The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-11-30

effects Of their overwork. for each was
twenty-four now. They grew sullen
and moody OF mind and slow OF move
! ment and OF response. Every day a
few more Of them gave up the task.
and Duncan began seriously TO fear
that wholesale quitting would occur
in spite OF the enormous wages he was
paying
With his soldier experience he knew
the symptoms Of decentralization from
overstrain. and he began now to recog-
nize them in the conduct and counte-
nances of the men His soldier life
had taught him also how large a part
feeding plays I'm such a case as this.
He therefore infinitely inspected the
out of door mess kitchen and found II
in charge Of careless and incompetent
negro women who knew neither how to
cook nor how TO make food attractive
in appearance.
THE men eat a good deal" he said
to Temple, but they are not properly
nourlshed | must remedy that. We
simply must win this struggle, Dick,
and we've only six days more. If we
can keep the men at work for six days
and nights more Wei either finish or
finally fail"
1t was Duncan's habit every even
ing TO call up Barbaras house on the
telegraph and hold little conversation
with her over the wire. She was thus
kept infinitely informed of how mat
tiers were going with him, and she was
well nigh sleeplesS with anxiety lest
he fail in this browning undertaking.
Turning away from Temple, he went
to the telegraph instrument, opened
the circuit and called Barbara. He eX-
planned his new difficulty 10 her and
the vital Importance Of providing bet
ter cooked and more abundant food.
The men have been living on mess pork
and salt horse" for weeks, and both the
meat and half baked dough served TO
them for bread are enough to break the
spirit even of veteran soldiers Now, l
want your help In earnest If we can
keep the men at work for six days more,
we shall have a chance at least Of sue
cess. If we can't, failure is inevitable. l
provisions you can get in Cairo and send
them here early tomorrow morning In
charge of somebody who knows how to
hustle. Send one Of my bank clerks II
you can't do better. Send some molasses,
toO-in kegs, not barrels. barrels take too
long to handle. Send eggs. butter. rice,
macaroni, onions, turnips, cheese and,
above all, some really good coffee.
Then. If possible. l want you to send
me one or two cooks who really know
what cooking means. Don't hesitate
about wages. Well pay any price, If
you can only find two cooks who know
the difference between broiing beef and
burning it, Till your cooks come. I'm
going to take charge OF the cooking my
self.
And he did. GuilfOrd Duncan. dis
tinguished man of affairs. associate
of financial nabobs. bank president
and president of this railroad company,
sat hour after hour on Il log or squat
ted before an outdoor fire. doing his
best 10 make palatable such foodstuffs
as were 10 be found In the camp.
Its a sorry task" he said to Tenn
pie The stuff isn't fit to eat at best.
wonder who bought IT, God help the
commissary who should have issued Ii
as rations, even In the starvation days
Of the Army Of Northern Virginia. The
men would have made meat Of him.
But | can at least make it look a little
more palatable and perhaps improve
its flavor little In the cooking till
Barbara sends fresh supplies and some
capable cooks"
What answer did she make to you
when you photographed?
Hardly any at ALL" be answered.
"She clicked out, I'll do my best and
then shut off the circuit without even
word Of encouragement or sympathy.
I'm seriously afraid she is I'll. You
know she shares our anxiety, and she
hasn't been sleeping much, l Imagine,
since our troubles reached a crisis"
That's your fault" said Temple.
you've told her too much Of detail.
If you ever get married you'll learn
to practice certain reserves with your
wlfe-for her sake
mo, won't"
But why so sure?'
Because If | ever marry. my wife
will be a certain little woman whose
fixed determination 1t will be TO share
both my triumphs and my perplexlties,
especially the perplexties. Now, I've
got to dish up and carve this kettleful
of corned beef. and you. | imagine.
might somewhat expedite the work of
the earth shovelers by lending them the
light of your countenance for a time"
Duncan had scarcely finished the
dishing up Of the unsavory corned beef,
the only merit Of which was that 1t
was sufficiently cooked, when a dis
patch came to him from the New York
bankers whom he hail left In charge Of
the company's interests in the finan-
cial capital. They telegraphed:
Tandy reports that you have completely
failed TO build across county line. The
others give notice that. II so. they will
defect road to Paducah. Tandy offers
subscriptions OF vast sum from counties,
towns. Paducah and his Memphis and
Ohio road What answer shall we givs3
Answer by telegraph.
This message acted like an electric