The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-16
CHAPTER XIII.
The Wreckers.

The Wreckers.
Just why Receiver Guilford, an offi-
Ger of the court who was supposed 10
be nursing an insolvent railroad to the
end that it's creditors might not lose
all, should begin by declaring war on
the roads revenue, was a question
which the managers of competing lines
strove Vainly to answer. But when.
in defiance of all precedent, he made
the cut rates effective to and from all
local stations on the TransWestern,
giving the shippers at intermediate
and non-competitive points the full
benefit of the reductions, the railroad
colony denounced him as a mailman,
and gave him a month in which to find
the bottom of a presumably empty
treasury.
But the, event proved that the
majors madness was not altogether
without method. 1t is an axiom in the
carrying trade that low rates make
business; create it, so to speak, out Of
nothing. Given an abundant crop,
low prices, and high freight rates in
the great cereal belt, and, be the farm
ers never so poor, much Of the grain
will be stored and held against the
chance OF better conditions.
So it came about that Major Gull
fords relief measure was timed to
nicely, and the blanket cut in rates
opened a veritable fioodgate for bust
ness in Transwestern territory. From
the day of it's announcement the
traffic OF the road increased by leaps
and bounds. Stored grain came out OF
it's hiding places at every country
crossroads to beg for cars; stock feed
ers drove their market cattle unheard-
of distances, across the tracks of COM
peting lines, over and around obstacles
of every sort, to pour them into the
loading corrals OF the Transwestern.
Nor was the traffic all outgoing.
With the easing of the money burden,
the merchants in the tributary towns
began thriftily to take advantage Of
the low rates to renew their stocks;
long deferred visits and business trips
suddenly became possible; and the say
ing that it was cheaper to travel than
to stay at home gained instant and
grateful currency.
In a short time the rolling stock OF
the road was taxed to it's utmost ca
pacity, and the newly appointed pur-
chasing agent was buying cars and
locomotives right and left. Also, to
keep pace with the ever-increaSing
procession of trains. doubled con-
struction force wrought night and day
installing new side tracks and passing
points.
Under the fructifying influence of
such a golden shower of prosperity,
land values began to rise again. slow
ly at first, as buyers distrusted the con-
tinuance of the golden shower; more
rapidly little later, as the Guilford
policy defined itself in terms OF appar-
emit permanence.
Towns along the line-hamlets long
since fallen into the Yay-station rut
of desuetude-awOke with a start, be-
stirring themselves joyfully to meet
the inspiriting conditions. At Midland
City, Stephen Hawk. the new right-of-
way agent, ventured to ask municipal
help to construct a ten-mile branch to
Lavabee; it was forthcoming prompt
ly; and the mass meeting, at which
the bond loan was anticipated by pub
lie subscription shouted itself hoarse
in enthusiasm.
At Castor, where CASTOR asked for
a donation of land wherein the COM
pany might build the Compromised
division repair shops, people fought
with one another to be first among
the donors. And at Juniberg, where
the company proposed to establish the
first series of grain b-treasuries-
warehouses in which the farmers OF
the surrounding country could store
their products and borrow money on
them from the railroad company at
the rate of per cent per annum-at
Juniberg enough money was subscribed
to erect three such depOts as the heav-
lest tributary could possibly fill
1t was while the pendulum Of pros
perity was in full swing that David
Kent took a day off from sweating
over his problem of ousting the re-
ceiver and ran down to CASTOR. Sin
gle-eyed as he was in the pursuit of
justice. he was not unmindful of the
six lots standing in his name in the
CASTOR suburbs, and from all accounts
the time was come to dispose OF them.
He made the journey in daylight.
with his eyes wide open and the mental
pencil busy at work noting the changes
upon which the State press had been
dilating daily, but which he was now
seeing for the first time. They were
incontestable-and wonderful. He ad-
mitted the fact without prejudice to a
settled conviction that the sunburst Of
prosperity was merely another brief
period Of bubble-blowing. Towns
whose streets had been grass-grown
since the day when each in turn had
surrendered its right to be called the
terminus Of the Notwithstanding
The song of the circular saw, the bee
boom of the planning mill and the tap
ping of hammers were heard in the
land, and the wayside hamlets were
dotted with new roofs. And CASTOR
But CASTOR deserved a separate
paragraph in the mental notebook
and Kent accorded it, marveling still
more: 1t was as If the strenuous on
rush Of the climaxing Year Three had
never been interrupted. The material
for the new company shops was ar
irving by trainloads. and an army Of
men was at work clearing the grounds.
On a siding near the station a huge
grain elevator was rising. In the