The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-02-26


rested some one. Them big monies
have a wa of bunchin' heads an
freezin' out small fry. S'pose they
rot q corner on four aces an said to
him, Here, you shunt that high-priced
gang o. ~yourn off the track, an get US
a cheap lot Of slant-eyes or some
thing?' What could he do?"
"Jest grab up any old card an bluff
'em from the start" yelled some one,
promptly. That's Mac"
The superintendent Of construction,
Bloxam, smiled little.
YOU'RE about right, guess, Thomp-
son." he said, "Mac has bluffed four
aces before now and never winked.
But suppose you form in line before
the door and let me pay you of. Mr..
Green and Mr.. DAILY may help. The
moneys all ready. And have little
patience about the work stopping. l
have a feeling that it will come out
all right"
"Oh, yes, for you, Mr.. Bloxam,"
agreed the red-shirted man, sarcas-
tically. You're to 60 into camp an
wait orders. But we're turned off,"
what gets me-" said Section Super
intendent DAILY, as the three men en-
tered the Office and began to arrange
the pay envelopes into little piles, lis
the stopping of work. If they count
on economizing with cheaper labor,
why isn't the cheaper help here to
take our places? Don't they know
that every days inaction now means
the loss of fortune? Machinery will
get rusted, slides come down and
grades wash away. Works at that
point where lack of attention will lose
what's already been DONE.
There was sudden commotion out
side. Then a head came through the
window, and Thompson's voice roared:
"Somebody's comm up the slope,
Mr.. Bloxam, from the telegraph sta
ton, likely. Two of us have run down
to hurry him along. Better come out. :"
MIR. Bloxam did come out, leaving
the pay envelopes upon the table, with
the window open; and not one OF the
1900 men even thought of them, as
they waited for the man who was COM
ing up the slope AS he drew nearer,
Mr. Bloxam hurried down to meet him,
tearing open the envelope and reading
the message eagerly, at first with evil
dent disappointment, then with amused
perplexity, and finally with something
like relief. After the third reading he
posted the slip of paper where all could
see. It read:
f'Now that the men are out OF work,
it might be a good idea for them to
hunt and fish little before seeking a
lob elsewhere. l understand it is a
good game country. M'INTYRE."
''Is he plumb crazy?" asked one of
the newer men, turning away from the
paper disdainfully. Its work We
want not sport What could 1900 of
us ereenhorns do with not a dozen
guns for the whole lot, an likely not
a single fishin' line or hook? We
might lie down an fish for good jobs
in our dreams, an fish for clouds with
our eyes,"
"An' very good huntin' an fishin' it
might be-" observed Thompson, as he
took out huge square Of tobacco and
deliberately bit off a corner. THAT
paper would be mostly insults an fool
ishness if Macs name want along.
But it is, an there's trumps some
where. Mac don't know nothin' about
no huntin' nor fishin'; never did; never
had no time; an he don't care. That's
why I'm goin' to stay right here an
hunt an fish with nothin' to hunt an
fish with, till we get another message
that has blind hints to 60 by. Mac
don't show his hand to nobody but jest
himself l know. An I'm free to say
l don't feel half so much turned-of as
did few minutes ago." =.
An hour before, in an Office 1000
miles away, group of men had be-
gun discussing the problem of these
300. And that it had been discussed
before to the limit of patience was
evident from the irritation Of five of
the men as contrasted with the imper-
turbable calmness of the sixth. The
sixth was Mcintyre.
'It is not only sheer waste Of money,
Mcintyre, but unbusiness-like, abso-
lutely unbusiress-like," portly man
was saying. I'VE have gone over all
this before and you understand our
views. We have waited, thinking that
you would show them due considera-
ton. But this last draft upon our
treasurer shows that the extravaganza
is to be continued. Wait a moment"
as Mcintyre seemed about to speak,
"let me finish. Your work is good-the
best in the country. We are glad to
acknowledge as much. 1t was for that
we engaged you. Our road is to be the
best in the country. Your personal
integrity is without flaw, too. 1t was
for that We engaged you and your men
by the day instead Of entering upon
a contract. With the right men, we
believe it to be the best system. At
least, we wanted to make the expert
ment. But you are paying out too
much money, Mcintyre, $4,000 q
month too much. We must insist on