The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-12-23

-ytmrny,- psads secretary twhs sssh
sh~ stary1 and hts bns.. Graham ser
ero~s. havtnx cesn rirsei c"rstfnrune
work ca the orexea Mldiand. are 80
route from Portland TO Chicago via the
Pioneer short tans. A. desert ~Aisr
tank the train slows eo~u. ard re"nx
xsrt. Maist~ krn. ies~s her muff from fhe
bach platform. ard tsmps OF 70 So y.
travelling. Mrs shsii4 Marras Nercfoss
ana Jimmie 1amp eft 20 hsir them 80
back on the train. and that inssAn su -
starts. iesvfax shr four behind fh
snts sAsttev under th~ water tank asa
witness the haiaup Of q special train y
vns car b. four ulso. Who approach ~
an auto. The car and engine are VNn
oato an Old tnire rad t~sdtnr Up tnto
xuioh. but not hsfore the car = fseos
niH~a a. th. ~kisxa." owosd b. Jobs
Chadwick. Chicago whezt kinF. IRE
ha1dlt. drive away. and the watchers ~
the tsnk walk up this fnins f"aas eenlns
70 the locomotive. which has es~n as
ahisd
ire locomotive 10 rcon repaired. and
the private car 10 found With Chadwick
Ia Il, sninJarsa. unahis 70 asseaht ~
hss kidnapping. chadwsek Eress Afa
Maeras as an old friend
VOW 90 on WITH THE ~foHr
Then III brief IL for you" said
the big man In the stuffed wicker
chair. n, has always been a good
earning property. being largely. even
yet, without much local compotitinn.
But from the day II was completed
lts securities have figured In the
market only for their speculative
values. The property itself has never
been considered, save AZ a means 70
an end. the end being 10 enable one
bunch Of the Wall street gamesters
you speak Of 10 make a KILLING and
unload on another bunch"
The old rtory." said Mr.. Norcroas.
We are humping over the net re
suit. right now" Mr.. Chadwick
went on ''The property ia bled
white. there Is no money for better.
ments; We are tied hand and foot by
all sorts oe legal restrictions and
regulations; and. worse than oil. the
people we are supposed 20 serve
hate US until you can smell II and
taste IL In every town and hamlet
on the right-ofway."
so have heard" put In the boss.
calmly.
That brings us down to the nib
of the matter. Pioneer Short Line
Is practically In the last ditch. Tho
stock has siumped to forty and
worse: shaffer. the general manager
and the only able man we have had
for years. has resigned In disgust,
and IL something isn't done tomor.
row morning In Portal City, I know
of at least one minority stockholdcr
who is going to throw the whole
mess into the courts and try for a
receivership."
Mr.. Norcross looked up quickly.
Are you the minority stock.
holder. Uncle John7" he asked. let.
ting himself use the name by which
Mr. Chadwick was best known In
the wheat pit.
II am--more's the pity. / had a
I little lapse Of sanity one fine morn
ing few years ago and bought in
for an investment. I've done every
thing ! could think OF. Graham. to
persuade Breck Dunton and his Wall
street accoinplices to spend just one
dollar in ten of their reorganization
and recapitalization stealings on the
road itself. but it's no good. All
they want IL to get one more rise
out of the securities, 80 they can
unload"
rs there TO be stockholders'
meeting in Portal City tomorrow
morning."
mo; a directors meeting. Dun
ton has been making an inspection
trip over the system with a dozen
or 30 OF his New York croniea. It's
a junketInR excursion. pure and
simple. but while they're here they'll
7 get together and go thru the form
Of picking out new general man.
ager. I'm on the board and they
had to send me notice. tho IT'S an
even bet they hoped I'd stay away.
In fact. | think they scheduled the
meeting out here On the chance that