The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-02-24
7zoes1I Lf11eszz oaza1D( eslz2eZ 1870 <o2zae2s
CHAPTER /.
The Party on Special No. 2is.

The Party on Special No. 218.
Any one who hopes 10 find in what
is here written a work OF literature
had better lay II aside unread. At
Yale l should have gotten the sack in
rhetoric and English composition, let
alone other studies. had 1t not been
for the fact that played half-back on
the team, and so the professors mark
ed me away up above where l ought
90 have ranked. That was twelve
pears ago. but my life since ! receiy-
cd my parchment has hardly been OF
a kind 10 improve me in either style
or grammar. II Is true that one wom-
an tells me write well, and my
directors never find fault with my
compositions; but | know that she
likes my letters because, whatever
else they may say to her. they always
say In some form. II love you" while
my board approve my annual reports
because thus far | have been able 20
end each with II recommend the
declaration OF a dividend OF - per
cent from the earnings OF the current
year" I should therefore prefer 10
reserve my writings for such friendly
critics, II II did not seem necessary
90 make public plain statement con-
corning an AFFAIR over which there APP
pears 10 be much confusion. | have
heard In the last FIVE years not less
than twenty renderIngs OF what is
commonly called the great X. 4 A.
train robbery, some so twisted and
distorted that but for the intermedl-
ate versions / should never have rec
ognized them as attempts 10 narrate
the series OF events in which | played
a somewhat prominent part. have
read or been told that. unasslsted, the
pseudo-hero captured a dozen despera-
does; that he was one OF the road
agents himself; that he was saved
from lynching only by the timely ar
rival OF cavalry: that the action or
the United States government In res.
cuing him from the civil authorities
was most highhanded interference
with state rights; that he received
his reward from grateful railroad
by being promoted; that a lovely
woman as rccomponse for his yillalny
but bother it's my business 20 tell
what really occurred. and not what
the world chooses to invent. And II
any man thinks he would have done
otherwise in my position, ] can only
say that he Is a better or a worse
man than Dick Gordon.
Primarily, II was football which
shaped MY end. Owing 10 my skill in
the game. took a postgraduate at
the Sheffield Scientific school, that
the team might have my services for
an extra two years. That led TO my
knowing a little about mechanical en-
gineerlng. and when | left the quad"
for good | went into the Alton rail.
road shops II wasn't long before !
was foreman OF sectionl next | be-
came division superintendent, and
after I had stuck 10 that for a time
I was appointed superintendent OF the
Kansas & Arizona railroad, a line
extending from Trinidad In Kansas
20 The Needles In Arizona. tapping
the Missouri Western system at the
first place, and the Great Southern az
the other. With both lines we had
important traffic agreements. as we'll
rs the closest relations, which some
times were a little difficult as the
two roads were anything but friendly,
and we had directors OF each on the
X. e a. board In which they fought
like cats. Indeed. It could only be a
question OF time when one would
GUST the other and then absorb my
road. My headquarters we're at Albu-