Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1917-03-16
TENTH EPISODE

"Dollar" Holmes was in dilemma.
At the rate Of construction just re-
ported to him by Jim Behrens, his
chief Of crooked diplomacy. the lumber
road, for construction Of which he had
been compelled to issue notes aggre-
eating more than quarter Of u million
dollars, would be completed to Shady
creek by the sixteenth of the month.
This state of affairs did not suit the
scheming millionaire's book at all, for,
SO far as actual ready cash was con-
cerned, he had not the money, and he
was well aware that the Dawsons,
holding his paper, would demand i'm
mediate payment.
With a quick, nervous gesture, for
eign to his usually taclturn habit,
Holmes turned In his chair and pushed
an electric button.
Find Behrens," he snapped, as the
expresslonless face of his secretary
appeared In the doorway. Get him
here quick"
The lumber chief was still nibbling
savagely at the cold butt Of his black
cigar when Behrens slouched In.
1--WE had enough of this four-nush-
Ing over the Shady creek construc-
tion," snarled Holmes. "It's got to stop.
dye hear me-got to stop without any
preliminary monkeying. Now. what's
the answeri".
swell. II you know any way to stop
that gang working double shifts under
Dawson and his gang Of bosses, with
that internal girl, Helen Dawson, lee
turing the shifts as they go out for
speed. why. just give orders and Wen
carry 'em out. AS for me, l don't
see what's to be DONE"
'Done." roared Holmes, rising from
mis- chair, kicking II back against the
office wall and stamping up and down
he floor like an angry bear. Done,
you say? Why, work up strike
get that bunch Off the grade by hook
or crook"
snow, see here. Mr.. Holmes" inter-
posed Behrens, and there was some
thing In his manner that indicated n
contempt for the slave-driving lumber
baron which had only lately become a
part of his equipment, we've done all
your dirty work for four or five yenrs
and not a man in the crowd has been
,verpaId. Civility costs nothing. Re-
nember we're all In the same boat. II
II wasn't for that, you and I'd part
company right now, guess"
Holmes face became llvid with rage
He had recognized for some time a
growing tendency on the part of
Behreps and his gang of thugs to re-
sent treatment Of them. but so In
grained was his habit Of abuse that he
with difficulty restrained himself
from attacking the foreman who stood
glaring ut him defantly.
Enough OF this" growled the mag
nate. II tell you we've got to get that
gang Off the work. Here's n piece OF
news that will probably do the trick
I've Just received a wire that they've
struck gold up on Eleven Mile Bend
and oil kinds of hoboes are chasing I'm
there with packs from fifty miles
around. All you've got TO do is To
spread the news in Dawson's shacks
and he won't have q bakers dozen on
the work next morning"
so II came about that within twenty
four hours Dawson's work shacks
buzzed with excitement. An exagger-
atcd version of the gold strike on
Eleven Mile had been circulated among
them. and the uneasiness of the men
presaged trouble. In vain Dawson and
his son Tom. with Helen eagerly as
sisting, tried to stem the tide. BY
twos and threes, then by dozens, and
lastly In scores, the graders threw
down their tools and started up the
nver.
"rhat settles It." growled Dawson.
as the last half dozen of his shiftless
band started away with their pay In
their pockets and somewhat shame