The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-10-16
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Next Week
The Idyl of Twin Fires
WALTER y. EATON
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the Red Butte Western and It's
nerye.centrr. the town OF Angels.
seemed disposed 10 take MIR.
Howard Lidgerwood as rather
ili.timed Joke. perpctrated upon n
primitive West by tho Pacific
Southwestern.
Tho Red Desert grinncd like the
famous Cheshire eat when mn In.
coming train from the East brought
Hundry boxes and trunks, said 10
contain the new boss wardrobe.
Lidgerwood slept In the Crows
NeHt--the headquarters building
not so much from choice as for the
reason that there seemed to be no
alternative save room In the town
tavern. appropriately named The
Hotel Celestial"
That n battle would have 10 be
fought was evident enough. Grid.
Icy, whose attitude toward the new
superintendent WAS that OF a dis
interested adviser, assured LldEer
wood he was losing ground by not
opening tho campaign OF severity
at once.
You'll have 10 take club To-
these hoboes before you can ever
hope TO make railroad men out OF
them" was Gridley's oftrepeated
assertion.
Haiiock attended to his duties
and carried out his aapcrior'n in
structlona with the cxactness OF an
automaton. but his attitude was dis.
tiuctly antagonistlc. None tho less
Lidgerwood acknowledged a grow.
ing iiking for the chief clerk.
Mcclonkey, the trainmanter. who
had served under iIailock for n
number OF months before the
change In management, confld@d To
Lldgcrwood that Hslioek vas mar.
ried. that his wife. xtrihlngiy
beautiful young woman. had dlssp-
pcarcd. and that since her depar'
turo Hsilock had lived alone In two
rooms over tho freight station.
For the first fcv weeks Lidser'
wood let McCiosk~y answer the
hurry calls" 10 tho various scenes
OF disaster. but when three sections
OF an eAstbound cattle special. IT,
noring the n.minute-in,eryai rule.
we're piled up In the Pinon HILLS,
he went out and took personal
command of the traek.elearsrs.
lie found iha, the wrecksnE.ere~
had taken a ten gallon keg OF vhis.
key along wh-rcwith TO celebrate
the first appearance Of the new
superintendent In character as a
practical wrecking boss. The out
come was rather astonishing. |
Lidgerwood's first executive nc,
Was 10 knock In the head OF the
t~n.Eslion celebration with a strik' |
Ind hammer.
This Was excellent. a. far as u
went. Hut later, With the offend. |
inE crews before him for trial and
punishment. Lakewood lost all he
had gained by being too easy
Jack benson. the young en-.
ginear whom Vice. President Ford
had ssn, TO put new life into the
tracks. happened 10 be presen,
when the reckless frsinmen we're
told to 10 and sin no more.
I'm no, running your Job. LldEer.
wood Benson volunteered. But
you can't hold those fellows down
with sunday-sehool talk"
Tho merry jcst on the Red Butte
Western ran It's course for another
week after the ihree-,rain wreck
In the pinons-for a week and a
day. Then Lakewood began the
drawing Of the net A new time.
card was strung with McCioskey's
cooperation. and when Il vent into
effect q notice on all bulletin
boards announced tho adoption OF
tho standard Book OF Rules" and
promised penalties for departure
thercfrom.
Promptly the horse-iaugh died
away and tho trouble storm was
evoked. Grievance committees
haunted the Crows Nest. and the
lnsurrectionary faction. starting |