Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-12-24
CHAPTER xxlx.-continued.

ooh, surely not for stealing!" In
stantly Esther's mind flew back to the
desert station, the overland journey,
the scene on the hillside, to many
lesser visions of him, even to her last
meeting at Judge Harmon's. Always
the same aversion to him, the same
wonder that the company trusted him.
"Yes, stealth. They gave him a pas
senger out of Sacramento, an he didn't
run it three weeks till they caught him.
The boys say there's something back
of that, too, an it'll go hard with him.
Pore devil! He was bright 'nough fur
meanness; pity he couldn't a tried be-
in white. Come IN. l got to go to
the kitchen"
Here again reigned Vic Wah, the i'm
perturbable.
DO you like it here?" Esther asked
him.
He grinned. "You bettee! Heap
good. One dollah man out here; no
two bittee man. Heap plenty loom.
You likee say damn all light. No
matter"
"Yic got converted down in Oak
land" Sally B. said when out of his
hearing. It'll give We a crick in yer
side to hear him singin' Sans. He's
the best hollerer Charley Crocker's
got. McLane's comm through tonight.
The boys has stuffed Vic with a lot
about Mac, told him Macs goin' to do
UP Crocker's railroad; and I'm power
full 'fraid Yic'll sass Mac" There was
a trife of worry in Sally BIS laugh.
How can he hinder our company
now?"
HE CANT hinder 'em, but he kin pes
ter 'em a heap, him an the gang he's
actin fur. He amt any wuss'n the
rest, only smarter. He's on his way
home from Washington and New York
now. Been tryin' to fix congress agin,
I'll lay. But I bet Coils P. beats him!
/ bet on Coils P. every time. Read
this" She tumbled over a pile Of
papers, found a recent copy of the
Clarion and pointed out a short tele-
STdpnLC ulDPdtCAs LtCdo IL ulOuu,
honey. I like to listen when our fellers
spouts at the government powwow."
It was an appeal from Mr.. Hunting
ton to Andrew Johnson, as the head of
the outgoing administration, IN behalf
of the Central Pacific railroad.
Likely it's ter spike that gun, that
Macs been east. The boys says so.
But | bet on Coils P. all the same.
Ding that Clarion!" she continued,
whipping from one topic to another
with astonishing suddenness. They're
lcluckin' to the u. P.'s now to pass us
and come on to Californy; an howlin'
about pushin' the Southern Pacific to
bust the @. P. If / was Gov. Stanford
I'd mortgage my chance O. heaven,
maybe a little bit O. the other place,
but what I'd git holt O that Southern
Pacific"
What is the Southern Pacific ex
pecting to dor
Build across the continent and have
q competin' line"
What? Two railroads? Surely
one will be enough"
IF them four git a holt Of it, they'll
put it acrost all right. One line
They'll be half a dozen some day. An
you bet the c. P.'s won't let nobody
git the start of them if they only gil
a fair show"
The strange town stirred Esther's
imagination. Like a flock of vagrant
ugly birds, the shacks and flimsy
wooden houses ~squatted on the inhos
pitable mountain top or huddled be
side the brawling stream. The mos
~pretentious places were saloons. A
very long tent caught Esther's eye.
That's the dancehouse," Sally B
said. They've got an extra big troupe
of hurdy-gurdies in n~ow-there's the
place where they sleep just to the LEFT
there. Sufferin' ears! They make {
racket at night, they an the men
Amt nothin' SO bad's you might thinl
bout them girls. though. Most Of EN-
comes from furrin parts, where theil
job amt considered disrespectable."
All in the town carried arms, an(
there were occasional brawls; yet nj
stranger was molested who did no
first modest. Night drew on, and tn,
sleepy town awoke. Wood teams from
the mountain chopping camps ratified
in. The clatter of animals feeding
human and otherwise, stirred the air
The evening train whistled in from tn,
ives, with mail, passengers, a few
$500.