The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-12-19

| and the unloading of the sleigh full
of hospital comforts, which would set
! my patient great deal more at ease.
When l left my patient, very late
that night, supposing all lucky people
to be in bed, found Mr.. Eure making
himself some tea. Gladly l Joined
him beside the kitchen stove, ever so
pleased with its warmth and the tea,
for was weary, past all hope of any
sleep. Besides, the poor man was
just dying with curiosity as to our
journey and his engagement as my en-
gineer. So, for that one and only
time told the stofy of Jesses fate,
and mine.
And then 1 tried to explain the
scheme which needed his services as
an engineer
Let's see," he checked my rambling
statement. TRY if I've got all that
correct. This Cariboo wagon road
runs from Ashcroft to Quesnelle, due
north, except at one point where the
government wouldn't pay for a bridge
across the Hundred Mile gorge.
Sd at the ninety-five mile post the
road swings eastward five miles, pass
ing Spite House to the head of the
gorge, where it crosses Hundred Mile
Creek, right here.
From here the road turns west
again on the north side of the gorge,
and after one mile on the level, drops
Gown the Hundred Mile Hill, which
Is three miles high, and a terror to
navigation.
"At the bottom the road turns north
again for Quesnelle, at cabin called
the One Hundred and Four where old
Pete Mathson lives, hairy little per-
son, like a Skye terrier with a faith
full heart.
And said Mathson has blazed cut
off, crossing the foot of the gorge, then
climbing by an easy grade to the
ninety-fve-mile post. The said cut
off is five miles long. Made into a
wagon road, it would give a better
gradient for traffic, save four miles,
employ local labor at a season when
money Is scant, and be an all-round
blessing to mankind. At the foot OF
the gorge we'd locate the new Hun
dred Mile House
incidentally, Spite House would be
side-tracked, left in the hungry woods
four miles from nowhere"
Tell me-" l urged, what you
think"
my dear madam, when I've made
survey you shall have dates and fig
ures for a temporary snow road,
permanent way, and a house."
ut can be done?"
"Why, certainly"
"You approve?"
Yes. l see dollars in this, for
me-"
you think I'm foolish?"
ut will be an excellent road"
But the result?"
please don't blame the engineer"
ooh, tell me what you think, as
man"
well, let's pretend I'm Polly"
l laughed
Being Polly, and from my Polly
point of view, frankly, I'm pleased.
Here are hundreds of new customers,
with Madame Scotsons money to
spend at Spite House"
my men will sign an agreement.
The man who visits Spite House for
feits a bonus for good service, loses
all outstanding pay, and leaves my
camp that day"
"Is that so? or course, the coaches
change horses at Spite House."
when I've bought out the stage
| company, they'll change horses at the
New Hundred"
"And only stop at Spite House for
the mails?"
81 shall appeal to the postmaster
general"
ION the ground that you're running
a rival house? Captain Taylor, you
say. did that"
my house shall charge nothing. 1t
shall be free. and the visitors my
guests"
"Then. in my little Polly way. I'm
afraid I'll have to move Spite House
down to the new road"
ION to my land?"
'Your cruelty reduces me to tears.
am a martyr. / appeal to the chival-
rous public to boycott that new road"
when I've brought money into the
country? Oh, you don't know this
hungry neighborhood!"
Mercy! My clients done for. Pm
Madame Scotson's managing engineer.
May ask a plain question:"
Certainly"
'Is there water-power in this
gulch?"