Gilpin observer., 1917-05-24
byE.AlEXANDGR POWELL

| miCHuel hOEIAScys leuiiSSo oAu
Irishman and leader of the independ-
ents, was the first to hear of Holmes
order. In minute he was on the job.
So busy did Morrisey get, in fact, that
| by the middle Of the afternoon, indie
pendent lumber operators were streak
ing into town from all points of the
compass. The big meeting held in the
courthouse square was addressed by
Morrisey.
"Boys," Morrisey shouted, 'the
Amalgamated has ordered that we
shan't ship our timber over its rail-
way, and old Dollar Holmes is here
to enforce the order.
"'Dirty Dollar Holiness is the name
for the old heliOn," one man shouted.
"Are we going to stand for this sort
Of treatment2" roared Morrisey.
"You bet your life we ain't." the
crowd shouted back,
"The only thing this old tree crab
is afraid Of is law" went on the big
Irishman. Hell shy when somebody
throws a law-book at him. The Anal
gamated amt hankering for any feder-
al investigation. Now the truth is, fel-
lows, we can carry this into court and
beat the bunch O. crooks ut the head
of the Amalgamated. We've stood this
long enough. Now We'll take the bull
by the horns."
The appointment Of committee to
wait on Holmes and inform him that
he was up against finish fight unless
he chose to compromise quickly, re-
suited in Morrisey's selection as chair
man.
"Your troubles snarled Holmes,
when he had heard the report of the
committee. emphatically stated by
Morrisey. "Your troubles, but not my
troubles. The Amalgamated tried
to buy you fellows out. You refused
to sell. The Amalgamated built rail-
road in here at a great expense and
you boycotted it. Now, because you're
high and dry you want to make con-
venience of 1t. Well, I'm here to say
you can't do it-not by a d sight,
you can't. This railway was built by
private capital. 1t is not a common
carrier -. Now get out"
'That's your last word, is it?" de-
manded MOrrisey. "If 1t is, We'll see
what the courts have to say about it."
ITO h with the courts" shouted
Holmes, his face aflame with passion,
his small dark eyes cleaning. mot
a stick Of timber moves over this road
until I give the word"
On the heels of this declaration came
roar from the crowd outside, fol-
lowed by deep rumbling noise that
brought Holmes and his associates to
their feet with a wild rush for the sta
ton platform. The sight that met their
gaze filed them with amazement.
The long train of logs from which
Dawson had been ordered to uncouple
his engine. went laundering past the
station under its own momentum on
the road to El Captain, down grade
stretch Of twenty miles, with a good
prospect Of going into the river when
1t reached its journeys end.
The remark of small boy had start
ed the trouble. 1t was a verbal spark
about releasing the brakes and letting
the lumber go to mill by itself.
1t was enough for the crowd, already
spelling for trouble. With whoops and
yells score Of men leaped for the
brakewheels and kicked the dogs loose.
In fifty seconds the train was moving
slowly. In less than two minutes II
was jogging along at ten miles an hour
| and by the time the station where
Holmes and his crew sat, was reached
the speed was twenty miles an hour
at least.
Holmes stared at the train, his face
convulsed with fury, cursing like O
maniac. Clancy was tearing about try.
Ing to find out what to do. In fact
there was nothing to do that would
stop the train barring very desperate
and dangerous plan that had already
begun to simmer in the brain Of Helen
| Dawson, the operator, whose face was
white as chalk and her lips trembling
as she gasped out:
"The passenger train"
"Whatr shouted Holmes.
1.-THE passenger" cried Helen, '1t's
left FL Captain and the log train will
hit 1t. There is no way to send warn
Ing"
Holmes stood by. his huge fists
clenched. his eyes rolling wildly. Fol
once In his life the big lumberman was
cornered. He had no remedy fol
this situation. All the huge staff OF
| the Amalgamated couldn't saye Flor
ence Holmes, whom he knew to be OF
the Limited with death rushing dowr
upon her.
"Good Heavens !" gasped Holmes
my wife Is on that train"
Tom Dawson wasted no time II
words. He had been trained to &C
quickly in crises like this. Befor,
anyone, even Holmes. realized wha
was happening, Dawson was on tn,
engine. She had been all ready I,
start when he received the order I,
l -