Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-18

| to live over again. There should be no
 more abuse of Langdon in The Banner | if he could help it.
 And so there was certain reaction | in favor of Langdon. Some of the rifles resigned their warrants, secured their | discharges and then set to work to | raise another company for Langdon to | drill. The men were easily found
 Seventy stalwart young fellows sign | ed the petition and brought it to Lang | don to add his name. Then it went to l the governor. There were vacancies in | the regiment. A company was muster | ed in at Neosha; another, made up
 mainly of farmer boys, at Gunnison 1 Junction. But some strange, occult in- | fiuence seemed against the would be Brentwood Light guard. The petition l hung fire. State Senator Suplee and Representative Carter said that they would see to it that the Light guard
 was duly admitted, but they didn't.
 Meantime the rifles prospered, as so- cial organization at least; took in number of honorary members at $50 apiece, got "swell' uniform, gave a series of most successful dancing par | ties and what they termed exhibition drills, where the clockwork precision
 with which some. 30 of their number, executed the loadings and frings in unison evoked tumultuous applause. It prompted the rifles ito issue chal-' lenge to all corners west of the Mis-: sissippi and east of the mountains to compete for a valuable prize at the Ex-' position building in April, the anniver- sary of their muster in, and the next thing the rifles knew Erie Langdon was going down to Gunnison twice a week to coach the Gunhison Grays, Company K, Fourth Nebraska, and Brentwood, which had refused to avail itself of his services, was properly scandaliZed that he should tender them elsewhere. The Sun couldn't say much now, because 1t was down on the rifles anyhow and catered to the farmers; The Banner wouldn't say much, be- cause Armstrong was ashamed of what he had. said and this happened to be matter that didn't bother the Seattle. But The Examiner, which had done what it could to make Langdon friendless in his new position at the yards, now duly and frequently ex-
 
 could turn traitor to his own people ard work against the best interests of the community, in whose midst he had found home and the livelihood denied him elsewhere. Appeals were written to Charming to compel his subordinate to remain at his post. Charming an swered that his post now included Gunnison. Efforts were made to stir up cabal against him among the Grays, but he had had a two weeks start and had won their good will; be- sides, there was now that $1,O00 prize hanging up for all corners, and com panies from Minnesota, Iowa and Kan sas had entered the list. So the Grays stood firm. Then the Brentwoods stroye to hedge and to limit the con- test to companies that "had not re ceiyed professional assistance" but that reacted upon themselves. Then The Sun was inspired to see what it could do to stir up a strike against Langdon in the yards of the Big Horn, where there must be men who rebelled against the supervision of strict, sol dier bred overseer. There were, but they were in the minority, and the three who started and circulated pa per calling for Langdon's dismissal or a strike were suddenly, by Channing's order, hauled up before the .superin- tendent and given the sack" Then anonymous letters began to rain in on the superintendent at Brentwood and higher officials in Chicago. Langdon was drinking again, Langdon was gam bling, Langdon was speculating through broker in Omaha, and these, investi- gated unbeknown to Langdon, fell flat
 He had won the respect of the better class of men; he had become an expert trainhand; he minded his own busi- ness, yet was full of sympathy and in- terest in the affairs of the operatives and the crews of the trains. In March the superintendent of the Seattle of fered him a similar berth at bigger pay provided he would move to Sioux City, and the offer was declined. In: April the great drill came off. The flag of the rifles was trailed in the dust They were not even placed by the judges, and the great prize was won in almost walkover by the Gunnison Grays.
 Time and again Langdon had receiv- ed warnings from the police that there was gang on the south side ever watching for a chance to do him up" and from mine host of the Brentwood that there were influential men on the north side, potent in the councils of the Big Horn, who would hurt him if they could One day there came curt sum- mons from a local lawyer to the effect that bills to the amount of $350 had been placed in his hands for collection and calling upon him to take immedi- ate steps to meet them. Langdon called to inquire and was curtly, almost in- solently, received. He learned enough, however, to convince him that two of the bills were those of dealers at Paw nee to whom he had regularly and con- scientiously been paying $10 month apiece. The inference was plain. Ma than had bought in the balance of the claims and sent them through Perri- go's bank for collection. In his trouble Langdon wrote to Charming, but no answer came. Twice the latter had written him that the president and cer- tain directors had spoken to him about MT. Langdon's debts. It was evident that some enemy was bounding him, hI1t co IonU a ac Gha0ninp was ssOO deck D