Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-12-02
CHAPTER XV.-(Continued.)

0Op va oSNOo 80 oPONASS
man when the uproar was quelled.
You're all right, Tom Gordon-you
and your daddy. But you've hit US
plum 'twixt dinner and supper. If you
W was the company"
w are the company. While Mr..
Farley Is away we're the bosses; what
we say, goes"
All right" Ludlow went on. That's
4 little better. But we've got a kick
or two comm. Is this half-pay goin'
to be in orders on the company's
store7"
Il SAID cash." said Tom. briefly.
Good enough. But l s'pose we'd
have to spend 1t at the company's
store, jest the same, r get fred"
"No!"-emphatically. I'm not even
sure that we should reopen the store.
We shall not reopen 1t unless you men
want It II you do want II. we'll make
Y strictly cooperative, dividing the
profits with every employee according
to his purchases"
We'll, that's white, anyway" COM
mented one OF the coke burners. "Be
a mighty cor day In July when old man
Farley'd talk as straight as that"
"Ag'in," said Ludlow, what's this
half-pay to be figured on-the regular
scale ?"
"Of course"
And what security do we have that
tother half II be paid. som timer"
My fathers word, and NINE"
Ludlow turned to the miners. What
dye say, boys? Fish or cut bait2
Hands upl"
There was a good showing of hands
among the white miners and the coke
burners, but the negro foundrymen did
not vote. Patty, the mulatto foreman
who was Helgerson's second, explain
ed the reason.
You amt said unttin' bout de foun-
dry, Boss Tom. W-w-w-w-we-all BOYS
been wukkin' short ti-ti-time, and m
m-makin' pig amt gwine give VEAL
n-n-nuttin' ter do" Patty had a pain
full impeachment in his speech, and tho
strain of the public occasion doubled Il.
We are going to run the foundry,
too, Patty, and on full time. There
will be work for all OF you on the
terms have named"
Caleb Gordon closed his eyes and put
his face in his hands. For weeks be-
fore the shutdown the foundry had
been run on short time, because there
was no market for It's miscellaneous
output. Surely Tom must be losing
his mind!
But the negro foundrymen were tax
ing his word for 1t, as the miners had.
"Pup-pup-put up yo' hands. boys!"
said Patty, and again the ayes had II.
Tom looked vastly relieved.
We'll. that was a short horse soon
curried," he said, bruskly. The power
goes on Tomorrow morning, and we'll
blow In as soon as the furnaces are
refined. Ludlow, you come to the Of
fee at s o'clock and I'll list the shifts
with YOU. Patty, you report to Mr..
Helgerson. and you and the pattern
maker show up at h%alf-past 5. l want
to talk over some new work with you.
Anybody else got anything to say? If
not, We'll adjourn"
Caleb followed his son out and across
the yard to the Did log homestead
which served as the superintendent
Office and laboratory. When the door
was shut he dropped heavily into a
chair.
Son." he said, brokenly, you're
you're crazy-plum' crazy Don't you
know you can't do the first one O. these
things you've been promisin'?"
Tom was already busy at the desk.
emptying the ~plgeonholes one after an
other and rapidly scanning their con-
tents.
IF l believed that, I'd be taking TO
the high grass and the tall timber.
But don't you worry, pappy; we're 60
ing to 10 them-all of them"
But. Buddy. you amt sell a found
Of foundry product! We may be able
to make pig cheaper than some 9TH
ers, but when 1t comes to the foundry
floor, South Tredegar can choke us Off
In less'n a week"
wait" said Tom, still ummaging.
There Is one thing we can make-and
SELL"
"Td like tolerable we'll to know what
It is" was the hopeless rejoinder.
you ought to know, better than any
one else. It's cast-iron pipe-water-
pipe. Where are the plans Of that in
v~ention of yours that Farley wouldn't
let you i~nstall?"
Caleb found the blue-prints. and his
hands were trembling. The invention.
a pit machine process for molding and
casting water and gas-pipe at a cost
that would put all other makers of the
commodity out Of the field, had been
wrought out and perfected in Toms
second Boston year. 1t was Caleb,s
one eve lamb, n he had nursed II nv
hand through a long preparatory
period.
Tom took he blue-prints and spread
them on the desk. absorbing the details
as his father leaned over him and
pointed them out. He saw clearly that
the invention would revolutionize pine
making. The accepted method was to