The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-10-11

Si"' Saiu tie engineer, WHO was rather
rehsious. The Almighty says that
ABOUT all things. Mr.. Archer, and rail
roads amt no exception and haven't
no especial gifts Of grace It's good
works put the railroad through. We
nnu salvation on the bedrock"
But Archer had no love for theology
then or at any time, and lie growled.
Here we are, sir" said the scnten-
tious man at the lever.
Ihey pulled up at q bit Of a waysidc
shanty that is now dandy station.
and Archer lit off the locomotive into
n puddle
! He found n gang OF melancholy max.
ers OF railroads awaiting his coming
They looked very much ashamed Of
themselves.
$50 you've let her through. have
YOU, cried Archer reproachfully.
And Scott, the chief Of them, nod
ded The others nodded, too, like au-
tomato Chinese mandarins.
We've let her through. sir" said
Scott; that's fact"
Archer npped him by the arm just
above the elbow.
Come in and let's have n look" said
Archer. And he went out OF the shell
ter into the rain.
Behind them tailed the gang OF sub
dued subordinates. dozen Of tile
men came out of their tents and fol.
lowed
"Thinl1 bully Archer can cure her?"
asked one.
Hes rustlcr"
"Rustles u.s.
"And himself. sonny. But this yer
swamp! DR.. Archer can cure swamps
and give new life and tone to the
whole railroad system Of the G. p. H.
Do not delay till it is too late. Men
ton this advertisement"
The tail Of Archers group laughed ut
the joker. But Archer overheard, for
he had ears.
"Iou heard that?" he said to Scott.
Young Wade is saying I'm the swamp
doctor. If SO, It's my first case"
They came down to the creek or lit
tie river which bounded the swamp
The bridge was wrecked, and the rails
gradually disappeared into bubbling
slime on the far side Of the water. And
right across the swamp which now
glimmered in pools lay Il broad band
Of this same black slime, marking
where the road to the Rockies and be-
yond had once been.
ooh. British Columbia" said Archer
to himself; .'oh, British Columbia. must
you waltz"
He spoke out.
$50 the gravel train went through?"
Yes said Scott, with the curt
American affirmative, "it did So"
'Then she's deep?"-
"She is so." said Scott. pulling his
mustache.
well report this when we've cured
it," said Archer. ooh, hang this rain!
How shall we cure it?"
Scott put the end Of his mustache
into his mouth and chewed it.
'AIr. Archer. it's my opinion that it
was g. mistake to take this line. 1t
would Anve paid us to go Up yonder."
Extra miles cost dollars. Mr.. Scott"
snapped Archer, ''and never mind
about the ought. What's to be done
now? For I just mean having it done,
and that settles It,"
He sat down on baulk Of pine lying
on the ground and motioned Scott to
sit beside him. The others retreated.
"He says he just means having it
done,'" said Charley Wade. "He's q
tough, isn't he? I'll bet drinks he does
1t too"
And he and his crowd argued all the
way back to camp.
"a swamp can be drained" said
Archer.
"This one drains ITSELF" replied Scott.
"We're sitting beside the drain now"
"Then we want another"
81 don't see how it's to be done, SIR"
81 just mean having it doner cried
Archer. but for raising difficulties
give me your expert. This man who
knows too much knows too little"
"And the man who knows too little
often knows too much, sir" said Scott
sharply.
ooh, pshaw" cried Archer. ''I'll cure
this swamp or bust. It's late now and
getting dark, and I'm wet to the skin.
But tomorrow I'll go through this
swamp and fix 1t. 1 tell you I mean
having it done. Think it out, Scott.
I'll give 4 months pay tc any man
who makes feasible suggestion.
whether it works or not"
He went back to the camp and staid
by himself, sweating over the swamp
problem, while the crew Of engineers
and the men argued till the night fell
on the lake and the vast fertile north
ern prairie. And 1t rained nightly till
dawn, when the sky cleared in the east
and the sun came up from Ontario to
gee how the work got on.
It found little Archer sitting over his
swamp. thinking 1t out, and went on to
inspect the Rocky Mountain division,
where 10000 human ants strove among
the great hills. And when the sun
came round again it stin saw the man
who meant having 1t done sitting over
his swamp. thinking 1t out.
He called oil the engineers up one
after the other and found them fixed
in cursing the surveyors for having
struck this swamp In fine, dry weather.