The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-07-21

said, and | carried the word to Mr..
Perkins, directing him to have arrange
mentS made for the running OF a one
car special from Strthc0na for the
hurry folks.
Past that, things rocked along until
the hands of the BIZ S1andard-time
clock in the diSpatcher's room pointed
to midnight. Norris, who was hold
inc down the commercial wire, came
over to the counter railing just then
with New York message. | saw the
boss eyes flash and the little hunchy
muscle-SWeIlinsS Of anger come and
20 on the edge Of his jaw as he read
it. and then lie handed it to me.
"You may indorse that no Answer
and file it when you 90 back to the
Office he said shortly, and then he
went on talking to Donohuc, telling
him how to handle the trains which
were still out and moving to their tie
up destinations.
OF course, I read the message; |
knew there was nothing private about
it so far as | was concerned, since
it had been given me to put away in
the files. This is what | read:
ITO G.. NOrcross, G. NJ,
"Portal City.
"Your administration has been a
conspicuous failure from the begin
ming. Compromise with employees on
any terms offered and prevent strike
at all costs. That done, you are here
by directed to wire your resignation
to take effect one week from today.
"B. Dunton, President"
It had hit us at last; not a decent
request, mind you, but a blunt, brutal
demand The boss was fired. No
word had come from Mr.. Chadwick,
and there could be but one reason for
his silence. In some way, perhaps
through the late boosting of the stock,
the New Workers had squeezed him
out. We were shot dead In the trenches
| didn't understand how the chief
could take it so quietly, unless it was
because he had been hammered SO
long and SO hard that nothing mat
tered any more. Anyhow, he was just
standing there, talking soberly to Don
Ohue, when once more the Strathcona
branch sounder began to click furl-
0usly, shipping out the headquarters
call.
D0nohue cut in and we all heard
the Strathc0na mans new bleat. The
way he told it, 1t seemed that one
member of the party that had char
tered the special to come to Portal
City had got left, and this man WAS
now In the Strathcona wire office, bid
ding high for an engine to chase the
train and put him aboard.
At first the boss said, NO." short
off, just like that; adding that 1t
wouldn't be keeping faith with the
strike committee. But at that moment
Hoskins blew in again, and when he
was told what was on the cards, he
took a little responsibility Of his own.
"Go to it, Mister Norcross, If there's
any more money in it f'r the railroad"
he told the boss. "Tll stand f'r 1t with
the boys" And then to Donohue
"Who'll be runnin' this chaser en-
gine?"
It'll be John Hogan and the Four
Sixteen" said Donohue. There's no
body else at that end of the branch"
The arrangement, such as 1t was
was fixed up quickly. The man who
was putting up the money seemed to
have plenty Of it. He was offering five
hundred dollars for the engine, and a
thousand if it should overtake the spe-
cial that side of Bauxite Junction.
guess the bleat unraveled itself
pretty clearly for all of us; or at
least, it seemed plain enough. A min
Ing deal of some kind was on, and this
man who was left behind was going
to be left in another sense of the
word if he couldn't butt in soon
enough to break whatever combination
the others were stacking up against
him.
In Just few minutes we got the
word from the StrathcOna operator
that the money was paid and the
chaser engine was out and gone. Kir'
gan had come in to say that our good
natured strikers had thrown guard
into the shops and were patroling the
yard, when Fred May showed up, max
ing signals to me. heard him when
he edged up, to the boss and said;
There's a lady in the office, wanting
to see you. Mr.. Norcross."
"Holy Smoke" said l to myself
I knew It couldn't be anybody but Mrs
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