Gilpin observer., 1917-06-14
byE.AlEXANDER powell
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After giving orders that his car
should be attached to the afternoon
train, which connected at Port Jeffer-
son with the limited for Seattle,
Holmes telephoned to "Big Bill" Beh-
rens at the railway construction camp
and ordered that worthy to come in at
once to confer with him.
"Now remember, Behrens" he said,
as they rose to part, shat I ex-
pect you to make all the trouble you
can for the independents. They've
beaten us once or twice, d-n 'em,
and they're feeling pretty cocky over
it, but mark my words, Behrens, the
game isn't over yet. Before it's fin
ished they'll wish that they'd left me
alone. I want you to block them in
every way you can. You can have a
free hand and as much money as you
need-that is to say, anything in rea-
son. I understand that Morrissey and
his crowd have some big contracts that
have got to be filed quickly. If you
can think of some plan to delay their
deliveries they'll probably lose the con-
tracts"
Behrens was the head Of the re-
markable intelligence bureau which
the Amalgamated maintained for the
purpose of keeping itself informed of
the doings Of its competitors. Much
of his information Behrens obtained
from men who, though in the employ
Of the independent owners, secretly
f1o nf hn
gamated. In Morrissey's employ were
two such spies, Burke and Anderson,
for whom Behrens sent that evening.
'"The Big Boss wants Morrissey and
his crowd to fall down on the delivery
of those ORDERS" Behrens explained,
''and the only way to hold up the
deliveries that I can figure out is to
start strike. If you can induce the
boys to strike, I'll give you double pay
for every day it lasts"
1.-THE food is pretty rotten" Ander-
son suggested. 1.-THE boys have been
kicking about it for weeks, but 1t don't
seem to get no BETTER"
"There you are!" Behrens cried tri-
umphantly. "Get 'em to strike for bet
ter food"
One night when the men were at
supper in the mess house, Wong, the
Chinese camp cook, placed on the ta-
BILE great dish of what purported to
be Irish stew.
'"This here slop amt fit for hogs,
let alone men," growled one of the
1,,r, ,1,n,. fnn h. =,
looking mess, and, picking up his plate,
he hurled it straight at the head of
the Chinaman. A general uproar fol-
lowed. t~.4lh.sil.
When the camp boss related the in
cident to Morrissey the next morning,
the latter looked exceedingly grave.
''If the food is as bad as that, Han
sen." he said, at must be changed. We
can't afford to have the men discon-
tented. We've got too many orders
on hand"
"Just tween you an me, Mr.. Nor
rissey," said the foreman confiden-
tally, at amt the food. They only
used that rs an excuse for making
trouble. Unless miss my guess, the
Amalgamated's at the bottom of 1t all.
I happen to know that two of our men,
Burke and Anderson, are mighty thick
with Big Bill Behrens, who is old Dol
lar Holmes right-hand man. They've
been doin' good deal of whispering
among the men lately, and 1t looks to
me as though they were tryin' to work
'em up to n strike"
eve mustn't have a strike at this
time" declared Morrissey.
"My advice, Mr.. Morrissey," said
Hansen, ''would be to round up all the