Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-04-28

available assets into ammunition for
the fighting of a battle which could
have but one possible outcome.
Strike breakers were imported at
fabulous expense. Armed guards under
pay swarmed at the valley foot, AID
around the company's property else
where. By hook or crook the foundries
were kept going, turning out water
pipe for which there was no market,
and which, owing to the disturbances
which were promptly made an excuse
by the railway company, could not be
moved out of the Chiawassee yard.
Later, when the striking worl1men
began to grow hungry, riot, arson and
oloodshed were nightly occurrences. A
charging of coal. mined under the
greatest difficulties, was conveyed to
the coke yards, only to be destroyed
and half OF the ovens with it-by dy-
Mantle cunningly blackened and drop
ped into the chargings. For want of
FUEL the furnace went out Of blast, but
with the small store OF coke remaining
In the foundry yards, the pipe pits
were kept at work. BY this time the
promoter president was little better
than mailman. fighting like a be--
serker. and breeding a certain awed re-
spect in the comment of those who had
hitherto held him only as shrewd
schemer.
And Thomas Jefferson: how did this
return to primordial chaos, brought
about in no uncertain sense by his
own premeditated act, affect him? Only
a man quite lost to all promptings of
the grace that saves and softens could
look unmoyed on the burnings and
riotings, the cruel wastings and the
bloodlettings. one would say.
When he was not galloping Saladin
afar In the country roads to the land
ward side of Paradise. Tom Gordon
was idling purposefully In the Leban N
forests, with the fowling piece under
his arm and Japhets Pettigrass'
dog trotting soberly at heel, as care
free, to all appearances, as a schooi-
boy home for a holiday.
1t was on an evening fortnight
after the furnace had gone out of blast
for lack of fuel that Caleb followed his
son out on the veranda. The Indian
summer was still at its best, and since
the early frosts there had been a re-
turn of dry weather and mild tempera-
lures, with warm. soft nights when the
blue haze seemed to hold all objects in
suspension.
Tom had pushed out chair for his
father. when he suddenly became aware
that the still air was once more thrum
ming and murmuting to the familiar
orb and sigh Of the great furnace
blowing engines He started UP quick
ly.
What's that7" he demanded. Sure
ly they haven't blown In again?"
Caleb nodded assent
Il reckon SO. Colonel Duxbury al
lowed to me this mornin' that he was
about out O. the woods-in spite of
you, he said: as If you'd been the one
that was dom him up"
.'But he can't bel" exclaimed Tom.
so earnestly and definisely that the
mask fell away and the father was no
longer deceived.
I'm only tellin' you what he allowed
to me, son. / reckoned he was about
all in. quite spell ago; but you can't
tell nothing by what you see-when
It's Colonel Duxbury. He got two car
loads O. new men to-day and he's
shippin' Pocahontas coke, and gettin'
1t here, too
I think know now what has happen
ed"
Caleb took time to let the remark
sink in. 1t carried differences.
Buddy. / been suspectin' for a good
while back that you know more about
this sudden smash-up than you've let
on. Do your"
II know all about it." was the quiet
rejoinder.
You do?"
Tom held up his hand for silence. A
man had let himself In at the roadway
gate and was walking rapidly up the
path to the house. 1t was Norman;
and after few hurried words in pri-
vate with Tom. he went as he had
come, declining Caleb's invitation TO
stay.
When the gate latch clicked at Nor
mans outgoing. Tom had risen ana
was knocking the ash from his pine
and buttoning his coat.
II was admitting that I knew he
said. II can tell you more now that I
could moment ago, because the time
for which ! have been waiting has
come. You remarked that you thought
the Farleys were at the end of their
rope. They were not until to-day, but
to-day they are. Every piece of prop
erty they have. including Warwick
Lodge, Is mortgaged to the hilt, and
this afternoon Colonel Duxbury put
his Chiawassee stock into Hennikers
hands as security for final loan--so
Norman tells me. Perhaps 1t would in
terest you trifie to know something |
about the figure at which Henniker |
accepted it."
Tt would. for fact. Buddy"
well, he took 1t for less than the |
annual dividend that 1t earned the year |
we ran the plant; and between US two,
he's scared to death. at that"
why, Buddy. soni were plum ruin |
SOS old Major Dabneyl"
Don't you worry, pappy. Our part, |
since Colonel Duxbury saw fit to freeze |
US out. is to say nothing and saw wood. |
II the Major comes to you. you can tell |
him that my word to him holds good: |
be can have par for Ardea's stock any
time he wants 1t. and he could have 1t |
Just the same II Chiawassee were
wiped OF the map--as It's going to |
be-
But Tom; tell NE
Not yet. pappy: be patient Just a
little while longer and you shall know |