Cleveland County herald., 1920-08-12

speak Klnd word Tor me, W0h you sort of boom my stock, chi Be 8 good fellow"
 Certainly. Now come down to earth and render q report on your steward ship
 "I1l try. To begin, I've secured rights of way, at total cost of twelve thousand. one hundred and three dol lars and nine cents. from the city limits of Sequoia 50 the southern boun- dary of your timber in Township nine. I've got my line surveyed, and so far as the building of the road is concern ed, l know exactly what Pm going to do, and how and when I'm going to do 1t, once l get my material on the ground.
 "1 have an option of a rattling good secondhand locomotive down at the Santa Fe shops, and the Hawkins X Barnes Construction company has offer ed me a steam shovel, half a dozen f1at-cars and a lot of fresnoS and scrapers at ruinOus prices. We can buy or rent teams from local citizens
  as soon as you teh me how I'm to get my material ashore and out on the job. I'll order 1t and get busy"
 That's exactly where the shoe be- gins to pinch. Pennington's mainline tracks enter the city along Water street, with one spur Into his log-dump and another out on his mill-docB From the mainline tracks we alsc have built spur through our drying yard out to our log-dump and Switch-line out to our mill-dock. We can unload our locomotive, steam shovel, and f1at-cars on our owr wharf. but unless Pennington gives us permission to use his mainline tracks out to a point beyond the city limits-where a Y will letd off to where the point of construction be gins-we're up a stump"
 Suppose he refuses, Bryce. What thenY'
 "Why, we'll simply have t0 enter the city down Front street. paraileling Pennington's tracks on Water street. turning down B street, make a jump ! crossing of pennington's line on Water street, and connecting with the spur into our yard"
 "See here, my son." Buck said solemnly, lis this your first adventure in railroad buildingY Bryce nodded.
 T thought so; otherwise you wouldn't talk so confidently of run ming your line over city streets and making junp-crossings on your com | petitor's road. If your competitor re- | gards you as a menace to his pocket book, he can give you a nice little run for your money and delay you indefi- nitely."
 "I realize that, Buck. That's why Pm not appearing in this railroad deal at all. If Pennington suspected l was back of it, he'd fight me before the city council and move heaven and earth to keep me out of franchise to use the city streets and cross his line. Of course, since his n,ain line runs on city property under a fran chise granted by the city. the city has a perfect right to grant me the privi- lege of making jump-crossing of his line"
 twill they do it? That's the prob lem. If they win not. you're licked, my son, and Pm out of iob.'
 Bryce bung his head thoughtfully i've been too cocksure," he muttered chn1l1pst that twelve thousand for rights of way until I hatf settled the matter of the franchise"
 "Oh didn't buy any rights of way yet" Ogiivy hastened to assure him. "I've only signed the landowners up on an agreement to give or sell me a right of way at the stipulated figures any time within one year from date Will the city council grant you a franchise to enter the city and jump Penningt0n's tracksf"
 "I'm sure I don't know, Buck. You'll have to ask them-sound them out. The council meets Saturday morning.
 They'll meet this evening-in the private dining room of the Hotel Sequoia, if I can arrange it." Buck Ogilvy declared emphatically. "I'm going to have them all up for dinner and talk the matter over. I Oknow the breed from cover to cover. Fol lowing a preliminary conference, I'll let you know whether you're going to get that franchise without difficulty or whether somebody's itchy palm will have to be crossed with silver first By the way, what do you know about your blighted old city rouncil, any Way?'