The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-31

night and day. till that day came that
fear had f~oretold To him. 4 clap OF
thunder struck the Vickiup and Haver-
r. head fell low. and Dave Hawk sailed
boldly on.
was extra passenger man when John
Stanley Bucks took the West End. lie
came from south OF our country. and va
heard great things about the new super
.ntendent and about what would happen
IS soon as he got into the saddle What
few Of the old men in the Wickiup were
left looked at Bucks just once and be-
gan TO arrange their temporal affairs.
His appearance bore out his reputation.
Only everybody, while pretty clear ia his
own mind as TO what he would do-that
IS, as TO what he woul have to do
wondered what Dave would 60.
lie and Bucks met. l couldn't for the
life of ne help thinking when they
struck hands. this grizzled mountaineer
end this contained. strong, soldierly exc
cutive who had come 10 us. OF
another meeting I once saw when l car
ried Crook cut on a special and watched
him at Bear Dance strike hands with the
last Of the big fighting chiefs of the
mountain Sioux.
For three months Bucks sat his new
841i 'fAbt4Odt q WI - al at ~ SltH
what he was thinking then there cane
from the little room a general order that
swept right and left. from train master
to wreching boss. The last one of the
old timers in the operating department
went except Dave Hawk.
The day the order was bulletined Bucks
sent for Dave; sent word to me he wanted
to see him.
Come on said Dave to me when
gave him the message.
What do you want me for?"
Come on he repeated. and, greatly
against my inclination, I Went up with
him. | looked for a scene.
Dave, you've been running here a
good while, haven't you?' Bucks began.
Long as anybody, guess, said Dave,
curtly.
How many years."
"Ninetecn.'
There's been some pretty lively shake
cuts on the system lately" continued
Bucks. The veteran conductor looked at
him coldly. 4 am trying to shape things
here for an entire new DEAL
Don't let me stand in your way" re
turned Dave, grimly.
That's what I want to see you about
1T needn't take long" blurted Dave.
Then III tell you what I want
4 don't resign. You can discharge me
an minute"
4 wouldn't ask any man to resign
Dave, If | wanted to discharge him. Don
make a mistake like that. l suppose you
will admit there's room for Improvement
in the running of this division?"
Dave never twitched. "a whole lot O
Improvement Bucks. with perceptiblt
emphasis, added. It came from the new
superintendent as a sort Of gauntlet, anC
Dave picked it up.
q guess that's right enough" he re.
piled candidly; there is room for
whole lot OF Improvement. If I sat .wher,
you do I'd fire every man that stood ii
the way of it. too"
That's why I've sent for you Buck
resumed.
Then drop the Chinook talk and Civ
me my time"
You don't understand me yet, Dave.
want you to give up YOU III | wan
your friend Burnes here to take you
run"
A queer shadow went over Dave
face. When sucks began he was gettini
q thunderstorm on. Somehow the way i
ended, the way it was coming about
putting me into his place., the on1.
boy on the division he cared "a dam
about-it struck him, as it struck me, al
in a heap. He couldn't say a word; HI
eyes went out the window into the noun
tains; something in it looked like fate
For my part l felt murder guilty.
VIVA l want you TO DO, Dave" adde
Bucks evenly, is to come into the offic
here with me and look after the trGi
crews. Just at present I've got to lear
considerably on a trainmaster. Do 70
want the job?"
The silent conductor turned to stone.
THE men who own the road are neN
, men, Dave: they didn't steal it. The.
bought and paid for it, They want
new deal, and they propose to give tn
new deal to the men. They viii pa
, salaries a man can live on honestly; the
Will give no excuse for knocking down
they want what's coming to them, an
they propose the men shall have thei
! right share Of it III the pay checks.
But there's more than that in il. The
want to build up the operating force 2
! fast as it can be built from the men !
the ranks. | am to make a start now 0
: this division. If you're with me, hang u
Your coat here the first of the mont
g and take the train crews.
i Dave left the office grOggy. The bes
Bucks could do he couldnt get a posltlV
answer out of him. He was oVercom
and couldn't focus on the proposition
Bucks saw how he had gone to piece
e and managed AUTOMATICALLY to leave til
t matter open, Callahan, whom Bucks ha
y brought with him as assistant, filling
n meanwhile as t~rainmaster
n The matter was noised. 1t was know
that Dave, admittedly the brainest an
d most capable Of the ola Guard, had bee
: singled out, regardless Of his past rc
cord, for promotion.
I'm not here sitting in judgment 9
> what was done last year" Bucks ha
said, plainly. Its what is done tn
= year and next that will count in this o
fee
And the conductors, thinking there VI
a chance, believing that at last if the
e did their work right they would get the
e share Of the promotions, began to carr
a their lantens as if they had more inpor
u ant business han holding up stra
e fares