Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-07-01


look pretty serious for us If Mr.. Dun.
ton was going to try to drag us into
the courts, but Mr.. Norcross was still
smiling when he handed me the last
and latest telegram I'm the bunch. II
was from Mr.. Chadwick, and was good
naturedly laconic.
"To G. Norcross, G. NJ,
portal City.
"Just returned from trip to Seattle.
What's doing on the Short Line?
Chadwick"
"a couple of kilograms, Jimmie" said
the chief, as he passed this last wire
over, and l got my notebook ready.
ITO b. Dunton. New York. Strike is
sympathetic and not subject to COM
promise. Mails moving regularly, but
all other traffic suspended indefinitely.
My Office closes today, and my resig-
nation, effective at once. goes to you
on Fast Mail tonight"
snow one to Mr.. Chadwick, and you
may send 1t in CODE" he directed
crisply. Then he dictated:
"See newspapers for account strike.
Hatch and eight Of his associates were
killed last night in railroad wreck.
i DuntOn has demanded my resignation
and 1 have given it. Have plan for
! complete reorganization along lines
discussed In beginning, and need your
help. At market opening tomorrow
sell p. s. l.. large blocks and repur-
chase in driblets as price goes down.
Repeat until tell you to stop. Wire
quick If you are with u.s."
Just as l was taking the last SEN
tence, Mr.. Ripley and Billoughby came
in, and Mr.. Norcross took them both
into the third room of the suite and
shut the door. An hour later when
the door opened and they came out
the boss was summing up the new or
ders to Billoughby: "There's lot to
do, and you have my authority to hire
all the help you need. See the bank
erS yourself, personally, and get them
to interest other local buyers along the
line, the more of them, and the smaller
they are, the better. I'll take care. of
Portal City. myself. I've had Van
Britt on the wire and he is taking care
of the employees-yes that goes as it
lies, and is part of the original plan;
every man who works for P. S. L. is
going TO own bit of stock, If we have
to carry him for it and let him pay q
dollar week. More than that, they
shall have representation on the board
if they wa< it, And while you're
knocking about, take time to show
these G. s. & W. folks how they can
climb back into the saddle. Red Tower
is down and out, now, and they can
keep it out if they want to-"
/ suppose l might rattle this old
type-machine of mine indefinitely and
tell the story of the financial fight that
filed the next few days; of how the
boss and Mr.. Ripley and BiIloughby
got the bankers and practically every
body together all along the Short Line
and sprung the big plan upon them,
which was nothing less than the snap
ping up, on tumbling stock market,
Of the opportunity now presented to
them of owning-actually owning in
fee simple-their own railroad the
buying to be done quietly through Mr..
Chadwick's brokers in Chicago and
New York.
There was some opposition and
jangling and see-sawing back and
forth, of course, but the newspapers,
led by the Mountaineer, took hold, and
then, pretty soon, everybody took
hold after which the only trouble was
to keep people-our own rank and file
among them-from buying =. S. L.
Common so fast that the New York
ers would catch on and run the price
up.
They didn't catch on-not until after
1t was too late; and the minute Mr..
Chadwick wired us from Chicago that
we were safe, the strike went off, as
you might say, between two minutes,
and Mr.. NOrcross called a meeting Of
stockholders. the same to be held
bless your heart lin Portal City, the
thriving metropolis of the region in
which, counting Mr. Chadwick in as
one of us, good solid voting major
ity Of the stock was now held. The
Mountaineer printed the call, and 1t
spoke of the railroad as sour railroad
company"i
The meeting was held in due time,
and Mr. Chadwick was there to pre-
side. He made cracking good chair
man. and the way he dilated on the
fact that now the country-and the
employees-had a railroad of their
own, and that the whole nation would
be looking to see how we would de-
monstrate the problem we had taken
over, actually brought cheers-think
of IL; cheers in q railroad stockhold-
ers' meeting!
Following Mr.. Chadwick's talk there
was the usual routine business; re-
ports were read and It was shown that
the Short Line, notwithstanding all the
stealings and ANNOUNCEMENTS, was
still good going proposition at the
price at which 1t had faen bought in.
A new board of directors was chosen,
and as soon as the new board got to-