The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-15

And Rives was in the thick Of ii,
directing gangs of axmen. hurrying
| the cooks and the carpenters, dash
ing Off across the country toward
Lakewood to Jack up the men who
were running the temporary tele-
, phone line that should have been
completed by daybreak. BY IL o'clock
| the line was into the little combina-
ton office and bedroom which was
to be his home for the next few
weeks
| But most particularly he gave at
| tention to the two steel rails that
were thrusting themselves toward
| him from Toms river, a thousand feet
| to the hour.
Allan is swapping me here at the
terminal Wilson telephoned II
can't handle everything that's coming
here and see that the line goes
| through"
You have to- Rives told him.
blandly- IF it isn't through so you
| can get freight started out here be-
| fore dark, you'll be swamped worse
than that in the morning-if I know
Allan. You better stay on the Job
all night"
At o'clock there was wild cheer
from thousands of threats A train of
so cars, loaded with cooks, cooking
paraphernalia and provisions. bed
ding. blankets, boxes and bales OF
all sorts drew up to the camp and
began discharging in a feverish hurry.
1t was 3 o'clock before the camp
was fed, and Rives gave orders that
every man was to get as much sleep
as he could, as quickly as he could
and in the most convenient place.
There was roofing for less than half
of the laborers, but Allan's agents
had picked this vanguard of the tun-
mel army with view to hardship, and
| they curled up in blankets on the
pine needles and slept under the stars.
AT o'clock the camp was reused
by the whistle of locomotive Will
son, working all night with the help
of most of the freight masters at
Toms river and his own men, had
started another train of q hundred
cars and telephoned that more would
be along In a few hours.
Get those cars unloaded and shoot
'em back to me as quickly as you
cam" he telephoned to Rives. Allan
Is not only using all of our private
cars, but all he can steal from the
railroads, and the traffic manager is
beginning to holler, .Murderl Watch"
These were freight cars loaded to
the roofs with building materials of
the more perishable sort, and Rives
swore at his carpenters as they toiled
by lantern light to get roofs over 1t.
| The handling was faster than the
| roofing, for the top of each car was
packed solid with workmen.
The next train brought a complete
power plant, which was to be used
until the bigger plants could be in
stalled, and by the time 1t arrived
the concrete bases for the dynamos
were beginning to dry.
1t was terrific pace. The run of
few short miles from Toms river gave
Wilson a big advantage, and in spite
of his furious efforts the freight piled
up beside the tracks.
| Rives got Allan on the telephone in
New York.
What's the natter" he demanded,
| only half humorously.
"well-what is the natter" de-
manded Allan.
where are the workmen?"
What workmen?"
MORE MEN NEEDED
why. I've only got about 1000
here now, and they can't handle the
freight and put UP the buildings fast
enough, let alone do any real work.
Get some menT'
"All right" laughed Allan; I'll
shoot some along.
Before daylight 2,o0e more men ar
rived. and with them began the end
| less stream OF freight. Rives began
to feel like swimmer who has been