Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-11-18
THE RIGHT OF WAY


a constrained silence, and the second
vice-president, in charge Of extension,
gazed longly out Of the window. 1t
was at him the president was direct
ing his remarks.
sit is ridiculous" he said, that we
should be blocked by the obstinacy Of
one man in our endeavor to build this
branch line. A casual observer would
certainly suppose that the executive
department Of the company had suH-
cient brains to overcome such an OBJ
stacie as this. The situation Is SIM
pie enough Here is our road and here
are the mountains in which the new
strikes have been made. To develop
them, machinery must be hauled in
and ore hauled out. That means a
land-mesa and foothills between
the railroad and the mines. We must
cross his ranch, but he declines to sell
a right of way. He is pioneer and
is bull-headed. He says the country
was getting along without railroads
when he came there, and that it can
get along without them still We must
overcome his objections-but how? We
offer TO pay him well for all damage
done, and he replies by suggesting that
our grading outfit bring along one fiat
car of collins. He is certainly con-
trary Individual Have I stated the
case correctly?"
"You have" said the second vice
president, removing his gaze from the
sign below to the map on the table,
with one exception. Colonel Snort
ally Is not an individual; he is COM
munity, and more; he is corporation
because he owns forty thousand acres
OK land; he is political party, because
he employs more cow-punchers than
you can ordinarily get together at a
country dance; he is law-giver, be-
cause of his wealth and the taxes he
pays; he is q law-enforcer so far as
he sees 1T, because he can shoot
straight and has men with him who
can do likewise; he is society, because
his daughter, whom I have had the
pleasure Of meeting, is the most beau
dful young lady in the Territory.
What can a poor, ordinary railroad
company do against such combina-
ton? We cannot condemn until we
can get right Of way from the board
Of supervisors, and he is the county
government"
The president mopped his brow His
gaze wandered across the street and
down seven stories. He arose and
picked UP his silk hat.
Gall right" he said. "We must get
across that ranch some way"
A cloud Of dust was coming down
the road. Theophilus Smith carefully
watched 1t for a moment, and then
turned Bucyrus among the powders
by the roadside. Bucyrus was his
mule. Just ahead Of the dust-cloud
appeared a frantic horse, tearing wild
" down the road toward him. Now
and then he could catch glimpses Of
q swaying blackboard and young lady
clinging to the seat. Theophilus, who
was a careful young man, put his
brierwood pipe in the inside pocket Of
his jacket, drew his sombrero down
tightly upon his head, and then dis
interestedly watched the approaching
runaway AS the dust-cloud Snd it's
contents passed, Bucyrus wheeled, and
they, too, went flying down the road.
Through sand and over powders they
went, horse, blackboard, mule and dust.
excuse me, miss?" said Theophilus,
as he came alongside and reached for
the bit of the running horse; pleas
ant day, is it not?"
He gripped the bride hard, pulled
sidewise and backward, and Bucyrus
cheerfully sat down to the occasion
and slid. There was more dust, and
then they stopped.
Theophilus rubbed some of the dirt
from his eyes and raised his SOM
brero to the girl in the blackboard.
She looked at him with wide-open blue
eyes.
81 am very sorry" he said, politely,
ito stop you so rudely merely to ask
you a question; but will you kindly
pardon me and informe me where Col
onel Snortally lives?"
The young lady's lips quivered, and,
instead of replying, she burst into
tears. Then, recovering from her en-
barrassment and fright, she drew a
deep breath and smiled family, and
as the color came back to her cheeks,
she answered:
II am the colonels daughter, and
will gladly show you the way home"
Theophilus spoke a few words to
the still restless horse, handed the
reins up to the young lady, and led
Isacyrus to the rear of the blackboard,
to which he tied him.
II suppose" said the colonel's daugh-
ter, as they started up the road, "that
/ should thank you for saving my life
and my fathers best blackboard. Real
~, l thank you very much. If you
will stop at the house for dinner, 1