Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-03-04
CHAPTER xv.-(Continued.)

plum 'twixt dinner and supper. II you
two was the company
I'VE are the company While Mr..
Farley is away we're the bosses; what
we say. goes"
"All right" Ludlow went on. That's
q little better. But we've got kick
or two comm. Is this half-pay goin'
to be In orders on the company's
store?"
Il said cash." said Tom. briefly.
Good enough. But l spose we'd
have to spend 1t at the company's
store. jest the same, r get fired"
"Nol"-emphatically I'm not even
sure that we should reopen the store.
We shall not reopen 1t unless you men
want 1t. II you do want It, Wen make
1t strictly cooperative, dividing the
profits with every employe according
TO his purchases"
We'll that's white. anyway" com
mented one Of the coke burners. BE
a mighty col 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
Ecale?"
"Of course"
And what security do we have that
tother half II be paid. some timer"
MY fathers word. and NINE"
Ludlow turned to the miners. what
aye say, boys? Fish or cut bsit7
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 .Helgersons second, explain
ed the reason
You amt said unttin' bout de foun-
airy, Boss Tom. W-w-w-w- we-all boys
been wukkin' short ti-ti-t time, and M
m-malSip' pig amt gwine give we-all
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 I 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 its miscellaneous
output Surely Tom must be losing
his mind
But the negro foundrymen were talk
ing his word for 1t. as the miners had
"Pup-pup-put up yo' hands, boys!"
said Patty, and again the ayes had It,
Tom looked vastly relieved.
well, that was a short horse soon
curried," he said, bruskly The power
goes on tomorrow morning, and Wen
blow in as soon as the furnaces are
refined. Ludlow, you come to the Of
nee at 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 half-past 8. I want
TO talk over some new work with you.
Anybody else got anything to say2 II
not, Wen adjourn"
Caleb followed his son out and across
the yard to the old log homestead
which served as the superintendent's
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 PROMISING"
Tom was already busy at the desk.
emptying the pigeonholes one after an
other and rapidly scanning their con-
tents.
If I believed that, I'd be takingcto
the high grass and the tall timber.
But don't you worry pappy; we're 60
ing to do them-all of them"
But. Buddy. you can't sell a found
OF foundry product We may be able
TO make pig cheaper than some 9TH
ers. but when It comes to the foundry
floor South Tredegar can choke us OF
in less'n a week."
Wait" said Tom. still rummaging.
There is one thing we can make-and
sell"
I'D like tolerable well 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
vention OF yours that Farley wouldn't
let you install?-
Caleb found the blue prints and his
hands were trembling. The invention.
a pit machine process for holding and
casting water and gas-pipe at a cost
that would put all other makers OF tba
commodity out Of the field. had been
wrought out and perfected In Toms
second Boston year. 1t was Caleb's
one eve lamb, and he had nursed II nv
hand through long preparatory
period.
IOm LUX the Dluc- pIlnlb and spread
them on the desk absorbing the details
as his father leaned over him and
pointed them out He saw clearly tina
the invention would revolutlonize nine
making. The accepted method was ia
cast each piece separately In a floor
flask made in two parts rammed by
hand, once for the drag and again for
the cope. with reversings. crane-hand-
lings and all the manipulations neces-
sary for the molding OF any heavy cast
ing. But the new process substituted
machinery. A cistern-like pit; a cir
cular table pivoted over It. with a hun
dred or more iron TASKS suspended up
right from its edges; a huge crane car
rying a mechanical ram, these were
the main points OF the machine which
with small gang Of men, would DC
the work OF an entire foundry floor.
TITS great" said Tom. enthusiastic
caliy. Il got your idea pretty wei
from your lstterA but you'vs s-a~rov~i