The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-22

declared Rollins.
"Your problem is already solved. Mr..
| Rollins" said Kelvin. with smile.
MIR. Breeds control of the railroads
| has left the Unified Steel corporation
high and dry. Moreover. we have Sc
cured entire control of the Iroquois
Iron range. and. no matter what the
| Unified Steel corporation does. we shall
set up our own rolling mills and make
rails by our own process from our
own ore"
| "But the program will be left entire
| ly to your own discretion" interrupted
| Breed. "Tou shall have contract
! for one year. renewable for ten years
If your preliminary steps meet with
my approval"
"Allow me to understand" said Rol-
| Inns. I'm that year | am to be abso-
| lutely without interference in any
way?"
with two exceptions" replied
Breed. II want a private rebate ON
all shipments of bread or cereal stuffs.
Nex<. here is list of names. These
! men are not to be employed il. any
capacity nor benefited in any way"
Rollins looked over the list and
smiled. There isn't man here
whom l would lift a finger to save.
There is not man in that list but has
had an interest In car company. a
coupler company. brake company. a
locomotive tire company or some other
manufacturing concern which furnish
ed supplies to his own railroad at
enormous prices. There is to be no
graft in the new construction"
Certainly not" agreed Breed
'sThese roads must be conducted for
legitimate profit and public safety. If
there is any graft i want it myself.
and l am content to take dividends
for mine For one year you are the
absolute dictator Of the largest en-
pire in the world-the combined rail-
roads of the United States"
From his deek he took contract.
confined to one sheet of paper. which
he banded to Rollins.
That gentleman took the paper. read
1t over and caught his breath. "It Is
a generous salary" he admitted. 'more
generous than should have dared to
ask for"
"Huh! I am saving money on it."
declared Breed. ITS only a portion
Of a thousand fancy salaries that ex-
pect you to stop at once"
Rollins nodded his head in compre
.hension. 81 will fake great pleasure
in stopping few Of them"
+ Kelvin conducted Rollins to room.
next to his own. that had been fitted
with a commodious desk and all that
should go with it. Rollins sat upon
the desk and looked about him smil-
ingly.
"Looks fairly complete. doesn't it?
Did you have hand in this?"
"No." said Kelvin. puzzled and
piqued as we'll. ut has been arrang-
ed for long time. think. Mr.. Breed
has probably been planning to make
Forest Lakes the capital'of New York
city"
Perhaps the capital Of the United
States" retorted Rollins. smiling in
answer to the jest. who knows?
He has good start. He has paid a
lot Of attention to detail too. Every
thing Is complete now except for Sec
rotary" and idly he touched one of the
row Of buttons along the right hand
edge Of his desk. the one marked
Secretary"
Instantly the door Of the adjoining
room opened. and sober faced and
noncommittal hooking young man. rud-
dy checked and clean eyed and tow
headed. walked In. notebook in hand.
"HeIlo" said Rollins "Who are
your"
II am your secretary. sir. I came
last ni-ht. My name is Jens Nelson"
Swedish. eh?" guessed Rollins
Eyes. SIR" said Mr.. Nelson. 81 am
graduate of the Minnesota Technical
college. founded by Mr. Breed. and am
one of his scholarship men,"
Rollins smiled over the naivete of
this admission.
"All right. MFR. Nelson" said he
"You have telegraph operator here.
l believe. Mr.. Kelvin?"
Wireless" amended Phillip.
Rollins glanced at bis row of buttons
and nodded his head. "Mr. Nelson.
you may tdKc G0eSe mArcOnlSramS.
and without any hesitation he began
di~tating pererptory discharges to
long list of railroad officials.
Thus set in the new empire-the en-
nire of the iron highway. an empire
which held under its absolute control
the commercial destinies Of the ma
ton. an empire more powerful than any
ever conceived by man. 1t was reign
that began peacefully and quietly as
the stern Rollins. with a smile. dis
possessed half thousand men from
their fat sinecures. But as he worked
Henry Breed. attended by DR.. Zelphan
and carrying bundle OF golf sticks.
stopped in the door a moment.
by the way. Rollins" said he.
''there Is only one personal provision
I wish TO make, and that must bf seen
to from the first. | want my dividends
all in cash-nothing else, understand
just cash!'
One day several months later DR..
Zelphan was very angry. He couldn't
lnd Breed. While he was searching
for the millionaire Sumner Rollins ap-
peared.
Il came down rather Unexpectedly"
he said. II suppose Kelvin's in his
Officer
NO" said the doctor. rather shortly.