Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1906-05-18
A Monopoly
OF Mules
BY E. F. STEARNS.
Author OF The Girl from Jepson's"
THE super and the signs" Etc.
s0Jo.Jo0.S.tsS .f.fosf.f.tsS.scc0..eto
Copyright. by Joseph Is. Bowles)


Copyright by Joseph b. Bowles)
Hardheaded. iron-gray Abner Green
foreman OF the Greer Merrill Machin,
company's smaller finishing room
scowled at the landscape.
His heart was as sore as the hear
OF man may be. for the hope OF 20 gooc
years was gone now; the under super
intendency OF the works. so long his
goal and so well merited. had been va
cant at iast-and had not been filled
by him, as had been expected. Pull,
pure and simple. had brought young
Burgess from the east and given him
she place, and there he was. settled
end sef-satisfied.
He was startled by the voice of the
youngest apprentice.
Green! Barker wants youl Bar
ker was the superintendent
Barker did not appear inordilately
sweet that day
Let's see Your room is working on
the smaller parts of the machines for
Champlin Mills. Yes. Green, that or
der must start on the first week in
April. not three weeks from nowl"
Wen come near making It,"
Hang IT, Near won't do any
good We've got to make it! Why,
Green. that contract Is worth million
to Greer Merrill-it's one OF the big
gest private orders OF machinery on
record. We've guaranteed to set up
their plant and have 1t running ON the
first of May-that means that every
blessed piece must be out OF here be-
fore the sixth of next month. II we
slip up" Barker paused impressive
ly''it means a penalty of fifteen hun
dred dollars for every day of delay!"
The foreman of the finishing room
returned to his domain and transmit
ted orders
Days passed rapidly after that-days
of pell-mell scurrying work.
On certain Friday, however-the
Friday before the week OF the Cham
plin Mills shipment-the foreman's de-
partment came momentarily to a
standstill. pending the arrival of rough |
pieces from the foundry. An hour
would have to elapse and Abner struck |
ctf Tor walk.
on to the right some half-dozen |
psces. Little Feather creek rippled
noisily downhill. muddy and exultant
In its new release from the ice prison.
Yes. hardly half dozen PAGES from
he track and the snow-shedl
And slowly a great conviction came
q Abner Green. mighty thaw was
lnder way and-the Chicago engineers
v 10 constructed that spur of railroad
lad overlooked something.
II seemed incredible. and yet was
lot. for they had taken the only path
or The road possible without endless
X ,ens grading; and still-ADner
iapred els thigh.
ITS as sartin as the crack o. doomi"
. informed the rocks above.
Shortly past seven that evening.
ihen Casey's engine ran down to
iroadbury to hook up the first empty
ar. Abner rode in the cab From
here his actions are hazy.
II is said that he went directly TO
president of Broadbury's lit
g bank, and requested the cashin" OF
check which would practically wipe
Ut his savings: that Raymond oblig
lgly opened the institution, the same
eng on the ground floor of his resi- !
ence. and complied; that Green
later with some one thousand
nliars in small bills.
Whatever truth may be in the above,
ne TACT stands out with beautiful GER I
Unity; at dawn next morning herd
I 40 sturdy mules wendell their way
y the back road TO the hillside home
Abner Green, led by that person
imself and trailed by a sleepy. Won {
airing Broadbury boy. n
The colony OF workers below was not
thin an hour of being astir. Mules n
ere tethered IN the barn. in danger "
rs proximity; mules were jammed Il
nfeelingly into the toolshed. mules
ere tied in the patch OF woods behind N
e house-good mules and bad mules. T
Jump mules and bony mules, mules h
at had been bought for next to moth b
x and mules that had seemed much