Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-09

huSluGeT. what uOeS he uO
Mind the engine-one Of the men who
threaten to go on strike, | suppose"
remarked old Sam.
No" laughed Rolfe. He's little
more than engineer. 1t is he who has
designed nearly every locomotive
we've turned OUT
ooh! valuable man-eh? Then
raise his salary, Rolfe, and send him
back to Glasgow to make few more
engines"
He's waiting outside at the counter
now and won't go away, exclaimed
the secretary.
Then go to him and say he shall
have fifty pounds more year. l can't
behothered to see the fellow
Rolfe rose and went to the outer
office, where Macgregor stood patient.
ly. He had waited there for the best
part of two days and with Scots
tenacity, refused to be put off by any of
the clerks. He wanted to see Mr.. Sam
uel Statham, "an' l mean to see i'm,
mon," he told everybody, his gray
beard bristling flercely as he spoke.
He was evidently man with
grievance. Such men came to Old
Broad street sometimes, and on rare
occasions Mr.. Benjamin saw them.
There were hard cases of men igno-
rant of the ways of business as the
city today knows it, having been de-
liberately swindled out of their rights
by sharks, concessions filched from
their rightful owners, and patents art
fully stolen and registered But old
Duncan Macgregor, with his white
beard, was different type-the type
Of honest Woodworking plodder, out
Of whose brains the great Clyde and
Motherwell works were practically
coming money daily
AS Rolfe advanced to him he said
I'm sorry, Macgregor, that Mr..
Statham is quite unable to see you to-
day He's engaged three deep. I've
told him you wished to see him, and
he says that he much appreciates the
great services you've rendered to the
firm and that you are to receive rise
or salary of fifty pounds year, be-
ginning the first of last January"
What" cried the old man. What
Re offers me another fifty pounds
Els guild an generous; but l have
ma come here for that. I've come to
London to see him-ye hear!-to see
him-d'ye hear, Mr.. Rolfe, an l
must"
But, my dear sir, you can't!"
Tell him l don't want his fifty
pound cried the old man so derisive-
ly that the clerks looked up from their
ledgers. 81 must speak to him, an
him alone"
Impossible" exclaimed Rolfe, i'm
patiently.
"Why impossible?" asked the old
fellow. when Mr.. Statham knows the
business I've come upon he won't
thank We for keepin' us apart. Dye
ken that, mon?" and his beard wag-
ged as he spoke.
81 know nothing, Macgregor, be-
cause you've told me nothing" was
the others reply.
well, l tell We mean to see him,
an that's sufficient for Duncan Mac
gregor."
"Mr. Duncan Macgregor will, if he
continues to create a scene here, find
himself discharged from the employ Of
the Clyde and Motherwell works." re-
marked Rolfe, drily.
"An, Duncan Macgregor can go to
the Northwestern tomorrow at big
ger rise than the fifty pounds year.
Dye ken that?" replied the man from
! Glasgow.
"Then you refuse to accept Mr.. Stat
hams offer to your
"Of course, mon Ye don't think
| that l come to London cringin' for
more pay, do We? If l wanted it
| could ha' got it from another
company years ago, replied the in.
dependent old fellow No, I must
see Mr.. Statham. Go back an tell
him so. I'm here to see him on a
very important matter and, dropping
his voice, he added, "a matter which
| closely concerns himself"
Then tell me its nature"
Its private, sir. Until Mr.. Statham
gives me leave to tell you, l can't. y
But he wants to know the nature
of the business" answered the secre
tary, again struck by the old fellows
pertinacity. 1t was not every. man who
would decline rise Of pound a
week in his salary. Rolfe was puzzled
but he knew old Sam enough to be
aware that even if duke called he
would refuse to see him. He only
came to the city once week to dis
cuss matters with his brother Ben, and
saw no outsider.
Il can't tell We why want to sec
Mr.. Statham; that's only his business
and mine'' replied the bearded Scot
Tie clerks were now smiling at Rolfe's
vain attempts to get rid of him.
will you write it? Here-write or
this slip of paper" the secretary
suggested.
The old fellow hesitated.
"Yes-if you'll let me seal it up II
an envelope"
Rolfe at once assented, and, witt
considerable care, the old fellow wrote
some penciled lines, folded the paper
sealed it in the envelope, and wrote
the superscription.
A few moments later, when Rolf
handed it to the old millionaire, WHIT
was still at his table chatting with hi
brother, he asked, in a snappish wa.
habitual to him
who's this from-eh? Why am
bothered?"
From the man Macgregor, from
Glasgow. He won't go away"