Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1921-10-20

car special. The ~nsh-plates had beef
removed from 3 POINT tn the teft=hand
rail- and the end OF the down-hill ran
had been spfHHg@aout to make a de-
railing switch, which was held in posi-
ton by the insertion OF one Of the
hsh-plates between the raii-webs II
we had hit the trap, going at even or
binary mountain-cIimbIng speed. there
would haze been nothing left 10 tell
the tale but a heap. Of scrap at the
bottom Of the thousand-foot dump.
Under Mr.. Van BIRTHS directions the
engineer and fireman OF the pilot en-
CINE brought tools and the break was
repaired.
While they were doing 1t the boss
stood aside with Mr. Van Britt, and
/ heard what WIS said. Mr.. Van Britt
began II by saying, I'VE don't need
any detectives this time. You are on
your Why Il SVrErncUnH TO pur Crlrnp
In the smelter squeeze-the last OF
the Red Tower monopolies-so Dawes
told me. He was probably foolish
enough 10 tell others. and the word
vas passed TO scrag you before you
could get 10 It. This trap was set to
catch your special"
Evidently" barked the boss; and
then: "How did you happen to be
here on that engine. Upton7"
1--WE been ahead Of you all the way
up from Portal City," was the calm
reply. II thought It might be safer
II you had a pilot TO show you the
way. ! guess / must have had a
hunch."
The boss turned OF him like a flash.
You had something more than a
bunch what was tia wireY"
Mr.. Van Britt gritted his teeth a
little. but he told the truth.
YES; a friend OF ours tipped me
on-not about the broken track. of
course. but just In a general way"
The break was repaired and the
men were taking the tools back TO
the engine. AS W. turned TO follow
them, Mr.. Norcross said: Just one
more question. Upton. Did your wire
come from the capitalTr
But at this AIr. Van Britt seemed
to forget that he was talking to his
general manager.
ITS none of your id business
where II came FROM" he snapped back;
and that ended IL.
Notwithstanding the slow run and
the near-dIsaster on Slide mountain,
we had our meeting with the Strath-
coma mine owners the following morn
ing and that much OF the special train
trip served It's purpose, anyway. The
boss met the miners a good bit more
than halfway. and gave them their
relief-and the Hatch-owned smelter
its knock-out-by promising that our
traffic department would make an ore
tariff to the independent smelter on
the other side Of the range low enough
TO protect the producers.
II was nearly three o'clock in the
afternoon before we got away for the
return to Portal CITY.
We had seen nothing OF Mr.. Van
Britt during the day. and until we
came TO start out I thought maybe
had gone back TO Portal City on
the regular train. But at the station
saw the pilot engine just ahead of
again. and though / couldn't be
quite sure. l thought | caught a. glimpse
Of our athletic little general superin-
on the 1reman's box.
The boss was pretty quiet all the
way on the run down the mountain
to Bauxite. and, for a wonder, he
didn't pitch Into the work at the desk.
| could tell pretty we'll what he was
thinking about. For six months he
had been working like a horse to pull
The Short Line out OF the mudhoie of
contempt and hostility into which a
more or less Justly aroused public
had dumped IT; and now, just
rs he was beginning to get II up over
he edge. he had been plainly notified
hat he was going &c be killed II he
iIdn't let go.
Just as the way seemed TO be open
out TO better things for the Short
line, q mis-set switch or a bullet In
he dark would knock the entire hard
,uIlt reform experiment into a cooked
lat.
There was every reason, now. TO
lope that the experiment was going
o be-a success. at least. at U end
L II, If IT could 90 on just little
Slowly but surely the new
was winning its way with the
IublIc. Traffic was booming. and al
nost from the first the Interstate Com
1erce inspectors had let us alone, just
s the police Will let a mar alone
there there is reason 10 believe that
@ has taken n brace and Is trying
is best to wink straight.
Also, for the drastic intrastate reg !.
lafions-the laws about headlights.
nd safety devices. and grade cross
lgs. and full crews. and the making T,
Z reports to this. that, and the other T,
tate official; laws which, II enforced
, the letter would have left the rail-
pad management with little to do but :
, pay the bills for these something !
etter was to be substituted. We had ;
oyernor=eleet Burreil,s assurance for ?
Ifs. He had met the boss In the lobby :
, 49, n~Fn~A fha Aov after 4ho aiar- a