Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-09-07

HIS 1elows III ana out OIL tue once
were commonplace young men, all
looking to the main chance alone and
pursuing it with only such honesty OF
conduct as business prudence requir-
ed. They felt no further interest in
their work than such as was necessary
to enable them to retain their places
and their salaries.
Therefore they did not understand
Guilford Duncan. Neither could they.
They regarded with amazement and
almost with incredulity his manifesto
tions of sensitive honor and of I'M
selfish loyalty to duty. They thought
of him as a sort of freak or what we
should nowadays call a crank.
OF course they could not fail to rec
ognize his ability, but they thought him
good deal of n fool, nevertheless, for
not taking selfish advantage Of the OPP
portunities that SO frequently came to
him. They could not understand why
he should 60 out of his way, rs he
very often did, to render services to
the firm which were in no way requir-
ed or expected Of him. Especially
they could not understand why, when
he had rendered such services 10 o
way to attract Captain Hallam's pl cas-
ed attention, he didn't "strike for
something better" as they phrased
their thought.
In one especial case their amaze
ment over his neglect Of an oppCrtu.
nifty bred something like contempt OF
him in their minds. 1t was the prac-
tice of the Italians to keep feet Of
heavily laden coal barges in bend of
the river above the town, bringing
them down one by one to the coal
yards at 1.-The point below the city as
they were needed. One day in the ear
ly winter, coal gauger being off duty,
Duncan volunteered to go up to the
bend in his stead and measure the coal
.n a great feet of barges that had just
arrived.
He found the barges unsafely be-
slowed and suggested to the captain of
the. Hallam yard tugbOat that he
should tow them into securer anchor
age. As night was at hand, the captain
of the tug refused, saying that he
would attend to the matter on the NOR
row.
That night the first storm of the win
ter broke upon the river, flashing 1t to
fury and threatening with destruction
every species Of craft that might ven
ture away from mornings.
About midnight one of Duncan's bed
room windows was blown in, scatter
ing glass and fragments of sash over
his bed and startling him out of sleep.
Instantly the thought of the exposed
coal barges flashed into his mind. He
knew that they were utterly unfit to
ride out storm, being nothing more
than great oblong boxes loaded nearly
to their gunwales with coal. He re-
membered, too, the exposed position In
which they had been left for the night.
Hastily drawing on his clothing, he
hurried to the landing place Of the
yard tug. He found no preparations
making there for any attempt to save
the barges and their enormously rich
cargoes or even to rescue the helpless
men who had been left Oh board Of
them. The engineer of the tug, who
always slept OH board, was there, and
so were the two deck hands and the |
fireman, but the fires were banked,
and the captain had not responded to
the duty call of the tempest.
AS the immediate representative and
chief lieutenant Of Captain Hallam,
Guilford Duncan was recognized as q
man somewhat entitled to give orders.
On this occasion he promptly assumed
so much more of authority as did not
strictly belong to him.
He instantly ordered the engineer to
get up steam. He directed one Of the
two deck hands to 60 hurriedly to the
tug captains bedroom and order him
to come to the tug at once.
AS he ratified off his orders for put.
ting cable coils aboard, placing all
matches and doing all else that might
render the tug filter for the perilous
service that he intended to exact of
her, his voice took ON the old ring Of
battle, and his commands came quick,
sharp and penetrating from his set
lips, like those of an officer placing
guns in position for desperate fight.
The captain, who was also sole pilot
Of the tug, so far Obeyed the order sent
to him as to come to the tug landing.
But when he looked out upon the
storm dashed river he positively refus-
ed to obey Duncan's order to go to the
wheel.
"I'll never take the tug out in such
storm as this" he said doggedly.
But think, man! There are twenty
men or more up there Oh those coal
barges whose lives simply must be saw
ed. And there is hundred thousand
dollars worth Of coal there that may
90 to the bottom any minute"
II can't help that. / tell you the tug
couldn't live minute In such
Storm"
"In other words" answered Duncan,
with measureless contempt in his tone,
you are miserable coward, white
ivered wretch, whose life wouldn't be
worth saving if it were in danger. Go
Jack to your bed"
Then, turning to the engineer and
he two deck hands, he asked hOarsely:
"Will you men stand to your duty
While 60 to the wheels"
Were with you while she floats,
ap'n," said the engineer. II always
i'd hate coward"
"Have you got steam enough"
eyes. 100 pounds pressure to the !