Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-14

VI tHe way down the canyon Ford
was saying to himself that he was
now fully committed to- the scheme
over which he had spent so many toll
ful days and sleepless nights, and that
he would have it out with Mr.. North
to a fighting conclusion before he
slept.
But freight wreck got in the day
while the down passenger train was
measuring the final third of the dis
lance, and it was long after office
hours in the Pacific Southwestern
headquarters when Ford reached Den.
YER
BY consequence the crucial inter-
view with the general manager had to
be postponed; and the enthusiast was
chafiing at his ill luck when he went
TO his hotel chatting and saying hard
words, for the waiting had been long.
and now that the psychologist moment
mad arrived. delays were intolerable.
Now it sometimes happens that
seeming misfortunes are only bless.
ings in disguise. When Ford entered
the hotel cafe to eat his belated din
ner, he saw Evans, the P. S-W. audi.
tor, sitting alone at table-for-two.
He crossed the room quickly and
shook hands with the man he had
meant to interview either before or
after the meeting with North.
1t was after they had chatted com
fortably through to the coffee that the
auditor said blandly: .What are you
down for. Ford? anything special?"
Yes. am down to get leave of alb
sence to go east said Ford warily.
But that isn't ALL was the quiet re-
joinder. I'm fact, it's only the noncom-
initial item that you'd give to a Rocky
Mountain News reporter
Ford was impatient of diplomatic
methods when there was no occasion
for them.
Give it a name" he said bluptlv.
What do you think you know,
Evans?"
The auditor smiled.
There is leak in your office I'm at
Saints Rest. I'm afraid. What sort of
bombshe'l are YOU fixing to fire at
Mr. North?'
Ford grew interested at once.
"Tell me what YOU know. and per
hans can piece it out for YOU"
"1ll tell you what Mr.. North knows
which Will be more to the purpose
perhaps. For year or more you have
been figuring on some kind OF
scheme to rrll the company's financial
leg in behalf of your od-for-nothing
narrow gauge. An month ago. for ey-
ample. vol Went all over the old sur
tev on the other side Of the noun
tains and verified the original S. L.
& w. prelin1inaries and right-of- way on
its proposed extension"s
Ford's eyes narrowed. He was think
ing of the warning letter he would
have to write to Frisbie. But what he
said was:
I'D like 10 know how the dickens
YOU guessed all that. But no matter:
supposing did?'
IT'S no good" said the auditor.
shaking his head "1m talking as
friend. North doesn't like YOU. ner-
sonally:; ard if he did, you couldn't
persuade him to recommend ANYTHING
in the way of an experiment On the
Plug Mountain. So far from extending
your two-by-four branch if that is
what you have in mind he'd be much
more likely to counsel It's abandon
ment, if the charter didn't REQUIRE lis
70 keen it going.'
Ford found cigar for the auditor,
and lighted one for himself.
From all of which I infer that the
sen1isnnual report of the Pacific South
western is going to be a pretty bad
one he said carefully, with carefully
assumed Indifference.
Evans regarded him shrewdly.
Are you guessing at that? Or is
there leak at our end of the line as
we'll as at yours?"
"Oh. it's a guess laughed Ford. |
Call it that, anyway. At least I i
haven't any of your confidential clerks
in my pay. But Just how bad is the re-
port going to be-"
The auditor shook his head.
Worse than the last one Perhaps
YOU have noticed that the stock has
dropped six points in the past week |!
You're one OF the official family: l /
don't mind telling you that we are in /
The nine-hoie, Ford"
'Of course we are said Ford, with |
calm conviction. THAT much is pretty /
evident to {. man who merely reads |
he Wall Street news bulletins. What |
Is the matter with US specifically, |
mean?"
Evans shrugged
Are you a. division superintendent !
on the system and don't know" he !
demanded 1--WE are too short at both |
ends. With our eastern terminal only
halfway to Chicago, we can't controf
the east-bound grain which grows on /
our line: and with the other end stop
ping short here at Denver, we cant |
bid for west-bound transcontinental |
business. It's as simple as twice two.
Dur competitors catch us coming and
going"
Precisely. And if we don't get re-
ief?'
"As I've said. you're one of use, Ford,
md ] don't mind speaking freely to
YOU. A receivership is loomine in the
distance. and the not very dim dis
.ance. for the P. S-W."
81 thought so. How near Is IT."
81 don't know nobody knows def
1itely If We had a man OF resources at
he head of things as we have not
t might be stood off for another six
months
I'm on The way to stand it off per-
NNrr 4 -