The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-12-20
= ooK here, Mr.. Gregory,
I've been loafing around
III on my elbows for a

week. me plans lot
that concrete garage we're finished
three days ago; that was the last
thing up. All the blue prints have
been sorted and put away There IS
nothing more doing on that Mer-
chants bank job because the Burgett-
Bronson Company got that. Can't
you give me something to do?"
Lifting his head slowly from the
mahogany sanitary desk in the Office
OF The Gregory Company, general
contractors and builders, Thomas
Gregory, benign old Scotchman,
wrinkled care worn countenance
into half frown.
There is nothing 10 do now, my
lad. The building business seems to
be shot all to pieces this summer;
It's the dullest year in the trade I've
seen for long time.
But" 'expostulated Harry Eaton,
superintendent of construction, three
big jobs were let this week and the
Evening Tribune says the building
permits have increased over last
year" A suspicion was fast growing
upon Harry that the "old man" had
been slipping into the moss back
stage. He thought The Gregory Com
pany was not getting its reasonable
share Of the work because its chief
was not progressive enough to adopt
more modern business methods.
Yes, but look who got them," in
dignantly retorted Mr.. Gregory. "The
Imperial Construction Company bought
and paid for the bank job through
commercial combine. That school
building went to the Shipman con-
Germ simply because 1t was a case of
politics and there was no possible
way for anybody else to get it any
more than you could expect water to
run up hill. The other job was as
putty in the hands of the Central
Steel company, which got its hold in
Orlando on that Mallory office build
ing. The Gregory Company never
took a dirty dollar nor paid out a
dirty dollar in the thirty-one years
of its existence and it will go out of
business before 1t does. There is
plenty OF clean business in this trade
and we'll get some of it, Just keep
your clothes on, daddy, and don't
fret"
Disconsolately, Harry stuck his
hands down into his trousers pockets
room. There he rolled a cigaret with
the dizziness of many years exper-
fence and commiserated with Joe
Danley on the Generalization of the
contracting business in general and
their lack Of occupation in particu-
la. Harry's face, neck and hands
were dark tan, result of much
outdoor work during the hot sum-
mer. Although young man, tall,
erect, strong and sinewy, he bore the
traces of a rough life. On one cheek
was long, though slight scar, which
he had received in street of I'll
Paso from drunken Mexican "greas-
err" The third and fourth fingers OF
his left hand were blunt, mute signs
of an accident that befell him while
surveying short line railroad in
Oregon. He had the nonchalent air
of a man who had seen much of the
world, who knew little fear, and who
was YEARLY Indifferent as to what
might happen next.
''Say, Joe, I'm burned II amt be-
ginning to believe the old man is too
scrupulous for the contracting BUSH
ness. It's either that or the building
business, ethics and all. is being COB
bled up by the grafters.n
What did he say about the slim
chances We have of showing our ar
tistics abilities?s growled Joe.
9 20, he seemed to think the crooks
are getting all the work and blame
me If / don't think he's about right.
There was some excuse about that
school house job, beings it was pol
itics, but that bank and that apart
ment house frame-ups were the raw
est l ever heard of. 1t seems like the
honest contractor doesn't have much
of show any more; and old man
Gregory is as honest as the day is
long"
For four long. sultry days, Harry
and Joe lounged around The Gregory
Company's Offices They drew rough
plans for an apartment house in Or
der to work out an idea Joe had
found in the last Architects journal,
but they soon tired of this apparently
impractical employment and Harry
declared he intended to take a hand
in the next deal that doomed ND.
1t doomed the next day. AS was
their wont, both first scanned the
classified and legal advertising col
umns of the seventh, eighth and ninth
pages OF the Evening Tribune when
the carrier threw 1t into the Office late
in the afternoon.
"Whe&" calculated Harry. "old
man McAndrews is going to put up
that Office building OF his this year
after all. Here's the adj. asking for
bidders 1t says tho bids will be
closed at 2 O'Clock, Wednesday, Au-
gust 10. You saw wood, old boss.
and watch your uncle swim around
in some of this melon juice
Therell be barrels OF 1t, II he gets
into the clutches of the gang" OBJ
served Joe.
Say. they'll he prenaring for the
feast over at the builders exchange
tonight. Let's stall around and see
II we can't pick up a few fragments"
"I'm on. Meet you there at s."
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