Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-01-04

county j8ia rudr)y marked the close OF
the short armStirc IN the routjCt he
tween law and order
ThirtN-tWN boxes, gonaNlaS and Oats.
racing down the CroSswater grades in
the hCart OF naWlcSS. crystalline
summer afternoon IT the heels Of
Clay'S big ten whrclCr. suddenly left
the steel as Il unit ~ heap themselves
i'll chaotic confusion upon the right
of way aud to round out the disaster
NJ the moment of impact Ivy exploding
Il shipment Of giant powder some
where in the midst of the debris.
lidgcrwood was on the western divi.
sion when the news of the wreck
reached Angels. wherefore II was not
until the following morning that he
was able to leave the headquarters sta
ton on the second wrcckiug train
bringing the big 100 ton craue to re-
enforce McCloskcy, who had hecu on
the ground with the lighter clearing
tackle Tor the better part wi the night,
McCloSkcN'S mon were hard 1T work
picking UP what the fire had spared
when IidgCrwood arrived. pretty
clean sweep this time, ell, Mace" was
the superintendent greeting when he
had penetrated to the thick of things
where McCloSkry was toilmg and
sweating with his mcu
$50 clean that we get nothing much
but scrap iron out Of what's left"
growlcd MCCloSkcy, climbing out Of
the tangle OF crushed cars and bent
and twisted ir0nwork to stand beside
l.idgerwood on the main line embanL-
mont Then to the mon who were
making the snatch hitch for the next
pull: "A little farther back, hoys--faI
thor yet, So She won't overhaancc on
you. That's about It. Now wig It,"
You seem to he getting along all
right with the outfit you've got" was
Lidgerwood's comment III YOU can
keep this up we may as we'll 70 back
to Angels"
mo, don't" protested the tralnmas-
ter, 1--WE can snake out these scrap
heaps after Il fashion, but when Il
comes to rcsurrccting the 1o5 did you
notice her rs YOU camc along? We
kept the fire from getting to her, but
she's dug herself into the ground like
dog after woodchuck"
lidgerwood nodded, Il looked her
over" he said. "If she'd had little
more time and another wheel turn or
two to spare she might have disap-
peared entirely that switching
engine you can't find"
II gave you all the pointers | could
find two weeks ago. said McCloskey.
"Whcnever YOU get ready to put Hal
lock under the hydraulic press you'n
squeeze what you want to know out OF
him"
This was coming to be an old sub.
ject and sore one, The trainmaster
still insisted that Hallock was the man
who was planning the robbcres and
plotting the downfall of the Iidger.
wood management, and he wanted to
have the chief clerk Systematically
Swallowed And II was Lidgerwood's
wholly groundlcss prepossesslon for
Hallock that was still keeping him
from turning the matter over to the
company's legal department. this In
spite of the growing accumulation OF
evidence all pointing to IIallock's trea-
son. Subjected TO rigid cross exam
nation, Jndson had insisted that n
part ut least OF hs drunken rccolec-
ton was real-that part identifying
In 4
Biggs back room as those of Rufford
and IIallock. Moreover, II wns no
longer deniabIc that the chief clerk
was keeping In close touch with the
discharged employees, for some pur-
pose best known to himself, and lat
tcrly he had been dropping ont of his
office without notice, disappearing
sometimes for day ut time
Lidrerwood WAS recalling the last OF
these disappearance when the second
wrccking train came up to 20 into nc
tion. McCloskey shaded his eyes from
the suns glare and looked down the
line
Hello he exclaimed. "Got n new
wrecking boss2"
The superintendent nodded. 81 have
one in the making. Dawson wanted to
come along and fry his hand"
'Did Gridley send him.
'No; Gridlcy Is away somewhere"
$50 Fred's your undcrstudy. Is he?
Wen, I've got one too. I'll show him
TO you after awhile"
They were walking back over the
ties toward the half buried 100. Dnw.
son had already divided his mcn-hnlf
OF them 10 place the huge ja"kbcams
and 0utrigRcrs Of the self contained
steam lifting machine to insure rs sta
bility and the other half to trench I'M.
der the fallen engine and 10 adjust the
chain sings for the hitch
ITS pretty long reach, Fred" said
the superintendent. Going to try It
from hercf'
Best place" said the rctlcent one
shortly
Iid@erwood was looking Mt his
watch