The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-11-23

him a ninety-nine year lease covering
every street. The roadbed IS started.
and things are booming. Lots have
beer staked all over the flats, property
values are somersaulting. everybody Is
out Of his head, and Gordon Is a god.
All he does Is organize new companies.
He has bought a sawmill, a wharf, a
machine shop, acres Of real estate. He
has started a bank and a new hotel
He has consolidated the barber shops,
and he talks about roofing In the
streets with glass and making the
town q series Of arcades."
Slater half smiled-evidence OF a con.
vulsive mirth within.
They've picked out a site for a uni
v~ersityr' he said bitterly. "Cortez Is
going to be a seat Of learning and cul-
ture. They're planning a park and a
, place for an Alaskan worlds fair and
a museum and u library. I've always
wondered who starts public libraries
It's nuts But didn't s'pose more
than one or two people got foolish that
way"
O'Neil soon found that the accounts
he had received OF Gordon's last at
tempt to recoup his fortunes were In
no way exaggerated. COrtez, long the
plaything Of the railroad builders, had
been ripe for his touch. 1t rose In its
wounded civic pride and greeted his
appeal with frantic delight.
Gordon perfectly understood that
something more than vague accuse.
tons were necessary to bring the pub
lie to his support In sufficient numbers
to sweep him on to victory, and with
this In mind he laid crafty plans to
seize the Heidlemann grade. The trust
had ceased active work on It's old
right Of way and moved to Kyak, to be
sure, but 1t had not abandoned its
original route and, In fact, had main
tanned a small crew at the first defle
outside OF COrtez, known as Beaver
Canyon. Gordon reasoned shrewdly
that n struggle between the agents OF
the trust and the patriotic citizens OF
the town would afford him precisely
the advertising he needed and give
point to his charge Of unfair play
against the Heidlemanns.
1t was not difficult to incite his vic
tins to this act Of robbery. On the
contrary, once he had made the sug-
gestion, he had hard work to restrain
them until he had completed his prep
arations. These preparations were
simple. They consisted In writing and
mailing to every newspaper OF conse-
Quence n highly colored account Of the
railroad struggle. These Monograph
ed stories were posted from Seattle In
time for them to reach their destina-
tons on the date set for the seizure
Of the grade.
1t was an ingenious publicity move,
worthy Of a theatrical press agent, and
1t succeeded beyond the promoters
fondest expectations-too well, in fact,
for it drove the trust in desperation to
an alliance with the S. r. and n.
The day set for the demonstration
came; the citizens OF Cortez boldly
marched into Beaver canyon to AXE
possession Of the old Heidlemann
workings, but it appeared that they
had reckoned prematurely. a handful
OF grim faced trust employees warned
them back; there was a rush, some
rough work on the part of the aggres-
sors, and then the guards brought their
weapons into play. The result afford
ed Gordon far more sensational mate
rial than he had hoped for; one citizen
was killed and five others were badly
wounded. Cortez. dazed and horror
stricken, arose in her wrath and de-
scended upon the 'assassins;' lynch
ings were planned Inc mobs threat
ened the local jail, until soldiers were
hurried thither and martial law was
declared.
OF course the wires were burdened
with the accounts; the reading public Of
the States awoke to the fact that a bit
ter strife was waging In the north be-
tween honest miners and the soulless
Heidlemann syndicate. Gordon's pre-
vfously written and carefully colored
stories Of the clash were printed far
and wide. Editorials brothed indigna-
ton at such lawlessness and pointed to
the Cortez Home railway as a com
ShoA y oSSlipS ihC II
mann throttle hold upon the northland.
Stock subscriptions came in a deluge
which fairly engulfed Gordon's Seattle
Office force.
During this brief white hot campaign
the promoter had been actuated as
much by his senseless hatred Of O'Neil
as by lust Of glory and gain, and 1t
was with no little satisfaction that he
returned to Alaska conscious Of having
dealt n telling blow to his enemy. He
sent Natalie to Omar on another visit
In order that he might hear at first
hand how O'Neil took the matter.
But his complacency received a shock
when the girl returned. He had no
need to question her.
Uncle Curtis" she began excitedly,
You ought to stop these terrible news
paper stories about Mr.. O'Neil and the
trust"
stop them? My dear. what do you
meanY'
HE didn't sell out to the trust. he
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