Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-05

Below the river slipped quietly by. with the lights
OF tow or passing steamer making the surface
visible in streaks.
Joseph, III tell you business secret. haven't
ANNOUNCED it formally as yet. but | have bought
build a quarry here. tired of loahng and /
don't like the city any better than you do THIS Tn.
now. Would you like to work for me-"
The gimmerng, stars seemed TO dance; and the
was wonderfully bright. To Joseph the fac, OF the
man in the moon seemed 4; to be in 6T 3i.d SD2iIe Me
Morton put out his hand q yiSiSI}
morrow. There IS plenty of work to be done and
it may be good chance for both OF US ihe ere
is stPset building and ali sorts of fonnda
Mr.. Morton told Joseph of the big crushers, of
the scows and the tug he would build, of the blasts
and the loading and measuring, and all that night
JosePhs ears rang with 1t the wnFr OF the machinery
The responsibilities which were thrust upon Jo-
G eo4 the d F "Gr ad mot a to ePfft Been
any boy ever grow into useful manhood, and reach
that goal OF all worldly ambition wealth without
working up from the bottom AS It was he drew
Joseph was busy with his stone records. In the
two years that had passed. Mr.. Mortons energy
quarry where great breakers took the that
was blasted from the cliff and maulcd and pounded
it until the sfters had carried it away the storing
bins or to the scows at the dock. 1t was busy
there He was observing Mr. Seabury's rules uncon-
scouslv-but he was doing much more lie was
adding the business
well, Joseph, do they keep you busy" Mr.. Sea-
bury asked.
Are you sorry you didn't take my advicea"
But before Joseph could answer Mr.. Morton came
into the, Office With his easy swing
Mr.. seabury- snifTed for. there was something in
him. Mr.. Morton was not an orthodox ladder
climber He had started at the bottom rung.
III tell you what think, Morton. think its a
4
make him conceited, and he'll never be worth
SPOIL hirn;" e echoed Mr. Morton. genially
oo Ts spoil ; him said ids. spoil him ny You AR are
anv uhderpinning, and house that's mostly tor
story won't stand very long"
Top stories are very useful in modern business"
Mr.. Morton replied with smile and deliberately
turned to Joseph. Mr.. Seabury drove away in dis
Joseph. can you get out ten thousand feet of
stone week with this machinery?
could arrange for morning blast doing the drill
ing at night and keep all the grinders busy day and
There's big contract in the air Just now. which
might get I afraid won't though, for
our rivals are getting anxious to make start. But
we've got to try for it"
They couldn't begin to do that" Joseph answer
ed They are not nearly ready to commence cut
q know, but they think they are and am afraid
going to New York about it tonorrow to see the
governing board. You and bennett can pay off the
And SO it had been from the start Far from
gauging Joseph as boy, Mr. Morton had accepted
do this or that but always told him to go e ahead
doubt And, like quick, level-headcd boys every
where Joseph was equal to what he was asked to
do. From the very first he had been Mr. Mortons
ments and Josephs opinion had often been asked.
But the events OF the day fell out otherwise than
New York by the evening train. but he did not
mean to slip on his very door sill, nor to turn his
leave him So instead Of his Aver to New York to
meet the directors of his railroad, he dragged
himself to couch and lay there in great agony for
an hour When the doctor had eased the pain
bit Mr. Morton's mind snapped back to business.
Joseph, have an important appointment in New
York to-morrow and the doctor says 1 can't go,
And he outlined q the details T of the big contract
petition SchwaTtz Bros will sell Their stone at
below cost to cut US out and get their plant going
And think Dean & Wentworth will offer it at
m e soae we can 0 out Of he se
for two years. But we've got to get at least five
cents for it. I won't sell it for less"
And one thing Seabury is director. He
ought to be friendly to our town, but I am afraid
e ouT ln we OF need his If es IN the
Joseph sent his card in to the meeting of the
Railroad Directors with good deal of rqnpus
faced German come out smiingly with his coun-
terpart behind him, and he guessed that these were
whom he knew to be Mr.: Dean, file out and then
and Mn had bee on I ha y
TO serve chairman. He looked up the door
The Morton Trap Rock CO. You could have
knocked him from his chair with a feather buster
when Joseph entered and stood hesitatingly by the
door. Joseph was slender, clean iimbcd boy, with
face that was wideawake and eyes that seemed
to everything. There other directors who
looked up in surprise when Mr.. Seabury exclaimed:
why. Joseph, where's Mr.. Morton?"
Joseph had been wondering whether his throat
would let word out edgewise. He gained courage
when his voice served him in his explanation Mr.
Seabury tapped his pencil in evident vexation. So