The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-01-20
Copyright. 1896. by C. ". Dillingham; CO
CHAPTER I.


the Southern and Trans
continental Railroad COM
pany IT, lower broadway
The supereniovs, we'll groomed clerks
who, on ordinary DAYS, are FAR too
preoccupied with their own personal
affairs 10 betray Tile slightest interest
In anything not Immediately concern
ing them. now cundrScrndrd Go brstir
themselves and. gathered in little
groups. conversed Iu subuurd, eager
tones. The slim. nervous fingers OF
hair dozen naughty stenographers.
representing as many different types
OF business femiuinity, were husily
rafting the KEYS of clicking type
writers each OF their owners intent
on reducing with ali possible dispatch
the mass of letters which lay piled up
in front of her Through the heavy
plate glass swinging doors, leading 10
the elevators and thence 10 The street.
came and went an army Of messen-
gers and telegraph boys. noisy and
insolent
Through the open windows the
hoarse shouting of ueWs-veuders. the
rushing OF elevated trains. the clang-
ing OF street cars with the occasional
fever.sh dash of an ambulance-an
these familiar noises Of a great city
had the PARKWAY sound peculiar 10
top Slors OF the modern sky-scraper.
4 he day was warm and sticky. as is
not uncommon in early May and the
overcast sky and "a distant rumbiing
az thunder promised rain before night.
The big express elevators. running
smoothly ana swiftly. uuloaded every
few moments q number OF prosperous
looking men who. chatting yOiubly and
anably, made their way immediately
through the outer offices toward an
other and larger inner onice ON the
glass door of which was the legend
Directors Room Private" Each
conner gave a patrouizing nod Ia recog-
milton OF the defeTentiaI sauIaJion Of
the clerks. Earlier arrivals had pre-
eeded them, and as they opened The
door there issued from the Directors
Room a confused muTmuF OF voices,
each different IN pitch and tone, some
deep ana deliberate. others shFill and
nervous. but all talking earnestly
and with animation as men do
when the subject under discussion
voice was heard high above the
others, denOting anger In the speaker.
Followed BY the pleading accents
OF the peaeemaker. who was arguing
his irate colleague into calmness. Al in
tervals The door opened 20 admit other
arrivals, and through the crack was
caught glimpse OF a dozen directors.
some seated, some standing near a
long table covered with green baize
II was the regular quarterly meeting
or The directors OF the Southern and
IranscontinentAl Railroad Company.
hut II was something more than mere
routine that had called out a quorum
OF such strength and which made to
days gathering one OF extraordinary
Importance IN the history Of the road.
That the business on hand was OF the
greatest Significance was easily 20 be
inferred from the concerned and anx-
ious expression on the directors faces
and the eagerness OF the employees as
they piled each other with questions.
Suppose the Injunction is sus-
tainsd?' asked a clerk in a whisper.
rs not the road rich enough 10 bear
the lcss?"
The man he addressed turned impa-
thently to the Questioner;
That's all you know about railroad
ing. Don't you understand thar this
suit We have lost will be the entering
wedge for hundreds OF others, The
very existence Of the road may be al
stake. And between you and me" he
added In a lower key, with Judge
ROssmora on the bench We never stood
much show. It's Judge Rossmore that
zcares 'em. not the Injunction. They've
found Il easy 10 corrupt most Of the
supreme court judges, but Judge Ross
more Is one too many for them You
could no more bride him than you
could have bribed Abraham Lincoln"
But the newspapers say that he.
too. hiss been caught accepting $50
90 worth OF stock for that decision he
rendered in the Great Northwestern
case"
Lies AL those stories are lles!"
replied the other emphatically. Then
looking cautiously around TO make
sure no one overheard. he added con-
temptuously: The big interests fear
him. and they're inventing these lies 10
Iry ana injure him. They might as
well Try 70 blow up Gibraltar The
fact is The public Is seriously aroused
this time and the railroads are in a
panic"
II was true. The railroad, which
heretofore had considered itself su-
perior 10 law, had found itself checked
In It's career OF OutlaWry and Oppres-
sion. The railrdad this modern octo-
pus OF steam and steel. which stretches
its greedy tentacIes out over the land.
had al last been brought TO book.
Al hrst. when the country was
in the earlier stages OF its de-
velopmenJ. the railroad appeared
IN the guise of a public bens-
factor. IL brought 10 the markets OF
the East the produce OF tie south and
West II opened up new ana imcCes-
sihle territory AMI made GASES OF waste
places. IL brought 10 the city coal.
lumber, food and other prime neces-
saries of life taking back 10 the far
mer and the woOdsman ia exchange,
clothes and other manufactured goods
Thus. little by little. The railroad
wormed itself into the anec; .uns oi the
people and gradually became an in
dispensable part of the life It had ia
self created, Tear up the railrOad
and life itself is eXtnguished.
SO when the railroad found Il could
not he dispensed with Nj grow tfieS4T-