Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-04-07
CHAPTER w
~heads of, cert,eme1,~


Gosh all Friday-ssy! but the, nexr
few days did see tear.up to beat the
band on the old Short Line! With
the printing of his appointment cfp4
cular, Mr.. NOrcross took the offices
In the headquarters building lately
vacated by 1Ir. Sheffer, and IT was
something awful to see the way the
heads went ii1so the basket: One by
one he called the Duntonites in; the
traffic manager; the general superin-
tendent, the r0admaster, the MASTER
mechanic-clear Oh down to the round.
house foreman and the division heads.
Some few of tfsem were allowed to
take the oath of allegiance ands stay.
bat the place-fillers and pay-rolls para
sizes. the cousins and the nepeiews
and the brotherssin-law, every last
man Of them had to walk under tic Ak.
Three days later, when the whole
town was talking about the new "1ack
the Ripper" as they called him. KirEan,
who had been our head machinery
man on the Midland constructors,
tulnbled In in answer to wire. Nr.
NorcrOss slammed him into place. ten
minutes after he Hit the town.
"Tour Office is across the tracks,
kirgan," he told him 1--WE begum the
house cleaning over there by firing
your predecessor and three or four Of
his pet foremen. Get in the holer and
dig to the bottona III give yo1 six
months in which to make good rs q
model superintendent of motive pexer.
Get busy
That's me-" saiaa Kirgan, who, Knew
the boss up one side and down the
ether. "You give me the engines, and
FN keep 'em out of the shop And
with that he went across the yard and
tsek hold, befoSs he had even, hunted
up place to sleep in.
MIR. Van Britt, our genenae super
htendent, was the next man to show
up. He was fines. a square built,
stOcky little gentleman who hooked as
If he'd always had the wac1d by the
ear and newer meant to Int 90.
swell, TIM here" he sai6, dropping
into a chair and sitting with his legs.
wide apart And then, ignoring me as
If I hadn't been there. Graham, what
the devil have you got against ma,
that you should drag nae out here on
the edge Of nowhere. and make me- 70,
to work for a livfpgf'
The boss just grtnned at him and
said: TITS for the good Of yous, soal.
Upten. You've tee much money!. YosR
Office is up at the end Of the eoFttaar
and your chair Is empty and waiting
for you. Yeaar appointments circular
has already been mailed Gu.
Mr.. HosAack was the hast Of the
new Office staff to fall h, though he
didn't hare nearly as tar to come as
some Of the others. He was red
headed and wore glasses. They used
to say Of him on the Overland Central
that he. could make business grow
where none ever grew before, and
that's what a traffic man lives for.
Naturally, the big turnover brought
all sorts Of disturbances at the send
of. Some of the relieved cousins and
nephewS stayed In town and Jumped
In to stir up trouble for the new man
agement. The Herald, which was the
other morning paper, took up for the
down-and-outs, and there wasn't any
thing too mean for 1t to say about
the boss and his new appointees. Then
the employees got busy and the griev-
ance committees began to pour In.
Mr.. Norcross never denied himself to
anybody. The ofice-door stood wide
open and the kickers were welcomed,
40 you might say, with open arms.
"You men are going to get the
squarest deal you have ever had, and
a still squarer one a little farther
along, If. You will only stay on the
job and keep your clothes on" was
the way the boss went at the train
mems committee. 1--WE are ont to
make the p. 9. L. the best line for
service, and the best company to work
for. this side Of the Missouri river.
I want your loyalty; the loyalty Of
every man In the. service. IN 50