The Huttig news., 1908-09-05

With neither curses nor buster; and Bennett's gang had the brunt of the fray.
 Mrs. Gregory and her guests watched unwearyingly the great work drama unfold the miles, rail by rail, banded together in the glorious iron way. At what cost was it done Yet how great was the result,
 'Is it always so?" Esther asked, looking up at Alfred, Must the road to great achievements be always by way of the sweat of the face, the hearts blood?"
 His look was tender, comprehending. Are they not worth the cost?''
 Yes, yes;' must believe they are" Yet she turned away, her eyes blurred with tears. She was thinking of Gid con alone under his posies.
 Dinner was a farce for time, if not for quantity. And all the afternoon men with pails and dippers marched up and down the sweating line, sery- ing to the thirsty incredible auanti- ties of warm, hrackish water that was nectar to the sweating men.
 A short pause for supper. and at 1t again, Night came on, and moon. Eastward they could see the camp fires of their oneoming rivals. They answered with their own huge bon fires, built to reinforce Luna's pale ray.
 On and on, hour after hour: there was no talking, not even the desultory interjections of the day, or the raucous orders of the foremen Muscles moved automatically. Hammers struck as rhythmically, but more slowly. Each man bent to his task with grim endur- ance, too weary to protest. Some sank down and were allowed to crawl away.
 All day Gregory, pale and tense. had ragged up and down the line, directing, crying orders far and near, calling for the impossible. often getting the un- expected. He hurried men, scored in- dividuals. mathematical tools. earth. iron. heat. He was impatient, fercely eager; yet, with it all not far from every honest heart there: for he was fighting for the company-and suc- cess. Dearer to him it was than any The men knew this. and honored him, bore with him, respected him, for the achievement, which many declared no other man could have made
 In the dead of night, when the air was chill upon wet, weary backs when men were dropping from fatigue. and others, more dogged, were work ing on, praying silently for relief-at last, down the line came Gregory's iubilant cry.
 "RoZel!"
 No man among them all had worked as hard as he had worked Month by month his flesh had dropped away. his cheek tanned darker, as he fought his way from ocean to inland sea. The spare, square frame and the scanned face had changed him, aged him sad iv. He had paid in heart and body on this tremendous project And to his anxious wife, praying for this con flict to end. no less than to the ex- hausted men, his cry came like a glad clarion.
 Its ten miles. boys, Ten miles in one day! There's their camp, We'll touch Union Pacific rails tomorrow at Promontery,
 "Hoorayi Another stride of the Cen tral Pacific's seven-league boots to- ward Brigham's drove of tender ewesl" cried some inpertinent voice.
 Hammers dropped Backs unbent, nor rocked of pain. Cheer after cheer rent the still night Ten miles, Ten miles! The greatest days work in the worlds railroad history.
 Gregory went to his car happy. kissed his wife, joined his guests In jolly supper, and slept-slept as he had not for months.