The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-10-10
the register, and the chief dispatcher would


from the superintendent, and it stated
bluntly that the resignation of the chief
dispatcher would be accepted, and named
his successor.
Jewett read the letter over the second
time, then turned and carried it into the
Office of his chief
"Why?' echoed the superintendent,
''you ought to know why. For months
you have neglected your Office, and have
schemed and conspired to get trainmen and
enginemen to quit work and 60 to the front.
Every day, women who are not ready to
be widowed, come here and cry on the
carpet because their husbands are going
away with Capt Jewetts company.
Only yesterday, school girl came running
after Me, begging me not to let her little
brother, the red headed peanut on the local,
go as drummer boy in Captain Jewett' $
company.
"And now, after demoralizing the ser
vice, and almost breaking up half a hun
dred homes, you ask why? Is that all
you have to say ?
"No," said the dispatcher, lifting his
head; ~ have to say to you, that | have
never knowingly neglected my duty. [
have not conspired. [ have been mis-
judged and misunderstood, and, in conclu-
sion, would say that my resignation shall
be written at once. -
Returning to his desk, Jewett found the
long looked for letter from Springfield. =
How his heart beat as he broke the seal
How timely-just as things come out in a
play. He would not intercept traffic on
the Alton, but with commission in his
pocket would go elsewhere and organize a
new company. These things flashed through
his mind as he unfolded the letter. His
eye fell Immediately on the signature at the
end 1t was not the governor, who had
been close friend of his father, but of the
lieutenant governor. 1t was short letter,
but plain, it left no hope. His request
had been denied.
This time he did not ask why. He knew
why, and knew that the influence Of a
great railway company, with the best Of
the argument on it's side, would outweigh
the influence of train dispatcher and his
friends
Reluctantly, Jewett took leave of his old
associates in the office, went to his room at
the hotel, and sat for hours crushed and
discouraged. Presently he rose and kicked
the kinks out of his trousers, and walked
out into the clear sunlight. At the end Of
the street he stepped from the sidewalk te
the sod path and kept walking. He passed
an orchard and plucked ripe peach from
an over hanging bough. Ayellow breasted
lark stood in a stubble field, chirped two Oh
three times, and scared, singing, toward
the far blue sky. A bare-armed man
with muley cradle, was cutting grain,
and, far away he heard the hum of horse
power threshing machine. 1t had been
months, it seemed years, since he had been
in the country, felt its cooling breeze,
smelled the fresh breath of the fields, Oh
heard the song of a lark, and it rested anc
refreshed him.
When young Jewett returned to town
he was himself again. He had been guilty
of no wrong, but had been about what
seemed to him to be his duty to his coun'
try. Still, he remembered with sadness
the sharp rebuke of the superintendent, a
feeling intensified by the recollection that
it was the same official who brought him in
from Springdale, made dispatcher Of him,
and promoted him as often as he had earned
promotion. If he had seemed to be acting
in bad faith with the officials of the road,
he would make amends. That night he
called his company together, and told them
that he had been unable to secure COM
mission. stated that he had resigned and
was going away, and advised them to dis
band.
The company forming at Lexington was
called 'sThe Farmers, just as the Bloom
ington company was known as the Car
hands" s'The Farmers was full, the
captain said, when Jewett offered his ser
vices. At the last moment one of the boys
had 'sheart failure" and Jewett was taken
in his place. His experience with the dis
banded Gear hands helped him and his
company immeasurably. 1t was only few
days after his departure from Bloomington
that he again passed through, a private in
''The Farmers.
Once in the South, the Lexington COM
pany became part Of the 1S4th Illinois
Infantry, and almost Immediately engaged
in fighting Jewett painted to be on the
firing line, but that was not to be. The
regiment had just captured an important
railway which had to be guarded and op-
Grated at once. 1t was the only means of
supplying a whole army corps with bacon
and beans. The colonel of his regiment
was casting about for railroaders when he
heard of Private Jewett. He was sur
prised to find in ''The Farmers s. a man of
such wide experience as railway official,
so well posted on the general situation,
and so keenly alive to the Importance OF
the railroad and the necessity of keeping
it open. Within week Jewett had made
a reputation. If there had been time to
name him he would doubtless have been
called superintendent of transportation,
but there was no time to classify those who
were orking on the road. They called
him Jewett. In some way the story Of
the one-time captains experience at
Bloomington came to the colonels ears,
and he sent for Jewett AS result of
the interview, the young private was at
once taken from the ranks, made captain,
and assigned to special duty. His special
duty was that of general manager of the
NJ. & L. Railroad, with his headquarters
in car.
Jewett called upon the Colonel again,
unlimited this time, and protested. He
wanted to get into the fighting. ''Don'
worry, my boy said the good-natured
Colonel, "I'll take the fight out of you
later on; for the present, Captain Jewett
you will continue to run this railroad. :"
The captain saluted and went about hi
business
There had heep some fierce fohtino a