the Great South
Western Railway company tapped
impatiently on the table. The other
members of the board kept a con-
strained silence. and the second vice
president, in charge Of extension, gazed
longingly at plebeinn sign OF beer"
across the street and seven stories be-
low. 1t was at him the president was
directing his remarks.
ut Is ridiculous" he said. that we
should be blocked by the obstinacy OF
one man in our endeavor to build this
branch line. A casual observer would
certainly suppose that the executive
department Of the company had suffi-
cient brains to overcome such an OBJ
stacle as this. The situation is simple
enough. Here is our road and here are
the mountains in which the new strikes
have been made. To develop them. ma
chinery must be hauled In and ore
hauled out. That means branch line.
One man owns all the land-mesa and
foot hills-between the railroad and
the mines. We must cross his ranch,
but he declines TO sell right Of way.
He is pioneer and is bull-headed. He
says the country was getting along
without railroads when he came there.
and thatit can get along without them
STILL We must overcome his objections
but how? We offer to pay him well
for all damage done, and he replies by
suggesting that our grading outfit
bring along one fiatcar of collins. He is
certainly a contrary individual. Have
l stated the case correctly"
"You have" said the second vice
president, removing his gaze from the
sign below to the map on the table,
with one exception. Col. Snortally is
not an individuals; he is community.
and more; he is corporation, because
he owns 10000 acres of land; he is
political party, because he employs
more COW punchers than you can ordi-
narily get together at country dance;
he is law giyer, because Of his wealth
and the taxes he pays; he is law
enforcer so far as he sees fit, because
he can shoot straight and has men
with him who can do likewise; he is
society, because his daughter, whom /
have had the pleasure of meeting, is the
most beautiful young lady in the ter
ritory. What can poor, ordinary rail-
n n CT Snph "a pnm hi
nation? We cannot condemn until we
can get right Of way from the board
of supervisors. and he is the county
government"
The president mopped his brow. His
gaze wandered across the street and
down seven stories to a sign. He arose
and picked up his silk hat.
"All right" he said. 1--WE must get
across that ranch some way"
A cloud of dust was coming down
the road. Theophilus Smith carefully
watched it for moment and then
turned Bucyrus among the bowlders'by
the roadside. Bucyrus was his mule.
Just ahead of the dust cloud appeared
a frantic horse, tearing wildly down the
road toward him. Now and then he
could catch glimpses of swaying
blackboard and a young lady clinging
to the seat. Theophilus,wh was a care
full young man, put his briarwood pipe
in the inside pocket of his jacket, drew
his sombrero down tightly upon his
head and then disinterestedly watched
the approaching runaway. As the dust
cloud and its contents passed Bucyrus
wheeled, and they, too, went flying
down the road. Through sand and over
powders they went, horse, blackboard
mule and dust.
Excuse me, MISS" said Theophilus
as he came alongside and reached for
the bit of the running horse; pleasant
day, is it note"
He gripped the bride hard. pulled
sideways and backward, and Bucyrus
cheerfully sat down to the occasion and
slid. There was more dust, and then
they stopped.
Theophius rubbed some OF the dirt
from his eyes and raised his sombrero
to the girl in the blackboard. She looked
at him with wide-open blue eyes.
81 am very sorry" he said, polite
ly. "to stop you so rudely merely tc
ask you a question:; but will you kindly
pardon me and inform me where Col
Snortally lives?"
The young lady's lip quivered. and
instead Of replying she burstintotears
Then. recovering from her embarrass
ment and fright. she drew dee D breAtl