The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-13

understood; ours Is not the only line be-
tween Chicago and Denver; there are 9TH
ers, / admit IL. But there Is only one line
(all the same) that could have taken the
McWiIliams special, as we did, out of Chi
cago at In the evening and put ii in Den
yer long before noon the next day.
A communication came from a great La
Sale street banker to the president Of our
road. Next the second vice president
heard OF IL. but In this way:
why have you turned down Peter Nc
williams's request for a special to Denver
this afternoon" asked the president.
HE wants too much" came back over
the private WIRE I'VE can't do it,
After satisfying himself on this point the
president called up La Sale street.
Our folks say. Mr.. Mcwiliams. we SIM
ply can't do IT.
You must do IT."
when will the car be ready?'
at 3 o'clock"
"when must il be in Denver?'
Ten O'Clock tomorrow morning"
The president nearly jumped the wire.
"Mcwilliams. you're crazy. What on
earth do you meant"
The talk came back so slow that the wires
hardly caught II. There were occasional
outbursts such as situation Is extremely
critical" grave danger" "acute distress"
"must help me out"
But none Of this would ever have moved
the president had not Peter McWillams
been a bigger man than most corporations;
and a personal request from Peter, IL he
stuck for II. could hardly be refused: and
for this he most decidedly stuck.
IT tell you 1t will turn us upside down."
stormed the president.
do you recolIect," asked Peter Mcwil-
iiams. when your Internal old pot of a
road was busted eight years ago-you were
turned inside out then, weren't you? and
hung up to dry weren't you?''
The president did recollect; he could not
decently help recolIecting. And he recol-
lected how, about the same time. Peter Nc
Williams had one week taken up for him
n matter OF two millions floating, with a
personal check, and carried II eighteen
months without security. when the money
could not be had in Wall street on govern
ment bonds.
DO you-that Is. have you heretofore sup
posed that railroad belongs TO the stock
holders? Not so; II belongs to men like
Mcwilliams. who own II when they need IL.
At other times they let the stockholders
carry it-until they want II again.
Wen do what can. Peter" replied
the president. desperately amiable. Good
by"
am giving you only an inkling Of how
Il started. Not a word as to how countless
orders were issued and countless schedules
were cancelled. Not a paragraph about
numberless trains abandoned in toto and
numberless others pulled and hauled and
held AMI annulled. The McWilliams special
I'm a twinkle tore a great system into great
splinters.
II set master mechanics by the ear and
made reckless falzifers of previously con-
servative trainmen. 1t made undying enc
niles Of rival superintendent and incipient
paretics OF jolly train dispatchers. 1t shiv-
cred US from end TO end and stem to stern.
but IL covered LOIS miles of the best steel in
the world In rather better than twenty
hours and a blaze OF glory.
my word Is out said the president in
his message to all superintendent, thirty
minutes later You will get your division
schedule In a few moments. Send no
reasons for inability TO make II; simply
deliver the goods. With your time report
which comes by Ry. NJ. s., want the
names and records of every member OF
every train crew that haul the Mcwiliams
car Then followed particular injunctions
OF secrecy; above all, the newspapers must
not get II.
But where newspapers are. secrecy car
only be hoped for-never attained. In spite
Of the most elaborate precautions to pre-.
serve Peter Mcwilliams's secret-would yor
believe it?-the evening papers had half 9
81 fCa Iy he nh
course they had to guess at some OF IT, but
for newspaper story 1t was pretty cor.
rect. just the same. They had. to a minute
the time of the start from Chicago. and
limited broadly that the schedule was a
hair-raiser: something to make previou.
very fast records previous very slow rec
ords. And-here in scoop was the secre
the train was to convey prominent Chi
cago capitalist to the bedside of his dyins
son. Philip Mcwilliams in Denver Fur
ther. that hourly bulletins were being wired
10 the distressed father. and that ever,
effort OF science would be put forth to keeI
the unhappy boy alive until his father
could reach Denver on the special Lastly
IL was hoped by all the evening papers q,
MI out the first half-column scarce tha
sunrise would see the anxious parent wei
on towards the gateway OF the Rockies
OF course the morning papers from tn
Atlantic TO the Pacific had the story re
peated-scare-heade I'm fact-and the pub
lie were laughing at our peoples dogget
refusal to confirm the report or to be inter
viewed at al on the subject The paper
had the story anyway. What did they car
for our efforts 10 screen private dlstres
which insisted on paralyzing time car,
for l.02s miles?
When own. the West End, of tn
schedule, came over the wires there was ;
universal. a vociferous. kick Dispatches
superintendent OF motive power trainmas
ter. everybody protested. We were givel
about seven hours to cover 400 miIes-th
fastest percentage, by the way, on tn
whole run.
This may be grief for young Mcwil
iiams and for his dad" grumbled the cnie
dispatcher that evening as he cribbed tn
press dispatches going over the wires abou
the special. but the grief is NOT their
alone
Then he made a protest 20 Chicago. wha
the answer was none but himself eve
knew. IL came personal and he took 1
perronaffy. but the manner I'm which n.