The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-12-30
CHAPTER V
A Girl and q Decision.

Henry Sanger, Sr., steel king
had one passion-his business;
and one love-an orphaned niece.
He had also a wife-but that
was of importance only because,
flor at least six months of the year,
she carried the niece away from
the Steel City and filled her young
mind with what Sanger, who was
Ia self-made man, perceived to be
silly notions.
1t so happened-if we may
term such fateful occurrences
'happenings"-that two nights
after Bob was invited to join the
Ireformers, while he was working
an extra shift, Sanger personally
conducted a party through his
mills, and that the niece was of
the party. The guest of honor
was a famous engineer of the
English army.
Sanger was dilating upon his
Ipassion.
"You are enthusiastic, SIR" ven
tured the guest.
And why not? We're the most
important industry the world has
ever known or ever will know
We're the right hand of modern
progress. We take a carload OF
rock from the earth and convert
it into steel, the framework OF
civilization. We are defying ma
ture, conquering her. There is
natural law saying that man shall
lsvD ov,Ix 20 OF n II OF
rails, set up steel engines, and you
go sixty miles an hour. Another
law says our coasts are the limit
of travel. Our ancestors defieG
/ that law with wood and canvas
We make 1t ridiculous with stee
ships driven by steel machinery
There is the law of gravitatior
which says that man shall cling t.
the face of the earth. With oul
steel Orders you rear ten ant
twelve-story buildings and live IL
the air. You and l, Major, will
see them twenty stories high, anC
the next generation thirty anC
forty. You hear that steam is thu
greatest discovery. Nonsense
4 What would steam be worth with
out steel to control and direct it
Some people see in all this arount
US only a dirty, noisy mess, o
view 1t only in its commercial as
! pect-and dollars are we'll enough
in their way, eh, Eleanor?-but
don't. I say, Here is a tremen
ldous force, the finest product o
! the human mind, doing in one da.
what ten thousand men couldn'
lido in a lifetime. Right here i
the beginning of modern progress
/ Here we make civilization Will
! you watt"
"You have reason to be prout
of your industry, Mr.. Sanger" tn
Englishman assented.
"To put 1t In terms of you
d profession, Major" Sanger pur
sued his topic eloquently, 81 com
mand in the army of construction
And / have notion that whel
our respective achievements ar
summed up we'll be given tn
palm"
Granted, my dear sir" laugh
ed the major. "And 1 must sa.
you've mustered in a fine lot o
men in your army. That youni
giant over there, for instance,
like to have him."
Sanger's forehead wrinkled il
a frown of irritation. Hes tn
best man in the works-and tn
worst! l almost wish you dit
4 have him. Though he's more us
in my army than he'd be in yours
j Extraordinarily amenable t.
I ldiscipline-Ah!"
His exclamation was callet
forth by sudden movement o
the young man under discussion
Intent on his task, he had becom,
aware of Sanger's niece, VIII,
stood at his elbow watching an,
admiring his deft manipulation
of the heavy tools. He glared in
lsolently at her.
you are very strong, aren'
lyou?" she said.
For answer he dropped hi
tools, caught her by the waist ant
set her back from the machinery
Get out Of my way!" h
growled fiercely.
In an instant he was once NOR,
] intent on his work, while tn.
young girl, flushed and indignant
stared angrily at him.
Eleanor" called her uncle
sharply for him. Keep ava!
from the men and the machinery
You'll get hurt"
Rather insolent that, WASH
lit?" suggested the Englishman.
20, he's insolent enough,
Sanger half laughed, half frowned
eve had taste of it more thar
once. Though he's right thfl
time; there's danger for a green
horn around the machines. Youns
Jas he is, he is the acknowledged
leader of the men. A year ago he