The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-04

the young man who unaunounced had entered
bis office 'sI am busy man this morning.
The young man moved a chair close to
Garrison's IS desk. sat down, adjusted par
of rimless nose glasses, and eyed him keenly,
"You sent for me-" he replied.
Who in the dickens are you!'
'Gilbort, Paul Gilbert
90, You are Gilbert the secret service
agent. ! was expecting to see an older man
| am glad 20 see you. Mr. Gilbert, Very glad,
indeed, - and his frank expression aud the
warm grasp of his hand convinced Gilbert
that he was sincere,
"Then take it that the coal trust is push
ing YOU hard Men are generally in a tight
place when they send for me, - said Gilbert.
Yes, they have me in tight place. They
have told me that they will me out OF
business or break me. They may break me
l am beginning to fear they will-but
swear they u never run me out while ] We
got cent left TO fight with, replied Gar
rison excitedv. "There have been times
when / would have sold out to them for
fair price. but that time has passed. II
fight TO the finish now,
That . the proper spirit. Mr., Garrison.
said Gilbert quietly, 'bu. you are talking too
loud The manager Of the trust iu Pittsburg
may hear YOU. 1t s only fifty miles and W,
have wireless telephony now, YOU know.
He already knows as much about my
business ms | do answered Garrison more
calmly. He finds out where ! send QUO.
tatious and underbids me He finds out when
my contracts expire and prevents my renew
ing chem lie knows nv exact output and
my profit and loss on every TRANSACTION
stacles put in nv wsv. So difficult is it for
me to get and hold customers that the cost
Of ny sales department ca!s up all the prof
It's. If ! don Z get check on them some
where it only question OF time until |
90 to the wall ] must find out how they
learn nv carefully guarded trade secrets II
is for shat purpose want to engage your
services. | II have to fight the devil in his
own way
Iudeed?" oueried Gilbert.
Il did not refer to you, J." replied CARR
son with laugh
''If you will tell ne the exact steps that
have been taken in the fight, said Gilbert,
II shall know where to begin work, l. is
perhaps unnecessary to remind you that you
must trust me implicitly
When they parted two hours later Gilbert
knew the situation thoroughly. He went di-
rcctlv to Pittsburgh, the headquarters Of the
bitumnous coal trust
The next day Garrison had stroke of
luck. The United Steel aud Manufacturing
company of Pittsburgh opened negotiations
with him for their supply of coal, They had
previously obtained all their coal from the
trust. They now desired TO make a five
years contract with Garrison for weekly
supply that was about the average output Of
his mines. They offered price that would
he exceedingly profitable to Garrison, for if
he secured the contract he could do away
with his expensive sales department and de.
fy the trust for at least five years.
The only feature in the contract that he
did not like was the excessive penalty i'm
posed upon him for failure TO deliver weekly
the amount specified Thai penalty would
mean ruin il for any reason he could not
feiver the coal. The U. S. e. NJ Co. would
not yield one lot on that point, ''Thev are
afraid, thought Garrison, "that if fail
ibom the trust will refuse TO sell them coal
at any price
He wired Gilbert: Unnecessary to pro
ceed further, Come here at once,
In two hours he received this reply:
Don L close contract With u. S. M. Co.
Keep up negotiations. Important develop
ments here. Cannot leave now Under 10
circumstances close the contract.
"GILBERTu
The dickens. exclaimed Garrison
- How does he know anything about this
eontFaeti The United Steel and Manufac-
turing company seemed 10 desire secrecy
even more than /. Not man in nv office
knows about il. I thought this was one
transaction that even the trust would know
nothing Of until il is closed
Then il occurred TO him that IL he de.
layed the trust would probably learn of i.
Perhaps they knew Of it already, What it
they had bribed Gilbert 10 block the deal?
Why should he be guided by Gilbert7 As.
suming that Gilbert was honest in his in
tentions, be evidently did not know ali the
facts in the case, or else he was using poor
Judgment
The United Steel and Manufacturing com
paDy WAS pressing him for a final decision
The morning after his conference with
Garrison. Gilbert in his private office on the
fifteenth floor Of skyscraper on Smith.
field street, Pittsburgh, received the reports
or two of his assistants. Ther had been de.
tailed the evening before to get certain def.