Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-11-16
CHAPTER Ill.
a urrlE nRorurR or rur cows.


Matsuwari by name and subject OF
the mikado by race and birth, came to
the car door to call his new employer
to the breakfast table as the service
car approached Crosswatcr Gap.
1t was an attractive table. well APP
pointed and we'll served. but l.idger-
wood temperamrutully single eyed In
all things, was diverted from his reor-
ganization problem for the moment
only Since early dawn he had been up
and out on the observation platform,
noting this time with the eye Of mas
tership, the physical condition Of the
road.
To disheartcning extent the Red
Butte Generalization had involved the
permanent way. Originally good
track, the roadbcd and equipment had
been allowed to fall into disrepair I'M
der Indifferent supervision and the
short handing OF the section gangs.
Iidgerwood had seen how the ballast
had been suffered to sink at the rail
joints, and he had read the record OF
careless supervision at each fresh
| swing of the train, since ii Is the sec
ton forcmans weakness to spoil the
geometrical curve by working 1t back,
little by little, into the adjoining tan
gent
Rejecting upon these things, Lidgcr-
woods comment fell into speech over
his cup of coffee and crisp breakfast
bacon.
about the first man we need is an
engineer who won't be too exalted to
get down and squirt curves with the
section BOSSES" he unused, and from
that on he was searching patiently
through the memory card index for
the right man.
At the summit station, where the
line leaves the Pannikin basin to
plunge into the western desert, there
was delay. Bradford, the conductor,
black shirted and looking in his SLOUGH
hat and riding leggings more like
horse wranglcr than n captain of rail-
road trains. lounged in to explain that
there was n hot box under 266's
tender Bradford was not OF any fac
tion of discomfort. but the spirit OF
morose INSTRUMENTATION. born of the
late change in management. was in the
air, and he spoke grufily.
"Were the boxes properly overhaued
before you left Copah2" demanded the
new boss.
Bradford did not know, and the
manner Of his answer implied that he
did And FOR ,ynpH
he threw In an intimation that round
house dope kettles were not In his
line.
Lidgerwood passed over the large
impudcnce and held to the matter In
hand
"How much time have we on 2O1 r.
he asked, train POI being the west
bound passenger overtaken and left
behind in the small hours OF the morn
ing by the lighter and faster special.
Thirty minutes here" growled the
little brother OF the cows, after which
he took himself off as If he considered
the incident sufficiently closed.
Fifteen minutes later Lidgerwood
finished his breakfast and went back
to his camp chair on the observation
platform Of the service car. 4 glance
over the side rail showed him his
train crew still working on the heated
axle bearing Another TO the rear
picked up the passenger train storm
ing around the climbing curves Of the
eastern approach to the summit There
was n small problem impending for
the division dispatcher AT Angels. and
the new superintendent held aloof to
see how 1t would be handled
II was handled rather indiffcrently.
The passenger train was pulling In
over the summit switches when Brad
ford, sauntcrng into the telegraph Of
flee as If haste were the last thing in
the world TO be considered, asked for
his clearance card, got It and gave
Williams the signal to go.
Lidgerwood got up and went into
the car TO consult the time table hang
ing I'm the office compartment. Train
POI had no dead time at Crosswater:
hence II the ten minute interval be
tween trains Of the same class NOV
ing In the same direction was to be
preserved the passenger would have
to be held
The assumption that the passenger
train would be held aroused all thu
railroad nartinet's fury in the new
superintendent In Tidperwood's cal.
endar time killing on regular trains
stood next 10 an infringement OF the
rules providing for the safety Of life
ard property. His hand was on the
signal cord when, CHANGING To look
back. he saw that the passenger train
had made only the momentary time
card stop at the summit station and
was coming on.
This turned the high crime into a
mere breach Of discipline. common
enough even on well managed rail-
roads when the leading train can he