The Washington times., 1911-11-11

ne laid II on the desk In front of Spar
hawk.
This" said he, ''is a map of Quin-
catan. the youngest of the South Amer
lean republics, and the one that is
destined' to be the most vigorous and
resourceful of them all. Measuring
zoo miles from north to south and 200
from east to west, 1t already has
population of nearly a million.
The Andes extend from north to
south. about fifty miles from the coast.
At the Caco river a cordillera leaves
the main range, and. running south
easterly, forms the eastern wall OF the
lQufquil valley.
FIFTY miles east of the cordillera is
the Sierra Blanca rahge, between which
and the cordillera lies the great wooded
valley of thel Guadaluca. 1t Is In the
Guadaluca valley, on the north shore
Of Lake Calistar, that Valo Is located.
It Is from this city that We propose to
run a railway line to San Felicidad'
What is the distance between valo
and San Felicidad?" asked Sparhawk,
as he looked at the map.
"A straight line drawn from san
Felicidad to Valo, through the city OF
Moreno. in the Iauiquil valley wouid
make the distance $50 miles"
''Your railway line will pass through
the cordillera and the main range or
the Andes, then,' said Sparhawk.
Yes. Including the numerous curves
which we will be obliged to make
among the mountains, the total length
of the line will be about It's miles.
''The line has been surveyor A..
"Yes. More than this. plans Tor .ne
more, important bridges, nave sterial psei has
been delivered ,,d
in. then?' ~ ,..,
noiA fo ond oxtanded
Sparhawk thrust the map back In his
desk, and crossing his hands behind
his head. leaned back in his chair. -
"well what is the proposition you are
me king to me?" he asked abruptly; !,
ouexores coughed slightly and looked
thoughtfully at the floor: then he sald:
"It is this: AS President Of the Calls
tar Railway Company, and as cnalr- :
man Of its board of construction. l am I'm
prepared to offer YOU salary OF $4,000
q year, for a period Of four years u
you will accept the position n OF Ghses
the work within four years.
"Al materials which you will require
will be supplied by the board Of con.
struction. which, while making every
reeerves to itself all power to purchase
supplies. employ labor and make con-
tracts"
ton, made up OF officials Of the Calls
tar Railway Company, assumes all re-
spcnsibilities that usually devolve upon
q contractor"
"And to this board / am to bear the
same relation that the foreman Of
machine shop bears to the firm that
"6b No. Your relation to the board
Of construction will be that Of field
marshal 20 the government that he
serves. So far as the actual direction
of the work is concerned. you VIII be
practically independent. You will Sc
icct your own assistants. but 1t must
be understood that such selections and
the salaries paid shall he approved by
THE board will supply you with all
the laborers and materials YOU may re.
auire and the distribution Of these Will
be left entirely, to you. II the line s ds
completed Sonns wi,n,n Of do1g Will
. For several minutes both men were
silent. Sparhnwk WAS Vas the first to 3, speak; AK
YORK was to offer me this position. =
he said. II was not aware that my
name was known in Quincatan. How
me rather than to an older man who
sion?'
"The splendid manner in which you
put through that Atlantic, Mississippi
and Pacific extension has given You
fame in many other countries than your
own, Senior Sparhaw he replied. ut
is true that in your great country there
are many civil engineers who have had
more experience than yourself-.ex-
SH We s09s se rush s
ing man. For this reason. a young
man is preferable to an old one"
thoughtfully at his desk, darted a
quick, searching glance at his visitor.
cit is a fighting game, then?''
ut is a new country. Part OF the
is Inhabited by the coshans, a formid-
able Indian tribe which. at the time
of the Spanish conquest, constituted a
part of the great empire of the 1ncas.
The Tamagals, who inhabit the valley
Of the Iquiquil, are more tractable. and
It is from this tribe that most Of our
laborers are recruited;
your company has the support of the
Ouincatan government, suppose. y
said Sparhawk meditatively.
Quexores hesitated.
"The government has granted us our
right of way" he answered shortly.
1T aids you in keeping these In.
dians-the Coshans>at a respectful
distance from the men who are work
ting on the line?"
mo. Most of the members of the
present government are financially In
terested in the Chalapaca railway
which traverses the valley of the Cacc
river. from San Felcidad to Chalapaca
and, for, THIS reason, they are not en-
tirely favorable to our project"
Sparhawk again picked up the map
But the Caco valley extends to the
northeast of San Felicidad," he said
"Your line runs to the southeast corner
of Quincatan. How can the interests
of the two roads conflict"
"They should not conflict, but the
present administration is especially fav
orable to the development of the north
Tho southern part of the republic get'
few appropriations for improvements
and so has been forced to develop 1t:
resources without aid from the govern
ment The north fears the strength
that will come with the development o
the south" :,
"Ah! Quincatan is a house that Il
divided against itself?"
at is SO unfortunate" assentet
ouexores with a sigh.
"San Felicidad is your capital?'
Yes"
"And the headquarters of your com
pany-the base of the operations?"
mo. The headquarters OF our com
many are at Valo. Before beginning
work on that section Of the line tina
extends from Moreno to San Felicidad
we will first complete the section be
tween Moreno to Valo."
but your materials? How Will yo'
H.. a