Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-26
Empire Builders
BY FRANCIS LYNDE
II 4
Copyright recs-By Francis Lynde
Copyright tsos-By Francis Lynde.
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
BY FRANCIS LYNDl

1aune, Take your own case, now: if
you don't keep a pretty tight hold on
your check book, Mr.. Colbrith, Cow
Mountain will
/ The president frowned again; more
portentously. this time.
/ This levity is most reprehensible.
Mr.. Ford. he said stiffly. II trust I
Know my duty as the head Of a great
railway company too well to be car
r1ed away On every baseless wave nf
excitement that fires the Imagination
of The mining camp I chance to De
visiting Mr.. Colbrith was not above
mixing metaphor when the provoca-
/ ton was sufficiently great.
"Baseless5:" echoed Ford Surely
you don't doubt Why. Mr..
Colbritl, this strike is the biggest
thing that has happened in the min
ing world since the discovery of the
wedee veins in Cripple Creek
fhe president shrugged his thin
shoulders as one whose mission in life
is to be sturdily conservative after all
the remainder of mankind has struck
hands with frenzied optimism.
Nonsense" he rasped contemp-
tously. What happens?n Two men.
come to town with certain rich speci.
mems which they claim TO have taken
out of their prospect hole on Cow
Mountain. That was at seven o'clock
last night, less than twenty-foul
hours ago, and some two or three
thousand lunatics have already rushed
here III the belief founded upon a
mere boast, it may be- that great
gold reef underlies Cow Mountain. BY
this time tomorrow"
Ford TOOK him up promptly. "Yas.
and by this time tomorrow the Den
yer mining exchange will be bowling
itself hoarse over Copah mining
shares like those c,,lbstone fellows
downstairs; the hunt will be llp. and
system has will be sending it's quota
of gold seekers to the new field That
isn't what you were going to say, I
know; but it is what is going to hap
pen. Mr.. Colbrith. it's the chance of 4
century for the Pacific Southwestern
company, and you are deliberately try
ing to fire the one man who can make
the most of it,
The presidents lack OF the sense OF
humor made it hard for him at times.
He was sitting very erect in the
straight-backed hotel chair when he
said Mr.. Ford, their are occasions
when your conceit is insufferable. Do
you imagine for a moment that you
are the only engineer in the United
States who can build railroads, sir?"
ooh, no"
Then perhaps you will he good
enough to explain your meaning"
1T was poor attempt at jest"
said the young man rather lamely.
yet it had the truth behind it, in Il
way. l predict that this is the begin
ming of one OF the biggest mining
within one hundred and forty miles of
Copab with practicable railroad;
we are within twelve miles with q
track which must be made practical
bic while the band plays. If you dis
charge your entire engineering corps
at this crisis"
4 beg your pardon. interrupted
the president crustily, q have net
asked your force to resign"
Not meaning TO-, perhaps, count
cred the young man maliciously re-
ioicing in the hope that he had founl
one vulnerable link in the presidents
coat of mail. But if 1 go. the entire
department will go. Every man in t
is my friend as well AS my subordin-
ate; and they know very well that II
they shouldn't go, your new CHIEF
would fire them and put in his own
men"
"Ha." said the president. straight
ening up again Am I to understand
that YOU are threatening me, MI.
Ford"
No, indeed; ! am Only stating
fact. But It is pretty serious fact.
Let us suppose, for the sake of argu-