Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-26
Copyright 19os-By Francis Lynde.

By FRANCIS LYNDE

The orders were given; and, left
with his force of stenographers, Ford
began to walk the floor. debating right
and left. Letters and kilograms to
steel mills, to contractors, to bridge
builders, to the owners of grading out
fits, and to labor agencies, clicked out
of the typewriters in steady and I'M
broken stream, and the din was like
that of mainline telegraph Office on
hot piece of track
All day long, and far into the night,
the office force wrought increasingly,
digging away at the mountain of pre-
ilm1nary correspondence; and by the
next morning the wire replies were
beginning to come in.
Then came the crux. To insure
prompt delivery Of material, definite
orders must be placed Immediately.
A delay Of single day might entail
delay of weeks In the shipments. Yet
the risk of plunging the company into
debts 1t might never be able to pay
was appalling. What If the stock
should not go up as pretigured ?-if
the bonds could not be foatede
1t was with the feeling that he
warrant that Ford put his name to the
first order for two hundred thous-
and dollars worth of steel rails for
Immediate delivery to the company's
line in Chicago. But after the first
cold submergence it came more easily
and when he left the office an hour
before midnight, cool million would
not have covered the obligations he
had assumed during the strenuous
day. >.
Kenneth was sitting up for him
when he reached his hotel. and the
usually impressive face of the general
counsel reflected trouble.
"Out with it." said Ford YEARLY:
and suddenly the new million of in
debtedness became mountain weight
to grind him to powder,
We're blocked was the brief an
1.-TWO Of the grain trains
are in, and the Transcontinental law
yers have won the toss. We're en-
Joined by the court from using the
service tracks to the elevators.
Didn't your local people tell you?"
NO." said Ford. II had given
orders that was not to be disturbed.
But what of it? You expected some
thing of the sort. didn't your"
Yes; and provided for it. The
injunction will be dissolved when we
have our final hearing; but long be-
ore that time the mischief will be
I'm afraid"
"How?"
ut will be blazoned far and wide
hat we can't deliver the goods-that
he opposition has done us up. I've
ried to keep it out of the newspapers,
IT, rather, to persuade them not to
make too much of it. But in wouldn't
70. The Transcontinental has all the
'ull in this town, 1t appears"
"And you think it will affect the
rice of the stock?"
1T is bound to, temporarily, at least
md coming upon the heels of today's
udden tumble
Whats that?" demanded Ford. dry
ipped. adding: II haven't seen a pa
er since morning"
Kenneth wagged his head gIoomily |
It's pretty bad p S-W. closed at
hirty-three-five points off yester-
avs market"
Good Lord!' F,ord's groan was that
( man smitten down in the heat of
he fight. Say, Kenneth, within a
ingle sweep of the clock-hands
ave contracted for more than a mil
on dollars worth Of material for the
testern extension-more than mil
on dollars WORTH"
well, I'm afraid you have sinned
4 haste to repent at leisure said
he lawyer, with weary mans dis
egard for the amenities. Then he !
dded: I'm going to bed I've had
bout all | can stand for one day."
Ford went to the room clerk for