Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-25
XIV.
The Draw-Bar Pull.

Attorney Kenneth had many more OBJ
ject lessons in the study of open camps"
on the three-day return ride to Saints
Rest. The day OF stop-over in Copah
CHANGED to be the Marlborough Brothers
monthly pay day, and until the mems
money was spent pandemonium reigned
along the line of the extension.
Some of ii they lodged, riding wide to
pass the larger camps, and hearing from
afar the noise of carousal the fierce
drinking songs of the Magyars. the fusil-
ladies' of pistol shots. So far as they
could see. all work appeared to be sus-
pended. and Maj. Benson, whose camp of
engineers they picked up in one OF the
detours around gulch head, confirmed
that conclusion.
1T was the same way last month.
ragged the major, twisting his fierce white
mustaches and looking as II he would like
to blot the name of Marlborough from the
roster of humanity. It'll take full
week to get them into the swing again.
and Marlborough will be up with his esti-
mates just the same as If he had been
working full time. I'll cut EN-: by the
gods I'll cut EN-. And you must stand
by me. Mr. Ford
There was the same story to be listened
to at Brissac's tie camp; and again at
young Benson's headquarters. which were
on the mountain section. This last was
on the third day, however. when the mad
ness was dying down. Some Of the rock
men were back on the job, but many OK
the gangs were still grievously short
handed. Ford said little to kenneth. The
pandemonium spoke for itself. But on
the third night. when the long ride was
ended. and Pietro, Ford s COOK ana man
of-all-work. was serving supper IN tne
caboose office-on-wheels, some of the bit
terness in Ford's heart slipped into
speech.
Can you see now how 1t takes the
very marrow out of a mans bones. Ken
meth? You may think of an engineer as
man of purely bull-headed purposes.
merely trying. in Grass, materialiSsic
way. to get a material thing done l
want to do big thing. and I'd like TO do
it in big way. 1t is big thing-the
building of this extension. If 1t doesn't
add another star to the flag. it will at
least make one state twice as popuious,
twice as prosperous. 1t Will add It's
quota to the habitable surfaces; and It's
a good ouota-a land that some future
generation will love, and swear by, ana
fight for, If need be. And TO think tnat
for one mans narrow mindedness ana
another's greed we've got to christen 1t
in blood and muck and filth and dis
honesty-it makes me sore, kenneth;
sore and disheartened.
Il don't blame you said the lawyer.
reveling though he would never have ad-
mitted it, in the comfort of the caboose
headquarters journeys end. But you'll
pull through: you'll build your railroad.
and the mistakes that are made won't be
your mistakes. It's a horrible state or
affairs, that in the MacMorrogh camps;
blot on our boosted civilization. But you
can't help it. Or rather you VIII help IL
If. and when. you can.
Ford was shaking his head deiectedly.
II don't know Kenneth. It's getting
next to me, even at this early stage OF
the game. Have you ever stood on the
front car platform of train nearest 10
the engine and watched the juggling draw
bar? 1t is apparently loose; its hold on
the engine seems to be no more than that
of the touch of clasped hands in a gypsy
dance Yet it never let's go and the drag
of it is always there. By and by, when
the coal is all burned. and the fire is out.
and the water is drained from the tank:
those gentle little multiplied jerks Will
pull the big engine down-kill it-make II
a mere mass OF inert metal blocking the
way OF progress.
..Well?" said the attorney.
ITS an allegory. I'm beginning TO reel
the draw-bar pull. Sooner or later North
and his CLIQUE will drag me down L
can't fight as the under dog-I never
learned how and they've fixed 1t so that
| can't fight any other way.
ITO he continued tomorrOw.)