Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-09-16
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CHAPTER XVIII.

COPYRIGHT 1908
THE BosBs- MERRILL COMPANY

The affairs of the Traction Company
proved 10 be in & wretched tangle. Sax
ton employed an expert accountant TO
open a set of books for the company,
while he gave his immediate attention TO
the physical condition of the property.
The company's service was a byword and
a kissing in the town, and he did what
he could 10 better 1t. working long hours
but enjoying the labor. 1t had been a
sudden impulse on Fenton's part to have
Saxton made receiver. In Saxtons first
days at Clarkson he had taken legal ad
vice of Fenton in matters which had al
ready been placed in the lawyers hands
by the bank but most of these had long
been closed, and Saxton had latterly gone
TO Raridan for such legal assistance as
he needed from time to time. Fenton had
firmly intended asking Wheaton's appoint
ment this seemed to him perfectly nat
ural and proper in view of Wheaton's po-
sition in the bank and his relations with
Porter which were much less confidential
than even Fenton imagined.
Fenton had been disturbed to find Mar
grave and Wheaton together in the direc-
tors room the night before the annual
meeting of the Traction stockholders He
could imagine no business that would
bring them together and the hour and
the place were not propitious for forming
new alliances for the bank Wheaton had
appeared agitated as he passed out the
packet OF bonds and stocks: and Mar
graves efforts at gaiety had only increas-
ed Fentons suspicious. From every point
of view it was unfortunate that Porter
should have fallen i'll just at this time;
but 1t was, on the whole, just as we'll to
take warning from circumstances that
were even slightly suspicious, and he had
decided that Wheaton should not have the
receivership. He had not considered
Saxton in this connection until the hour
of the Traction meeting; and he had in
wardly debated it until the moment of
his decision a. the street corner
He had expected to supervise Saxtons
acts, but the receiver had taken hold of
the company's affairs with a zeal and an
intelligence which surprised him. Saxton
wasn't so slow as he looked he said to
the federal judge, who had accepted Sax
ton wholly on Fenton's recommendation.
Within a fortnight Saxton had improved
the service of the company to the public
so markedly that the newspapers praised
him. He reduced the office force to
working basis and installed a cashier who
was warranted not to steal. 1t appeared
that the motormen and conductors held
their positions by paying tribute to GER
tain minor officers, and Saxton applied
heroic treatment to these abuses without
ado.
The motormen and conductors grew
used to the big blond in the long gray
ulster who was forever swinging himself
aboard the cars and asking them ques-
tions. They afectionately called him
"Whiskers," for no obvious reason, and
the report that Saxton had, in one Of the
power-houses, filled his pipe with sweep
ings Of tobacco factories known in the
trade as "Trolleyman's Special" had fur
ther endeared him to those men whose
pay checks bore his name as receiver In
snow-storms the Traction Company had
usually given up with only a tame strug-
gle, but Saxton devised a new snow
plow, which he hitched to a trolley and
drove with his own hand over the Trac-
tion Company's tracks.
John was cleaning out the desk Of the
late secretary Of the company one even
Ing while Raridan read a newspaper and
waited for him Wary was often lonely
these days. Saxton was too much en-
crossed to find time for frivolity, and Mr..
Porter's illness cut sharply in on Warry's
visits to the Hill. He was resting while
be waited for the Transcontinental TO
exhaust its usual tactices of delay and
come to trial. On Fenton's suggestion
Saxton had intrusted to Raridan some
matters pertaining to the receivership,
and these served to carry Wary over an
interval of ideness and restlessness.
you may hang me :" said Saxton, sud
denly. He had that day unexpectedly
came upon the long-lost stock records of
the company and was now examining
them. Thrust into one Of the books were
two Cancelled certificates.
ITS certainly queer be said, as War
~ went over to his desk He spread out
one Of the certificates which Margrave
had taken from Wheaton the night before
the annual meeting. That's certainly
Wheatons endorsement all right enough"
Raridan took off his glasses and
brought his near-sighted gaze to bear
critically upon the paper.
There's no doubt about It,"
And look at this, too" Saxton hand
ed him Evelyn Porter's certificate. Rari-
dan examined II and Evelyn's signature
on the back with greater care. He car
ried the paper nearer to the light, and
scanned II again while Saxton watched
him and smoked his pipe.
"You notice that Wheaton witnessed
the signature"
Raridan nodded. Saxton, who knew
his friends moods thoroughly, saw that
be was troubled.
81 can find no plausible explanation Of
that" said Saxton. Anybody may be
called on 10 witness a signature; but /
can't explain this. He opened the stock
record and followed the history Of the
two certificates from one page to anoth-
er. 1t was clear enough that the certiA-
Gates held by Evelyn Porter and James
Wheaton had been merged into one,
which had been made out In the name of
Timothy Margrave, and dated the day be-
fore the annual meeting.
at doesn't make much difference at
ppsssnt," said Saxton. When Mr.. Por-
u sAmAa down town hs win undoubtsd-