Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-05-31
CHAPTER ~.
Wanted-A Financier.

It was a full fortnight or more after
this mountaineering incident on the
hill road to the dam, when Williams,
chief engineer Of the ditch project, met
President Baldwin in the Brewster of
fees of the ditch company and spent a
busy hour with the colonel going over
the contractors estimates for the
month in prospect. In an interval of
the business talk, Baldwin remembered
the good-looking young tramp who had
wanted job.
"Oh, yes; knew there was some
thing else that wanted to ask you"
he said. "How about the young fellow
that [ unlOaded on you a couple of
weeks ago? Did he make good?"
"Who-Smfth?
eyes; if that's his name"
The engineers left eyelid had quiz
zfcal droop when he said dryly: Its
the name he goes by in camp; John
Smith, I haven't asked him his other
name"
The neutrality-suspicious. matched
the dropping eyelid Of unbelief with
sober smile. 81 thought he looked as
if he might be out here for his health
like q good many other fellows who
have no particular use for a doctor.
How is he making it?"
The engineer, a hard-bitted man with
the prOgnathous lower jaw characterize
ing the tribe Of those who accomplish
things, thrust his hands into his peck
cts and walked to the window to look
down into the Brewster street. When
he turned to face Baldwin again, it was
to say: ''That young fellow is Won
der, colonel. I put him into the quarry
at first, as you suggested, and in three
days he had revOlutioniZed things to
the tune of 20 per cent saving in pro-
ductiOn costs. Then I gave him hack
at the cOncrete-miXers, and he's max
ing good again in the cost reduction.
That seems to be his specially"
The president nodded and was suf-
ficiently interested to follow up what
had been merely a casual inquiry.
"What are you calling him nOw?-a
betterment engineer? You know your
first guess was that he was somebody's
bOokkeeper out of job"
Williams wagged his head.
Hes a three-cornered puzzle to me,
yet. he isn't an engineer, but when
you drag q bunch of cost money up the
trail, he goes after it like dog after
a rabbit. I'm not anxious to lose him,
but I really believe you could make
better use Of him here in the town Of
fee than I can On the job"
Baldwin was shaking his head dubi-
ously.
'T'm afraid he'd have to loosen up
on his record a little before we could
bring him In here. Badly as we're
needing a money man, we can hardly
afford to put John Smith into the
saddle-at least not without knowing
what his other name used to be-"
'No; of course not. I guess, after
ALL he's only lame duck like a good
many of the rest of them. Day before
yesterday, Burdell, the deputy sheriff,
was out at the camp looking the gangs
over for the fellow who broke into
Lannigan's place last Saturday night.
When he came into the Office Smith
was busy with an estimate, and Bur-
dell went up and touched him on the
shoulder, just to let him know that it
was time to wake up. Suffering cats
It took three of US to keep him from
breaking Burdell in two and throwing
him out Of the window"
"That looks rather bad" was thu
presidents comment. Col. Dexter Bald
win had been the first regularly elect
ed sheriff of Timanyoni county In the
early days and he knew the symptoms.
"Was Burdell wearing his star where