Mower County transcript., 1908-03-11


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Gregory, fitful strawa on gusts thai
sstoop along the track OF lxbor, con.
strary TO the steadier galessofs capital.
''rhe Union Pacific ain't dom
nothin' neither; failed In their con-
tracts one voice said. 4.
':n that company cant build rail-
road next door to cheap food, cheap
iron, good forage and a fiat country,
what do these G. p. fellers expect to
do against wall of rock standing on
edge mile an a half high?''
"Yes; an 40 feet of sncw on top Of
that" a third added.
'An'. thar's the iron-not enough to
be had, no ships to tote it, an 10000
miles to come.'
The superintendent heard, though
eye and mind were reading letters.
He though of the delayed Flora"
and pain stabbed sharper at his tenn
pies.
A shufhing inside warned the super
intendent that the meal was nearly
finished. He moved OF a little that
the men might not guess themselves
overheard xscrutinized them keenly as
they filed out and sought here or there
a sheltered spot for pipe or chew be-
fore the short respite ended.
The superintendent went inside and
ate sparingly Of the coarse food, di-
gestion losing It's fight to the over
wrought brain. Why could not the din
ner-time critics, with all their know
ings, have gained yet a few other
facts? Land jobbers and stock specu-
lators held the Union Pacific fran
chise by the throat, dallied with the
work, cheated their contractors. These
cheated in turn, making their cuts
narrow and ragged, their fills loose
and brush padded, starving their men
and failing with their time limit. No
wonder United States commissioners
refused the road!
But the men of pick and shovel
men upon whom, then as now, depends
the success of all contests with ma
ture-saw only the bare fact, failure.
And failure in the east meant, doubly.
failure in the west!
A second time Gregory read San
Francisco newspaper clipping in
closed in letter from the treasurer:
"The Central Pacific company can
never build on time as long as the
present owners control the Sacra-
mento Valley road. That little link,
with it's Freeport connection, and its
arms outreached to McLane's road 60
ing east from Placerville, will put the
iron horse to the state line long before
Stanford can make good his bluff at
his time limit. The state and the ma
tional government should hail McLane
and his associates as their saviors
from monstrous steal" ~.
That's the cussed stun that works
like slow poison among the men, ma
king sight crooked and brains mag
goty," Gregory thought aloud as he
went to rude kit for paper and pen.
He wrote steadily for an hour, handed
letters and dispatches to a messenger
and was off again. -
Riding west to the end of the rails
two hours later he rounded the elbow
of a small hill and came upon gang
!; Of track-layers working alone, the fore
man being hidden by second sharp
turn. For a moment the men did not
know themselves watched. Some were
resting on their hammer handles, some
Snatching surreptitiOu; smoke, while
low joke and dialogue ran lazily
around. Others kept up noise with
half-hearted blows at the spikes.
''Take your time, boys. This is all
the iron for a month O. Sundays
Something's gone wrong with the
Flora an the last lot was shipped on
her, .=-1- =.
The plunge of the horse, urged upon
the men with cruel spur, startled them
into rigidity. Gregory's hair bristled
under his hat. His nose lifted threat
eningly. His cheek paled and his
eyes flung burning spark to every
shirkling soul. ~
"You hell-hounds! Call this work
Is this what you're giving the C. P
company for their good coin? Yor
| think any railroad under Gods canopy
can be built a-sitting on your ham
mers? I'll break your worm-eate1
heads! I'll set men over you will
shotguns! I'll send you into kingdom
come without wooden overcoats! III
1