Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-02-18

next few years Of his life might be
caught. Comforting to reflect that an
engineer is like soldier, never can
be certain about tomorrow. Time
enough to know that tomorrow meant
Tucson! What was that threadbare
prOverb in the Overland Pacific that
Tod Marshall always keeps his men
Until they lose their teeth? That de-
1incd the men who made themselves
necessary
His eyes were resting on the hanali-
ties Of the modern city that had robbed
"old town Of its flavor. Were it not
for the beauty of the distant hills. the
jar and rumble of the trains whose
roar called to nearby pleasure cities,
tWinkllng lights and crowded theaters,
stretches of parks and recreation
grounds, he, who loved the thrill and
confinement Of an engine, who had
found enticement in a desert, a cha".
ter Gf adventure in the parrancas of
Nc leo, would stitle IN Tucson! Amer
lean progress Was as yet too thin q
veneer on Mexican Indifference to
make the place endurable--as city.
I'm good for a lifetime here, il
want it," his thoughts would work
back to the starting place. "If
kuuckle down 20 it, let him grow to
depend on me, it's as good as settled
that | am buried in Tucsonw Hadn't
he heard Marshall himself say That he
didn't keep II kindergarten-tEnt his
office wasn't a training school for
men !" He wanted his men to stay
That, one Of the reasons of the great
mans power; detail rested on the
shoulders Of his employees. 1t kept
his own brain clear, receptive to big
achievements.
perhaps as the work unrOllS, as ]
see more of what he wants of me, Why
he wants me, | may like it, l may get
to shout for Tucson, :" 1t was impos.
slble enough to smile over. Childs
work, compared to Mexico.
The distinction Of serving Marshall
well certainly had its drawbacks. He
wanted to sweep on. Whether he had
Il definite terminal, a concrete goal,
had he ever stopped TO think? Spe.
ciaIiZation had always Il fascination
for him. 1t was that which had
thrown him out of his instructorShip
into the fircboX of western engine.
1t had governed his course at college,
to know one thing well, and then &c
prove that he knew it we'll Content.
ed in the Mexican barracks, here he
was chatting, FESTIVE, after few
weeks Of Tucson. For what was he
getting here? Adding what scrap of
experience to the rounding of his pro
fcssion?
Retrospectively engineering could
hardly be said to be the work of his
choice. Rather had it appeared to
choose him. From boyhood engineers
had always been, to him, the soldiers
of modern civilization. TO conquer
and subdue mountains, to shackle wild
rivers, to suspend trestlcs over dizzy
heights, to throw the tracks of an adj
vancing civilization along newly
blazed trail there would always be a
thrill in it for him. 1t had changed
the best quarterback Of his high school
into the primmest of students at col
lege. Only for short time had he let
his vanity sidetrack him, when the I
honor of teaching what he had learned .
stopped his own progress. A rut =
He remembered the day when it had .
burst on him, the realization of the |
rut he was in. He could see his Law I
renee schoolroOm. could see yet she .
face under the red-haired mop belong.
Ing to Jerry Matson-queer he remem-
Dered the name after all those years
He could picture the look of cOnster-
nation when he threw down his book
and announced his desertion.
He had handed in his resignation
the next day. A month later and he
was shOyeling coal on the steep grades
IF Wyoming.
Marshall keeps his men with himl"
The engineers glance travelled around
he heckless Office A stranger to Mar
shall would get wrong idea of the
nan who worked in il! Those precise