The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-06

In all of Kipling's many books, fam
Gus for their dash and vigor, no pas
sage Of equal length is more vivid than
the description, in Captains Cour-
ageous," of Harvey Cheyne's rush
across the continent, TO meet the son
whom he had mourned as dead. This
is said to have been based on rec
ord trip between the same points
San Diego California, and Boston,
Mass.-made by u western railway
president in 1895. Mr.. Kipling's de-
scription shows a singular knowledge
of American railway men and meth
DDS, as well as of American character.
BY permission of The Century Co., we
print herewith the passage in question:
from Chapter IN. of captains Cour-
ageous."
Whatever his private sorrows may
be, a multimilionaire, like any other
worlSingman. should keep abreast OF
his business. Harvey Cheyne, senior
had gone East late in June to meet
a woman broken down, half mad who
dreamed day and night OF her son
drowning in the gray seas. He had
surrounded her with doctors, trained
faith"cure companions, but they were
useless. Mrs. Cheyne lay still and
moaned, or talked of her boy by the
hour together to any one who would
listen. Hope she had none, and who
could offer it? All she needed was
assurance that drowning did not hurt
and her husband watched to guard lest
she should make the experiment. OF
his own sorrow he spoke little-hardly
realized the depth of it till he caught
himself asking the calendar ON his
writing desk, whats the use of go
ing on?'
There had always lain pleasant no.
ton at the back of his head that, some
day, when he had rounded off every
thing and the boy had left college. he
would take his son to his heart and
leod him into his possessions. Their
that boy, he argued, as busy father:
do, would instantly become his com
panion, partner, and ally, and there
would follow splendid years of great
works carried out together-the ole
head backing the young fire. Now his
boy was dead-lost at sea, as it might
have been a Swede sailor from one oi
Cheyne's big tea-ships: the wife was
dying, or worse; he himself was trod
den down by platoons of women ant
doctors and maids and attendants
worried almost beyond endurance b,
the shift and change of her poor rest
less whms; hopeless. with no hear
to meet his many enemies.
A WAR OF RATES.
He had taken his wife to his raw
new palace in San Diego, where Sht
and her people occupied a wing OF
great price, and Cheyne, in VeranGa'
room, between a secretary and type
writer, who was also a telegraphist
toiled along wea"ily from day to day
There was a war of rates among "Oul
western railroads in which he was sur
posed to be Interested: Il de ;astaiin:
strike had developed in his lumber
camps in C'egon AMI the legislature
of the state of California. which kaC
no love for its makers. was preparing
open war against him.
Ordinarily he would have accepted
battle ere it was offered, AMI wage,
a pleasant and unscrupul0us campaign
But now he sat Imply, his scft blacl
hat pushed forward on to his nose, hi
big body shrunk into his loose clothes
staring at his boots or the Chimes,
junks in the bay, and assenting alb
sently to the secretarys questions a!
he opened the Saturday mail.
Cheyne was now woud aring hov
much it would cost to drop everything
and pull out He carried huge insUr
ances, could buy himself royal annui
ties, and between one of his place
in Colorado and little society ttha
would do the wife good, say in Wash
ington and in the South Carolina 81
ands, a man might forget plans tina
had come to nothing. On the othc
The click of the typewriter stopped
the girl was looking at the secretary
who had turned white.
He passed Cheyne telegram repeat
ed from San Francisco:
"Picked up by fishing schooner
We're here, having fallen off boat grea
times on banks fishing all we'll waiting
Gloucester Mass. care Disko Troop 70