Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-08-06
CHAPTER XVIII.
CoPyR1oHr 1908
TEE BoBBsM ERRILL COMPANY
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AN AoAA "a thS y oihlh
proved to 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
Kissing in the town, and he did what
he could to 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 Saxton's first
days Mt Clarkson he had taken legal adj
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
nsent; this seemed to him perfectly nat
nrAl 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.
Fcnton had been disturbed to find Mar
grave and Wheaton together In the direc-
tors 0 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 Eent0n's suspicious. From every point
Of view 1t was unfortunate that Porter
should have fallen i'll just at this time
but 1t was, on the whole, just as well 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
whrdly debated it until the moment of
his decision at the street corner.
lie had expected to supervise Saxton's
acts, but the receiver had taken hold of
the c0mpany'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
wholly on Fenton's recommendation.
Within q fortnight Saxton had improved
the service Of the company to the public
20 markedly that the newspapers praised
him. He reduced the Office force to a
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 cer-
tnin miner oGcers, and Snxton applied
heroic trentJnent y these abuses without
ado.
The motorn1sn int c~snductors grew !
Nsd~xE the bl9 nd insfkSs1onS tiSy
mister who Was forever swinging himself
aboard the cara and asking them qses-
lions. They af~ectionately called him
sWhi1kers,n for no obvious reason. and
the report that Saxton had, in one Of the
pOwer-houses, filed his pipe with sweep
tngs Of tobacco factories known in the
trade - s.Trolleyman's Special" had fur
ther endeared him to those men whose
pas checks Sorcsh:s came IN receiver. In
2nOw-stOrms the Traction Company had
usually given up with only a tame strug-
9le, but Saxton devised ! new snow
'plow, which he hitched to . trolley and
drove with his own hand over the Trac-
,tion CompAny's tracks.
John was cleaning out the desk Of the
Hate secretary Of the company one even
Ing while RAridan read q newspaper and
waited Tor him. Wary was often lonely
these days. Saxton was too much en-
crossed to And time for ~frivolity, and Mr..
p0rters illness cut sharply In on Warry's
Visits to the Hill. He was resting while
~ waited Tor the Transcontinental to
-41hauAk its usual ~tactlces Of delay and
core 10 trial. On Fenton's suggestion
NATION had intrusted to Raridan some
vmAttel1 pertaining to the receivership,
and thee served to carry Wary over an
lntervaitof idleness and restlessness.
.sYsu may hang me ~ said Saxton, sud
denly. HI had that days unexpectedly
..camsanpoas the slong-lost stock records OF
aGhss company and was now examining
them. Thruat into one Of the books were
Cancelled certificates
.sltss certainly queer he said, a. War
~ went over to his desk. He spread out
ODE of the certificates which Margrave
nod taken from Wheaton the night bNebre
the annual meeting '.Thnt,aa certainly
Wksiton,s enforcement all right enough"
Rlfidan took on his glasses and
s6FOught hiS nsarsishtsd gaze to bear
critically upon the paper.
There NO doubt about It."
And look 1t this. too" Saxton hand
"a HIN Evelyn Portir's certificate. Rari-
80 examined L and Evelyn's signature
aassfAa back with greater care. He car
'sifksedt tke paper nearer to the light. and
scaAnsd Il again while Saxton watched
mir ord smoked his pipe.
sssssyYSn notice that Wheaton witnessed
~ signature g "a &
D0t1Qo0 sUO0000e SAXON, VINO Knew
Ill friends moods thoroughly, saw that
~ - troubled.
can find X plausible explanation Of
that eaid 6axton. Anybody may be
called - to witness 1 signature; but l
s0lh'tsexplain this. He opened the stock
skecped aud followed the history 81 the
94pycerti6cAtes from one page to anoth-
q. Il was clear enough that the certif-
xste6 AeIds6y Evelyn Porter and jaime,
Nkeaton had been merged into one.
xthiEh had been maae out In the name OF
AT10fHys MargrAve, and dated the day be-
- u anpual meeting.
.lt deesnst make mach differences Il
psesent."" said Saxton. when Mr.. Por.
stS&9eom&s down town b will undoubted-
~ - ever this whole business and he can
eaia1lS captain these mattefs.
st Makes . lot Of difference said
NSa5et&isSaSioomly.
syasSvxHd he<ter suet ~ anything about
EehioS 1T ncwe-Aot even to Fenton,~ Sax-
a6nSseotoA .l'l take these things
- otAef o0ce Tor afe keeping.
- = ray Wsnt them badly enoush
iI5&l1si8s1s No..
aS416a@0tsaounsutt Ais uewspaper
p4fen1l1 - Fpadtne until Sextsn
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