Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-02-15

"I'II Take You Around"
OF a careful nome anu Flgld- sc1JOl us
cipline.
He was ushered into a large COO
room. The furnishings he lnventoried
few stiff chairs, long table and 9
typewriter desk, closed for the Sab
bath.
'The stenographer's room," an
n0unced the lad superhuously.
Whose stenographer"
General property now. Everyone
has right to use her time. She USED
to be Hardin's, the general managers
She is his still, in way. But Ogilvie
keeps her busy most of the time"
Rickard had not heard of Ogilvie
He made mental register.
"When did Hardin go out?" He
knew the date himself. He expected
the answer would trail wisps of other
information. He had very active Gu.
riosity about Hardin. The mans fail.
ures had been spectacular.
The young fellow was thinking
aloud. 'The dam went November
Goth. Hardin was given decent in
terval to resign. OF course he was
fired. 1t was an outrage" He re-
membered that he was speaking to a
stranger and broke off suddenly. Rick
ard did not question him. He made
another note. Why was it an outrage
or why did it appear so? In perspec-
tive, from the Mexican barranca,
where he had been at the time, the
| failure of that dam had been another
bar sinister against Hardin.
II see that you are from the Univer-
sity of Californian" Rickard said, and
nodded at the pin of gold and blue
enamel.
"Out for year." glowed the lad.
"Dad wanted me to get some real stuff
In my head. He said the Colorado
would give me more lessons--more real
knowledge in year than I'd get in
six at college. I kicked up an awful
row"
The older man smiled. "Of course.
You don't want to go back now"
The boy made a wry face. HE ex-
poets me to 60 back in August. Says
l must"
"You did not tell me your name,"
was suggested.
"MacLean, George MacLean," said
the young man rather consciously. 1t
was good deal to live up to. He 81
ways felt the appralsement which fol-
lowed that admission. George Mac
Lean, elder. was known among the
railroad circles to be man of iron,
one of the strongest Of the heads of
the Overland Pacific system. He was
not the sort of man son could speak
lightly of dlsobeying.
"Of course everyone calls me Jun
ior."
II guess you'll go back IL he wants
YOU TO-" smiled Rlckard.
"Oh, but what rotten trick 1t
would bel" exclaimed the son of the
man Of iron. ITO throw me out of
college, was daffy to finish with my
class, and to get me here to get me in"
terested--and then after I've lost my
place to pull me back. Why. there are
things happening every day that are a
liberal education. They are only just
beginning to understand what they are
bucking up against. The Colorados
an unknown quantity; even old engi-
neers are right up against it. There
are new problems coming up every
day. The Indians call her yellow
dragon, but she's a tricky woman,
she's an eel; she's giving us sums to
break our teeth on"
"Who has the next room?"
used to be the general managers.
Ogilvie uses 1t now"
"And who did you say was Ogil-
vief" They turned back into the
room.
"You can go In. He's not here. He
is the new auditor, an expert account
ant from Los Angeles. Put in by the
o. p. when 1t assumed control last
year. He used to come down once
a month. After Hardin went out he
came down fo etnvo
"Whose say-so2'
II don't know. The accounts were
rotten, that's no Office secret. The
world knows that. Hardin Is blamed
for II. 1t isn't fair. Look at Sather's
stone palace In Los Angeles. Look at
Hardln's tent, his shabby clothes.n
"rd like to meet 0gilvle." observed
the general manager.
"0h, he's not much to meet. A pale,
whlte-livered vegetarian, theoso-
phist. You've seen 'em. Los Angeles
Is fun of 'em. He was here when Har-
din was fired. You could see him see
his opportunity. His chest swelled
up. He looked as IL he had tasted
meat for the first time. He thought
that he could woozle into the empty
place! He went back to Los Angeles.