Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-17
CHAPTER TX
The Speedway

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/ It was in the days after he had
found on his desk a long envelope in
closing q certificate for a thousand
shares Of stock in the Niquoia Electric
Power, Lighting and Traction company
that Brouillard began to lose his nick-
name Of "Hell's-Fire" among his work
men, with the promise Of attaining, in
due time, to the more affectionate
title of "the Little Big Boss"
At the envelope-opening moment,
however, he was threatened with an
attack Of heart failure. 1t was scarce
" believable. But q hastily sought in
terview with the company's president
cleared the air Of all the incredibili-
ties.
why, my dear Brouiilard! what IN
Sam Hill do you take us for?" was the
genial retort when the young engineer
had made his deprecatory protest.
did you think we we're going to cut
the melon and hand you out piece of
the .rind? Not so, my dear boy; We
are not built on any such narrow.gauge
lines. That's what We ire willing to
pay for a good, reliau4e government
brake. It's going to be your business
to seq TO It that the reclamation serv-
ice gets exactly what its contract calls
for, kilowatt for kilowatt."
I'D do that, anyhow, as chief Of con-
struction On the dam"
you mean you would try to do it.
As an officer Of the power company.
you can do it; as an official kicker on
the outside, you couldn't feaze us a
particle. What? You'd put us out Of
business? Not much. you wouldn't:
we'd play politics with you and get
man for your Job who wouldn't kick"
WELL" said the inheritor Of sudden
wealth, still matching the promoters
mood, you won't get me fred now,
that's one comfort. When will you
want my expert opinion on your aux
Hilary dam"
ION our dam, you mean. oh. any
time soon; say tomorrow or Friday
or Saturday, If that hurries you too
much. We sha'n't want to 60 to work
on It before Monday"
Being himself an exponent Of the
modern theory that the way to do
things is to do them now, Brouillard
accepted the hurry order without COM
ment. Celebrity, swiftness Of accom-
plishment that was almost magical,
had become the Mirapolitan order Of
the day. Plans conceived overnight
leaped to their expositions in things
done as II the determination to do
them had been all that was necessary
to their realization.
"You shall have the report tomor-
row." said the newly created consult
ing engineer, but you can't go to
work Monday. The labor market is
empty, and I'm taking it for granted
that you're not going to stampede my
shovelers and concrete men"
"Oh, no." concluded the city builder,
I'VE sha'n't do that. Youth admit-in
your capacity of government watch
dog-that we have played fair in that
game. We have imported every work
man we've needed, and we shall lm-
port more. That's one thing none Of
us can afford to do-bull -the labor
market. And it won't be necessary;
We have a trainload of Italians and
Bulgarians on the way to Quesado to-
day, and they ought to be here by
Monday"
'You are wonder, Mr.. Cartwright"
was Brouillard's tribute to the worker
Of modern miracles, and he went his
way to ride to the upper end Of the
valley for the exploring purpose.
On the Monday, as President Cort.
wright had so confidently predicted,
the train load Of laborers had marched
in over the War Arrow trail and the
work On the auxiliary power dam was
begun. On the Tuesday small army
of linemen arrived to set the poles
and to string the wires for the light
INK Of the town. On the Wednesday
there were fresh accessions to the
army Of builders, and the freighters on
the Quesado trail reported q steady
stream 81 artisans pouring in to rush
the city-making.
On the Thursday the grading and
paving Of ChiEringo avenue was be-.
gun, and, true to- his promise. Mr.. Cort-
wright was leaving q right Of way in
the street for the future trolley
tracks. And It was during this event
full week that the distant thunder Of
the dynamite brought tho welcome
tidings Of the pushing Of the railroad
grade over tho mountain barrier. Also
but this was an item Of minor i'm.
portance 1T was on the Saturday Of
this week that the second tier Of forms
was erected on the great dam and the
stripped nrst section Of the massive
gray foot-wall Of concrete raised itself
in mute but eloquent protest against
the feverish activities Of the miracle
workers. II the protest we're q threat,
1t was far removed. Many things
might happen before the gray wall
should rise high enough to cast its
shadow, ana the shadow Of the coming
end. over the miraculous city Of the
plain.
It was Brouillard himself who put
this thought into words on the Sunday
whom he and Grislow were looking
over the work Of form raising and and
Ing It good. i55t.z5