Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-21
EMPIRE BUILDERS
By
FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright 1907, by Francis Lynde)
FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright, 1907, by Francis Lynde.)

street Offices. and Ford was welcomed
as a man who has recklessly steered the
ship upon the rocks. There were even
some open recriminations. notably on the
ly under them making no defense. and
folding and refolding a slip of paper in
his fingers as he listened.
When they gave him leave to speak he
still made attempt to explain. In
stead he rose. walked TO the other end of
the table and tossed the bit of folded
paper across to Mackie. the broker.
Il inherited little money. and l have
an even twenty thousand dollars he
lid. Il don't know of any more prom
Using investment just now than Pacific
Southwestern at twenty-nine and half.
Will YOU be good enough to buy for my
account, Mr.. Mackie?''
The effect was electrical. President
Colbrith sat up very straight in his chair:
two or three of the anxious ones opened
on Ford with rapid fire of questions,
and Brewster the copper magnate sat
back and chuckled softly in his beard.
NO. gentlemen: there is no change in
the situation. so far as / know. or
course. You are not SO foolish as to let
the newspaper talk of the tie-up at the
Chicago elevators influence you. Ford
was saying to the anxious inquirers.
And, apart from that. everything is GO
ing our way. AS I have remarked. our
stock at the present figure is good enough
lOl NE. ana j only WISH l ndu TWO luu-
dred thousand. instead of twenty thou
sand. to put into it,"
Brewster stopped chuckins long
enough to hold up finger to the broker.
You may buy for my account too.
Msckie. while YOU are at it-and keep on
buying till I tell you to quit
This broke the deadlock instantly, and
for few minutes the board room was as
noisy as the wheat pit with a corner
threatening Brewster still laughing in
tic nd la1 ri ~ ,f
at the brokers' end of the table.
I'm going to ask only one thing Of
you. young man." he began, his shrewd
little eyes twinkling. Just let me know
when you are going to get out. SO can
pull through without having to take the
bankruptcy"
''I'll do it, Mr.. Brewster laughed
Ford. only I'm not going to get out
unless you folks freeze me out
Then it isn't long bluff on your
part?"
1T is and it isn't. We still stand to win
if we have the nerve to hold on-in which
event P. S.W. at twenty-nine and a frac-
ton is gold mine. That's one view of
it. and the other is this-we've simply got
to corner our own stock il we expect to
sell thirty millions additional bonds
We'll. 1 guess you've gone the right
way about it. But are you sure about
these Chicago terminals? A legal friend
of mine here says you'll never get in"
He was possibly paid to say it, said
Ford hotly There has never been
shadow of doubt touching our trackage
rights on the c. P. and D. contracts, or
upon our ability to maintain them. All
the Transcontinental people hoped to do
to make a newspaper stir to help
keep our stock down. They know what
we going to do to them over in their
western territory, and they won't stop at
anything to block us.
"Of course. I think we were all in
clined to be little short sighted and pes
simistic here. Mr.. Ford. When do you 90
back to your fighting ground?"
Tonight
You won't wait to see what happens
here?'
II don't need to. l am sure. And the
minutes-my minutes-are worth dollars
to the company just now.
We'll, go in and win-only don't forget
to give me that tip. You wouldn't want
to see man Of my age going to the
poorhouse.'
lone other word. Mr.. Brewster" Ford
begged. as the copper magnate was point
ing for the door of escape. please don't
let any of these timid gentlemen sell till
We get our bonds floated. You mark my
word-the temptat alton to make a big kill
ing is going to be very great within
week"
The copper king laughed, openly this
You overrate my influence Mr.. Ford
but I'll do what l cAn-by word of mouth
and by example. You can count on me-
as long as you let me stay on your side
of the market"
Ford had three several invitations to
luncheon after the meeting adjourned,
but he accepted none of them. To Adair
he made the declination courteous while
they were trundling back to the Waldorf
in the big touring car.
81 have lost an entire day because l
could not take the time to secure
stenographer before leaving Chicago night
before last. I must find one now and go
to work"
"All right, if you must. But I was hop
ing I could take you out to Overlook to
dinner this evening. Can't you come any
how and take a later train west?''
Don't tempt me-" said Ford. And
then: 1.-THE ladies are quite we'll hope?"
"Oh. yes; they are in town today. and
we are all going to luncheon together
though I shan't know just where until
go to the club. Failing the dinner won't
you make a knife and fork with US at
o'clock
Il should like to-more than anything
else in the world Ford protested mean
ing 1t. But you'll make my excuses to
Mrs. Adair. won't you? We've simply got
to get three-cornered hustle on now, If
we want to save the day in the west.
Why? Is there anything new in that
quarter"
There is-something that I didn't dare
to mention back yonder in the board
meeting. You may remember that l told
you had left a man in my place on the
Plug Mountain-Frisbie? I had a wire
from him night before last, just as l was
leaving Chicago. AS you know, the Pa
cifc Southwestern inherits. from the old
narrow-gauge purchase, the right Of way
over Plug pass and down the valley tof the
Pannikin. Frisbie wires that the Trans
continental people have begun massing
building material at the terminus OF their
saguache branch, only twenty miles from
the pass
And that means:-I'm lame on geog-
raphy."
1t means that they'll cut in ahead of
u.s. If they can. Plug pass Is the only
available unoccupied outlet through the
mountains for thirty or forty miles north
or south. and if we don't get our build
ing force on the ground mighty suddenly
We'll find 1t fortified and held by the
enemy
The touring car had turned into Broad
further talk. But when Ford was dis
mounting from the tonneau at the en-
trance to his hotel. Adair said: There
appears to be no rest for the wicked. You
ought to have some Of that thirty mil
lion dollars to spend right now"
Ford's smile was little more than q sar-
donic grin.
"Adair." he said. I'm going to tell you
something else that l didn't dare tell
those money-tremulous people in McVeigh
and Mackie's private Office. I have been
the trainload ever since the first grain
shipment was started eastward on our
main line. Also, I've got my engineering
corps mobilized, and 1t will take the field
under Frisbie as its chief not later than
tomorrow. Putting one thing with an