The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-10-25
Bly,.
GEORGE
CARY
EGGLESTON


Objectionable traits of character that
he possessed. He was reputed to be
He was certainly the hardest in driv-
| Ing bargain, the most merciless in
| it's enforcement He was cordially
hated and very greatly feared. Cold, self
possessed, shrewd and utterly selfish,
his attitude toward his fellow men
and toward himself was altogether diff
ferent from that of his greater Compel
| itor, Hallam. He felt none of Hal
| lam's sporting interest,"" as Duncan
| called it, in playing the game of COM
MERGE and finance. He was quick to
see opportunities and somewhat bold
in seizing upon them, but no thought
| of popular or public benefit to accrue
from his enterprises ever found lodg-
| ment in his mind. He had put a large
sum Of money into the through line
of freight cars, but he bad done so
with an eye single to his own ad-
| vantage, with no thought of anything
but dividends. He had cOntemptuous-
~ called Duncan "a rainbow chaser"
because that young man had spoken
with some enthusiasm of the benefits
which the cheapening of freight rates
| must bring to the people east and west.
In brief, Napier Tandy was very
greedy money getter and nothing else
He hated Hallam with all that he had
of heart because Hallam was his su-
periOr in the conduct of affairs and be-
cause Hallam had so badly beaten him
in every case of competitive effort and
perhaps because of some other things
On his part Will Hallam, without
hating, cordially detested the man
whom he had thus beaten and made
afraid.
Nevertheless these two never quar-
relied. Each of them was too worldly
wise to make an open breach with one
whose cooperation in great affairs he
might at any time need.
On the night of the ball Hallam took
Duncan aside and said to him:
Il wish you'd take the Z o'clock
train in the morning and go up to the
mines for few days. Everything
there seems to be at skies and sevens.
I can't make head or tail out of it ALL
All l know IS that the COMPOUNDED
of my dollars every month. I want
you to go up and make a thorough in
vestigation. If you can't find a way
out I'll shut up the hole in the ground
and quit
Captain Hallam knew, of course,
that Duncan could not get much sleep
that night, but he had long ago learned
that Guilford Duncan utterly disre-
garded personal comfort whenever
duty called, and so he had no hesita-
ton in thus ordering his young lieuten-
ant to take an early morning train on
the heels of night Of dancing.
"Perhaps you'd better go up there
with me-" suggested Duncan.
mo. That would embarrass mat
ters. I've been up several times, and I
want you to bring a fresh mind to
bear upon the trouble I'll telegraph
the people there to put everything at
your command. I want you to study
the situation and make up your mind,
just as if the whole thing belonged to
you. Part of it does, you know, and
more of it shall if you find way out.
IT the thing can be made to go I'll
give you ten more Of the hundred
shares in addition to the five you al
ready own. Good night and goodby
till you're ready to report
Captain Will Hallam had recently
bought this coal mine on a little branch
railroad in the interior of Illinois. He
had not wanted to buy it, but had done
so by way of saving debt. The mine
had been badly constructed at the be-
ginning, and latterly it had been a good
deal neglected. There were other diff
| culties, as Duncan soon discovered,
and the coal resources of the property
had never been half developed. In
recognition of his services in examin-
| ing titles and other matters connected
with the purchase Hallam had given
the young man per cent of the COM
pany's stock. He was thus for the
| first time working in part for himself
when he was sent to study the situa-
| ton.
Quietly, but insistently, in face Of the
surly opposition of the superintendent,
who was also styled chief engineer,
Duncan looked into things. It was
true, as the superintendent sullenly
said, that this young man knew moth
| ing Of coal mining. But it was also
true, as Duncan answered, that he
knew how to learn.
And he did learn. He learned so
much that after three or four days he
sent a telegram to Captain Will Hal
lam, saying:
Give me q perfectly free hand here or
call me home I must have all the 'au-
thority you possess or can be of no use
Answer by telegraph.
For response Hallam telegraphed:
Consider yourself the whole thing. I
give you complete and absolute authority.
Hire or discharge men at will. Order all
improvements you think best. Draw on
| the bank here for any sum you need
Only make the thing go If you can.