Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-30

THE RANK AND FILE
- CONSIDERABLY to his surprise
q and no less to his satisfac ton,
~ the newly appointed division
counsel" as his title ran, was
not required to take over the old legal
department offices In the second story
Of the station building. where all the
other Offices Of the company were 10
Gated Instead he was directed to At
up a suit of rooms in Temple court,
the capitals most pretentious uptown
skyscraper, and there was something
more than a hint that the item of first
cost need not be too closely considered.
It was the vice president himself
writing from Chicago. who authorized
the new departure and -loosened the
purse strings. He wrote:
Don't be afraid of spending li.tie
money. Make your uptown office as at
tractive as may be and arrange meters
with Ackerton so that you VIII not be
burdened with too much Of the routine
legal work. A successful legal represent
alive WIN be a good mixer. as I am sure
you are and viii extend the circle OF his
acquaintance re pldly and as widely
possible Your appointment win be fully
Justified when you shall have made ySur
uptown once a place where the good CIT
liens Of the capital and the state can
drop in fer q cordial word with the COM
panYs spokesman and for q better mu-
tuaI understanding OF tho facts.
Acting upon this suggestion. Blount
opened the Temple court headquarters
and threw himself energeticaIy into
the indicated field Ackerton, a tech
nicaI expert with a needle-hke mind
and the state code at his fingers ends.
La In Aa - 10 x@f
fees In the railroad building. with in
structfons to apply 10 his chief only
when he needed specific advice.
At the uptown headquarters Blount
gave himself wholly TO the pleasant
task OF making friends With a good
store Of introd auctions upon which to
make beginning and with the open
handed, whole souled camaraderie of
the west to help along, the list Of ac-
Quafutances grew with amazing rapid
fly.
For the three or four weeks after
Mrs. Blount had whisked the Annerses
away 70 wartrace Han and the habitat
OF the megal0sauridae, the newly ap-
pointed social secretary for the rail
road, as Honoria had dubbed him, re-
fused no invita- lions, never inquiring
whether they were extended to his
fathers son. TO the railroad company's
leGai chief or to Evan Blount In his
proper person.
During this social interval he saw
little OF his father. though he still &C.
cupfed his share OF the private dining
room suit at the Inter Mountain Part
OF the time, as be knew. the sens
vuo-
er his huge landed estate and help
ing to entertain the visitors from Mas
sachusetts. But now and again the
father came and went, and occasion
ally there was dinner for two in the
hotel cafe. with a little good Ratured
raillery from the senator's side OF the
table
Got you chasing your feet right
lively in the social merry -go-round
these days. haven't they. SOM Like IL
as far as you've gomez asked the ex-
cattle king one evening.
Its all in the days work" laughed
the younger 40 III need all the
pull I can gets little later on. won't
Il"
81 shouldn't wonder II you did. son;
! shouldn't wonder If you did And
l reckon you're doing pretty good
work Was Il McVickaT's idea or your
own-this sudden splash into the social
water hole?''
Il don't mind telling You that Il Is
part OF the Few poii~v-~ returned the
social splasher. ssiii SD.tag I'VE are
out 70 make friends this time. friends
who viii know just WHAT we are do
ing and why we are doing it-"
"H'm~ unused the senator. so pub
licity's the word is itT'
Yes. publicity Is the word. The
Gordon people say they are going 20
show Us up There wont be anything
- show up when the time comes. We
are going 20 beat them TO the bili-
boards