The Huttig news., 1908-08-08
The Battle on the Desert.


 Out in the sage-eovered wilds a horde of pigmies charged the ice bound earth with pick and powder. Fighting desperately against endless malignant obstacles, George Gregory forged on toward Salt Lake, the goal of his dreams.
 Side by side, mile after mile, the rival companies ran their grades. the Central Pacific working steadily east, the Union Pacific rushing west from their main front, and pushing east with the grade they had begun at Humboldt Wells. They hoped to out run their rivals and meet their own iron far west of Salt Lake.
 Thus the days sped. Gregory's life became a profane prayer for iron. For ten days his men worked but four hours a day. The rest of the time they slept, visited or tramped. A few quarreled some gambled on the sly. Yet these men averaged we'll, and it was not for them Gregory held his sleepless vigilance, but for the tide of riff-raff setting westward from the on coming Union Pacific, from the remote mischief as it passed.
 One night, worn with fruitless court ship of sleep, Gregory rose and went out into the desert cold, striding noiselessly down the sleeping tented town. He turned the other way, passed the boarding train, the com missary, the shops, and on by the Chinese camps Returning. slight noise caught his ear as he neared the wheeled bakery. He stopped. listened and sent his lantern ray against the door It was ajar
 Presently man came out with 8 loaf of bread and climbed down the steps into Gregory's light He was g recent conner, thick, sturdy. witt beetling brows and fierce, resentfu eyes.
 What are you doing here?" thun dered Gregory.
 '1 walked too far to get back fo supper, and went for some bread" ths man answered readily enough.
 How'd you open the door? Wasn't it locked?"
 "Yes. sir; but I got the key. I-''
 He got no farther. Gregory dropped his lantern and flew at him. Hot an ger and the power of authority rein forced Gregory's more than usual strength. He rained blows and invec- tive on the offender: listed him and booted him. kicked him under the wagon finally, with a last irate charge.
 Lie there, you dog. till daylight. if you want to; but be out of this camp before I see you again. you son of iniquity, Blast your eyes! I'll see if stealing can't be stopped here."
 Gregory hurried away but not fast enough to escape the man. defiant re- joinder: Taking a loaf of bread in place of supper's no stealing. I'll be even with you for this, you damned slave-driver
 The voice was weak, but Gregory felt the venom, and its threat
 There's a man under the bakery that I've ordered out of camp" he said to the watchman, as the two met. See that he goes; but give him this-on the quiet, you understand The watch man took the five dollars. Hes only worked two days; there won't be much coming to him. poor devil" the superintendent said compassionately. It was this side of Gregory's varied character that won for him the ale glance and service of the men he drove hard, though less hard than he drove himself
 Gov Stanford established headquar- ters at Salt Lake City, and Superin- tendent Crocker fitted up and down the line to the Front whenever the Sacramento office did not claim him.
 The movements of the directors seemed fatally slow to Gregory, the man of steel, who must ask no ques- tions but execute their office-made plans. He chafed more than ever over delay in forwarding materials, for he was desperately near the end of all the rails on the coast.
 Why don't you get iron across the Isthmus?" he asked of MT. Crocker when the latter had told of the de- layed ships carrying iron, locomotives and other supplies.
 'What?" the superintendent cried in dismay. Pack iron across the 18th mus? Preposterous. The directors would never consent. Hopkins-.e' d go crazy! We"
 Good heavens, MT. Crocker! Don't let him-let them hold us up now!"
 But, Gregory, we're planting money under every foot of track, finished and unfinished. Think of the things that need to be done, rebuilt, mended. And last week we killed 20 Chinamen. We'll have"
 Dead Chinamen needn't bother us; it's live ones we want"
 Yes. but the dead ones make it hard