Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-06

I'D say there was going to be
glorious scrap"
And so there is the biggest an
most unusual scrap of its kind yo'
ever heard of, Greggy. It's going Il
be a queer kind of highland auee
fighting. And it's possible-very prob
able-that you and I will get lost IL
the shuttle somewhere. We're two, M
; more. And we're going up agains
forces which would make a dozer
South American revolutions look Hike
thirty cents. More than that, it's likeh
well he I'm the wrong locality wher
certain people rise in a wrath which a
Helen of Troy aroused in another peo
Die some centuries ago. See here"
He turned the map to Gregson
pointing with his finger.
"See that red line? That's the new
railroad TO Hudson's Bay. 1t is well
above lie Pas now, and its builders
plan to complete il by next spring. II
is the most wonderful piece of railroad
[ DullulnS OH l1e american 'ohtheht'
Greggy--w wonderful because ii has been
neglected so long. Something like a
hundred million people have been
asleep to its enormous value, and
they're just waking now.
THAT road, cutting across four hum
dred miles of wilderness. Is opening
up country half as big as the
United States, in which more mineral
wealth will be dug during the next
fifty years that will ever he taken
from Yukon or Alaska. II is short
ening the route from Montreal, Du.
luth Chicago and the Middle West
to Liverpool and other European ports
by a thousand miles. 1t means the
making OF navigable sea out Of
Hudson's Bay. cities on its shores,
and great steel foundres close to
the Arctic Circle-wheM there is coal
and iron enough to supply the world
for hundreds of years. That's only
a small part Of what this road means,
Greggy. Two years ago-you remem.
ber. I asked you to join me i'm the
adventure came up seeking oppor-
tunity. | didn't dream then"
Whittemore paused. and flash of
his old smile passed over his face.
II didn't dream that fate had de.
creed me TO stir up what I'm going
TO tell YOU about. Greggy. ] follow.
ed the line Of the proposed railroad,
looking for chances. All Canada was
asleep, or too much interested in its
west, and gave me no competition.
was alone west of the surveyed line;
east of it steel corporation men had
optioned mountains of iron and an.
other interest had a grip on coal.
fields. Six months / spent among
the Indians, French and half.breeds.
| lived with them, trapped and hunted
with them, and picked up a little
Cree and French. The life suited me.
| became northerner in heart and
soul, IL not quite yet in full experi.
ence. Clubs and balls and cities grew
TO be only memories. You know how
! always hated that dollhouse sort of
existence, and you know that same
world of clubs and balls and cities has
gripped at my throat. downing me
again and again, as though il re-.
turned my sentiment with interes,
Up here | learned to hate il more than
ever. was completely happy. And
then"
lie had refolded the map, and drew
another from the bundle of pspers
1t was drawn in pencil.
And then, Greggy," he went on.
smoothing out this map where the
other had been, II struck my cbance
II fairly clubbed me into recognizing
It, 1t came in the middle OF the
Right, and | sat up with camnAre
laughing at me through the flap in
my tent, stunned by the knockout
II mad given me. It seemed at fire,
as though a gold mine had Walked
up and laid itself down at nv fast
ana | wondered how there could b.
SO many silly fools in this world ~
ours rake look at that man
ireggy' What do YOU see?"
Gregson had listened like one under
a spell 1t was one of his careIsss
boasts that situations could NOT fa.,o
him' that lie was immune TO outward
oetraSais OF sensation. This seeming
light toned atti,,d. |
IN the face OF most serious anair,
would have made a failure of hin,
In many things.
But his tense interest did ro, ,,,.
user now A cigarette remained nm.
lighted between his fingers IIis .,.aa
never look themselves for an instant
nom his companions face. Sometime
mat Whittemore had not vet said |
thrilled him. He looked at the man
There's not much to see" he said |
but lakes and rivers"
You're right" exclaimed PbiIin
jumping suddenly from his chair and
beginning to walk back and fo,tb |
across the cabin. Lakes and ,iv.rs
hundreds of them thousands OF ,bem,
"regGy there are more than ,hra.