Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-28

Hire or discharge men at VIII. Ofoer al
 improvements you think best Draw or
 the bank here for any sum you need
 Only make the thing go if you can.
 Thus armed Duncan set to work in earnest.
 "Why isn't your output of coal larger than it is?" he asked of Davidson, the superintendent.
 "I can't make 1t larger under the cir cumstances."
 "What are the circumstances? What difficulties are there in the way? You have miners enough surely"
 Well, for one thing the mine is bad y ventilated. Many of the best gal leries are filled with choke damp and must be kept closed"
 "Why don't you improve the ventila- tion? AS an engineer you ought to know how to do that much"
 Tt isn't feasible, as you would know, MT. Duncan, if you knew any thing about mining"
 "Oh, never mind my ignorance! It is your knowledge that I'm concerned about just now. Do 1 understand you to say that a mine lying only seventy five feet or so below the surface can not be ventilated?''
 "I suppose 1t might be if the busi- ness could afford the expense"
 -"The business can and will afford any expense that may be necessary to make it pay. If you know enough of engineering to devise a practicable plan for ventilating the mine I'll fur nish you all the money you need to carry 1t out"
 He had it in mind to add, "If you don't know enough for that I'll find more competent engineer" but he kept his temper and refrained.
 'Twouldn't be of any use," answer ed Davidson after a moment. Were producing more coal now than we can market"
 How is that? I don't understand. Your order book-which l looked over today-shows orders full month ahead of shipments, besides many can celed orders, countermanded because not. filled promptly enough to satisfy the customers. You're superintendent as well as engineer. I wish you'd try to clear up this puzzle"
 "Oh, its simple enough! The rail road people won't furnish us cars enough. could ship hundred car loads tomorrow if I had the cars, but I haven't got 'em. and can't get 'em."
 Do you mean that you are offering coal as freight to this railroad and the road is refusing it?'
 "Yes, that's about it. I've asked for cars and can't get 'em, except few each day"
 Do the other mines along this little branch railroad have the same trou- bleY
 There is only one other mine on this line"
 "Well, does it encounter the same difficulty in marketing its coal?"
 "No-at least not to so great an ex- tent. You see. somebody there is standing in with the railroad people. I suppose they've had little block of stock given to them-the railroad peo- pie, I mean. So the Quentin mines get all the cars they want. and we get only their leavings."
 Well. now, Mir. Davidson, I give you this order: Set to work at once and bring out every ton of coal you've got ready in the mine. There'll be cars here to haul it when you get 1t ready. Good night. Mir. Davidson. I'll talk with you another time about the other matters. I have a good deal to do tonight, so can't talk further with you now"
 Davidson went out after . grudging Good night" Duncan did not yet know or suspect. though he was pres ently to find out, that to Davidson. also, the proprietors of the rival mine were paying a little tribute as a re- ward for silence and for making trou- Dle.
 Duncan sat for an hour writing let ters. One of them was addressed to the general freight agent of the little on which 'ie mine was S.t- uated. IL read as iiOws:
 Within sin days 1 shall hav. 100 car loads of coal at the mouth of this mine. ready for shipment upon orders After that time I shall have about sixty car loads ready for shipment each day. Please see to it that an adequate supply Of cars to move thi. freight ar. side tracked here on time
 Duncan signed that letter with all needed circumspectioa- The signature read:
 For the Redwood Coal and Iron com pany. Gullford Duncan. manager and at- torney at lau and In fact for the com pany.
 That subscription was intended as an intimstion-
 When on the nert afternoon the gen eral freight agent. who had several times met Duncan at Captain Hal lam's house. read the letter fns atfen- ton was at once attracted. precisely as Duncan had intended thst it should be. by the elaborate formsIity of the signature.
 So HsIIAm's got that smart young man of his at work. hss heT- the freight agent muttered- Well. we'll .ee what we cen do with hin-- But se deliberately waited till 9 o'oBock hat night before responding Thea. ,p~uInx the telegraph ksy ct his eI- 1o~. he called Duncan. s1d Duncan. Ebo had lezrned telexrsphiaE. ss be lad learned many otber thinzs- e c art of his eguipDe7t for -o-k. 'ronptIy went to his keT and answer d the call The general frpizht agent