Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-07-20

their daddfes how to run things?"
Toms laugh was boyishly hearty.
PLENTY OF EN-. pappy: lots of 'em:
The old world is moving right along;
1t would be pity II It didn't. don't you
think? But about this pipe business:
want you to make over these patents
to me-"
They're yours now. Tom; everything
rye got will be yours in little WHILE"
said the father; but his voice betrayed
the depth of that thrust. Was the new
Tom beginning SO soon to grasp and
reach out avariciously for the fruit OF
the old tree?
You ought to know that don't
mean II that way" said Tom. frowning
a little. But here Is the way 1t sizes
up. There Is money in this pipe-mak-
Ing; some money now and big money
later on. Farley has refused to go into
1t unless you make 1t company prom
osition; as president and controllins
stockholder you can't very well 70 into
1t unless you make It company prom
osition; as president and controlling
stakeholder you can't very we'll 70 into
1t now without making 1t some sort Of
company proposition. But you can
transfer the patents to me, and can
contract with Chiawassee Consolidated
to make pipe for me-"
That would certainly be givin' Colo
mel Dubbury dose OF his own medi-
cine: but don't like 1t. Tom. II looks
as II we were taking advantage NJ
him."
mo. I'd make the proposition to
him. personally. IL he were here. ana
the boss: and he'd be fool II he didn't
Just jump at it." said Tom, earnestly.
But there is more to It than that r.,
we make go of this and don't protect
ourselves. the two Farleys will come
back and put the whole thing In their
pockets. l won't go In on any such
terms. When they do come back I'm
going to have money to fight them with.
and this is our one little ghost Of
chance. Ring up Judge Bates and get
him to come over here and make a To-
gal transfer of these patents to me-"
The experiences OF the summer were
all hardening. He plunged into the
world OF business. into pantc-time
competition which was in grim reality
fight for life. and there seemed to i,e
little to choose between tramplins or
being trampled- BY early autumn the
iron industries of the country were
gasping. and the stacks OF pig In rhe
4
| during the summer by a few meager
orders. grew and spread until they cov.
cred acres. AS long as money could he
had. the iron was bonded as fast a. n
was made. and the proceeds were turn.
ed into wages to make more But when
money was no longer obtainable from
| this source. the pipe venture was tho
only hope.
i With the entire foundry force at The
Chiawassee making pipe. Tom had gone
into the market with his low-priced
product. But the commercial side of
the struggle was fire-new to him. ana
he found himself matched against men
| who knew buying and selling a he
knew smelling and casting. They rout-
ed him. easily at first. with increasing
difficulty as he learned the new trade.
but always with certainty. 1t was Nor
man. the correspondence man, trans
formed now into sales agent. who
gave him his first hint of the inward
/ ness.
We're too straight. Mr.. Gordon:
that's at the bottom of It," he said to
Tom. over grill-room luncheon at the
Marlboro one day. 1T takes money to
make money. Four times out of Ave
we have to sell to a municipal COM
monkey with the purchasing agent Of a
corporation. In either case 1t takes
money-other money besides the differ.
ence in price"
Tom was in town that day for the
purpose of taking a train to Louisville.
where he was to meet the officials of an
Indiana city forced. despite the hard
times. to relay many miles of worn
i out water-mains He made a pencil
computation on the back of an enyel-
ope. The contract was large one, and
his bid. which he was confident was
lower than any competitor could make,
would still stand cut and leave a
margin of profit. Before he took the
train he went to the bank. and, when
he reached the Kentucky metropolis,
his first care was to assure the Wheel
horse member Of the municipal pur-
chasing board that he was ready 10
talk business on a modern business ba-
sis.
Notwithstanding, he lost the contract.
Other people were growing desperate,
too. 1t appeared. and his bribe was not
great enough. One member of the
committee stood by him and gave him
the facts. A check had been passed.
and 1t was bigger check than Tom
could draw without trenchlng on the
balance left in the Iron City National
to meet the months payroll at Cor
4 donia.
You sent boy to MILL" said the
loyal one. And now it's all over
don't mind telling you that you sent
him to the wrong mill. st'that. Bullln-
gers hog"
I'D like to do him up" said Tom.
vindictively.
We'll. that might be done. too. But
It would cost you something"
Tom did not take the hint; he was
not buying vengeance. But on the way
home he grew bitterer with every sub
tracted mile. He could meet one more
payday. and possibly another; and
then the end would come. This one
contract would have saved the day, and
1t was lost.
The homing train. rushing around
the boundary hills of Paradise, set him
down at Gordonia late In the afternoon
There was no one at the station to
meet him. but there was bad news in
the air which needed no herald to pro-
claim IT.. Though 1t still wanted half
an hour OF quitting time. the big plant
was silent and deserted. Tom walked
out the pike and found his father on
the Woodlawn porch.
You needn't say 1t. son." was his
low greeting. when Tom had flung him
self into chair. at was In the South
Tredegar papers this morning
What was in the papers?"
about our losin' the Indiany con-
tract. reckon 1t was what did the
business for US. though there were a.
plenty of black looks and a storm