Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-26
CHAPTER Ix-continued.3

To this telegram there was prompt
and voluminous reply from the seat
lof war in the east. In free fight
on the stock exchange, a battle royal
generated by Brewster and Magnus In
(which every inch Of ground had been
sharply contested by brokers buying
up P. S-W. in the interest of prin-
eipals unnamed, a majority of the
southwestern stock-safe but exceed
1ngly narrow-had been secured by
5tiie reconstructionists.
In accordance with Ford's sugges-
ton, North had been "called down"
by wire, and Ford was instructed to
report instantly any failure of effort
on the part of the Denver headquart-
ers to set the grain trains in motion.
Otherwise, and from the New York
point of view, the situation remained
most hopeful. The fight in the Street
had unified the factions in the board
of directors and even the umid ones
were beginning to clamor for an adj
vance into tie territory of the enemy.
: Ford read Adair's letter-length and
most unbusness-like telegram with
1.-THE zest of he fine wine Of triumph
Itingling In his blood. With the Chi
Icago outlet fairly open and in working
order. and huge tributary grain crop
ito be moved, 1t should be only mat
tier of days until the depressed Pacific
Southwestern stock would begin to
climb toward the bonding figure.
| This was the first triumphant con-
lclusion, but afterward came reaction
and a Oppressive doubt Would the
stock go up? Or would the enemy de-
wise some assault that would keep 1t
ldown in spite of the money-earning,
Idividend-promising facts? Upon the
;expected rise hung the fate of Ford's
cherished ambition-the building of
1.-THE western. extension. Without a
Edividend-paying Chicago-Denver main
fine, there could be no bond issue. no
thirty millions for the forging of the
tthird and most important link in the
great traffic chain
Ford walked the floor of his office,
icalled by courtesy, private" for an
anxious hour, balancing the probabili-
tiles, and finally determined to take
THE desperate chance. There was a
vast mountain of preliminary work to
he leveled, huge purchasing expenses
to be incurred, before the first step
could be taken in the actual building |
of the western extension; and the
summer was advancing day by day.
He did not hope to get the extension
completed in single season But to
get it over into the promising mining
field on the lower Pannikin before
snow-fying meant work Of the keen
est, without the loss of single day.
Could he afford to play the safe game
and wait until the building capital
should be cannily in Mr. Magnus' bank
vaults?
He decided that be could not; and
when he reached decision Ford was
not the man to hesitate before taking
the plunge. On the morning of the
third day he called Truitt, sometime
of the c. P. & d. and
now acting manager of the Chicago
and gave him his instruc-
tons.
You say there are three grain
trains moving on the line now, Mr.
'Truitt: there will be three more be-
fore night. Keep them coming. and
give him the right Of way over every
thing but the United States mails.
Can you handle this without help
from me?"
Wen give il pretty stiff trv"
was the prompt rejoinder, But Won
are not going to leave US, ere YOU
Mr.. Ford?''
NO; but for the next fosg.eigbt
hours / am going to lock my doos and
don't want to be disturbed for anN.
fling less than a disaster or a ire
from New York. Please give or,ars
accordingly will you Z? :