Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-02-17

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Co.. go. tr,i lsJ6. by BoBBs-MKRRuL ConrAvY.
Within a month Ed Ramsay sent
for me again, but this time it was
business alone. ! found him in a pan
ic, like a man facing an avalanche
and armed only with a shovel. Dun
klrk, the senior United States sena-
tor for our state lived at Fredonia.
lie had seen that. by tunneling the
Mesaba range, profitable railroad
between Fredonia and Chicago could
be built that would shorten the time
at least three hours But it would
| take about half the carrying business
OF the Ramsay company, besides seri-
ously depreciating the Ramsay inter
est in the existing road. and" con-
tinued Ed, the old scoundrel has got
the capital practically subscribed in
New York. The people here are hot
for the new road It'll be sure to
carry at the special election, next
month. He has the governor and leg
islature in his rocket, so they'll put
through the charter next winter"
Il don't see that anything can be
done" said Eds lawyer, old Judge
Barclay, who was at the consultation.
ut means big rake-off for Dunkirk.
Politics is on a money basis nova
days. That's natural enough. siGce
there is money to be made out of it.
l don't see how those in politics that
don't graft, as they call it, are any
better than those that do. Would
they get office if they didn't help on
the jobs of the grafters? l suppose
we might buy Dunkirk off"
What do you think, Harvey?"
asked Ed, looking anxiousIy at me
We've got to fight the devil with fire.
you know"
] shook my head. Buying him off
isn't lighting-its surrender We
must fight him-with fire"
| let them talk themselves out,
and then said: We'll, I'll take it to
bed with me. Perhaps something will
occur to me that can be worked up
into a scheme"
In fact, | had already thought of a
scheme, but before suggesting it |
wished to be sure it was as good as
it seemed Also, there was a funda-
mental moral obstacle-the road
would be a public benefit; it ought to
be built That moral problem caused
most of my wakefulness that nieht,
simple though the solution was when
ii finally came The first thing Ed
said to me, as we faced each other
alone at breakfast, showed me how
well spent those hours were.
About this business of the new
road said he. IF | were the only
party at interest I'd let Dunkirk go
ahead, for it's undoubtedly a good
thing from the public standpoint
But I've got to consider the interests
of all those I'm trustee for-the other
share holders in the Ramsay com
pany and in our other concerns here"
Yes" replied J." but why do you
say Dunhrk intends to build the road?
Why do you take that for granted?"
He's all ready to do it. and it'd be
a money-maker from the start"
But" | went on, you must as
sumo that he has no intention of
building, that he is only making an
| elaborate bluff. How do you know
but that he wants to get this right of
way and charter SO that he can black
mail you and your concerns, not mere
| ~ once, but year after year? You'd
gladly pay him several hundred thou
sand a year not to use his charter and
right of way, wouldn't your"
| Il never thought of that" ex-
claimed Ed. II believe you're right,
Harvey, and you've taken a weight
off my conscience. There's nothing
like a good lawyer to make man see
straight. What an Internal hound old
Dunkirk isl"
| And" | went on, IF he should
build the road, what would he do
with 1t? Why, the easiest and big
gest source of profit would be to run
big excursions every Saturday and
Sunday, especially Sunday, into Ere
donna He'd fill the place every Sun
day from May till November, with
roistering roughs from the slums OF
Chicago. How'd the people like
thai"
"He wouldn't dare" objected Ram.
say stupidity insisting on leaning
backward in his determination to