The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-26
HIS ALL:
WON ON A BLAST
DRAMATIC STORY OF ONE U. OF M.
GRADUATES SUCCESS.
He Saw an Opportunity to Work Out a
Contract by Breaking OFF the Side Of
a Mountain and Took Long Chances,
but Won Out Beautifully. 7.

r .
More stirring than the most thrilling
melodrama is the story Of how James
Evans, risking all, achieved fortune
in less time than it has taken to write
this sentence. .E#-s |
Some Of the U. Of NJ. alumni, who, as
undergraduates, knew Jimmy Evans
at the university eight years ago, were
aware of his ambition to become rail
road contractor. Upon leaving the IN
stitution he secured small contract in
southern Minnesota, which he completed
with the conviction borne in upon him
that he had figured very closely. I'm
der the circumstances the big, hustling
west where they did things on large
scale appealed to him with peculiar
force and he hastened to Spokane with
designs on the Oregon Railway & Navi-
cation railway.
just at that time the Oregon Rail
way & Navigation was doing some
new work near to the Idaho line,
and Evars had chance to look over
the specifications as bidder. One Of
the costliest features Of the job was
heavy fill around the steep shoulder Of
mountain. It involved the moving of
! thousands of cubic yards of crushed
rock or earth, an expensive process, but
| cheaper in the opinion of the railroad
; engineers than cutting shelf out. of
! the side of the mountain. With his
wits sharpened by his previous expert
ence. Evans took a cayuse and rode
down over the proposed line to where
this particular bit of work was to be
| done.
An Obstacle and an inspiration.
1t was an unpromising sort of d lay
out A deep gorge thru which it would
be necessary for the grade to run was
overhung by steep slopes of solid rock.
Material for filling must be brought
from distance, at-least so all the en-
gineers and contractors figured.
Suddenly, however, happy inspira.
tion came to Evans. By blasting off
the shoulder of the mountain, there was
a chance that the detached mass might
fall in just the right place and be of the
right proportions. Making careful es-
Inmates of the work on this basis, he
returned to Spokane and figured out
bid which was just under that Of his
competitors and won him the contract.
Explosives were the Mext in order
Evans capital was not large, but he
worked his credit to the limit. : Thous
ands of pounds of giant powder were
bought and shipped to the scene OF
operations where it was slowed away IL
the rock by the busy drillers, Still there
was call for more and young Evans In
Cured obligations which he shudderee
I to contemplate in supplying the amount
needed. Before the last stick OF pow
der was rammed home, it became ap
parent that the future of at least on
young man hung in the balance will
the success of the grand blast. -.s.
When the last drilling had been dom
and the final charge placed and wired
there was careful inventory of possi
bilities made by the contractor and hi
foreman. Aside from the financial dis
, aster involved in failure, there were eel
tain ugly possibilities in the physica
side of the problem. The blast mi gh
+ not go right and-well, there was
, fast saddle horse in waiting with whic
9 the foreman possibly intended to eros
the Idaho line where he would hav
+ more time to think in case of disaster.
; The Crucial Moment Comes,
= Accounts received in Minneapolis d
I |
- ish Evans was when he gave the sigma
:, to touch off the giant blast. The pow
y der up along tho side of the mountai
:, :, represented all his probable earning
:. - for two years at least if it didn t. d
. liver the goods. There were all kline
o of chances that the thing would 60 tn
;. way or that, and they were ten to on
against him. There was no remedy
j. it started wrong But it was all to
L over in minute and the signal W.
e given. With a muffled roar, the shou
q der Of the mountain was rent asund'
e. and the huge mass of rock crashed int
the gulch-in just exactly the rigl
place and in just exactly the rig]
u amount. In less than two minutes tt
n great fill had been built by the simp
Ill force of gravitation, and the cost Of tt
IS preliminary drilling had been but
3, mere bagatelle compared with the e
[y pense of bringing in material as the e
is gineers had figured. :.
at Naturally. the contractor rightful
Id pocketed the difference as his prof
r. Some Of his old university friends w
,l- have heard the story place the sum fa
o. ly we'll up among the fvefgure demon
ly nations. Possibly it has grown in t
he telling. Possibly also, the strain
n, the two and half iiffies that it to-
es the side of the mountain to fall ma
us railroad contracting seem a bit t
We strenuous for a steady occupation.
es any rate Mr.. Evans has ceased buyi
he giant powder and his business cards
veal him in q less hai--whitening re
IN as president Of the Idaho Lime co
m pany, headquarters at Grrokane.
lie - = -
lie Observation-Disclosures sdraughtsmt
se KEGS & Cnlhurn. 6Q2 KaSOta bldg.. ci1