The Dolores star., 1921-10-07
CHAPTER llI-continued.

Mr.. Norcross held up a finger for
me. and when l jumped up he gave
me a sheet of paper; Pioneer Short
Line presidents letter-head with
Few lines written on 1t with a pen and
q sort Of crazy-looking signature under
them
Take that to the Mouutaineer job
office and have Eve hundred of them
printed" was the boss order 'Then
make a copy and take 1t to Mr. Can't
Yell. the editor. and ask him to run II
in tomorrow's paper as an item of
news, II he feels like it. When you
are through. come down to Mr.. Chad
wick's car"
Since the thing was going to be
published. and l was going to make
q copy of it, I didn't scrupIe TO read
It as hurried out to begin hunt for
the Mountaineer office. 1t was the
printers copy for an official circular,
dated at Portal City and addressed to
all officers and employees of the
Pioneer Short Line. 1t read:
Effective at once, Mr.. Grlham Nor
cross is appointed general manager of
the Pioneer Short Line system, with
headquarters at Portal City, and his
orders will be respected accordingly.
Breckenridge Dunton.
president"
We mad GOT our jolt, all right; and
leaving the ladder and the Friday start
out of the question, grinned and told
myself that the one other thing that
united for most was the fact that
rs. Sheila Macrae was widow.
[ chased like the dickens on the
rinting job. because, apart from
wanting to absorb all the dope could
as ] went along on the new Job, l
knew 1 would be needed every minute
right at Mr.. Norcross' elbow, now that
the actual work was beginning
Luncheon was served in the Alexa,
and they kept the business talk go
ing like house af1re while they were
eating, the hurry being :slat Mr.. Chad
wick wanted to s.art back for Chi
cago the minute he could find out If
our connecting line east would run
him specisi.
"Now for few unofficial things,
Graham, and we'll call it 60" he
said. ''You are to have an absolutely
free hand in the management and the
operating. What you say goes as it
lies. and Dunton has promised me that
there shalt be no appeal, not even to
him."
.'I imagine he didn't say that will
iDgly." the boss put in, which was the
first intimation l had had that he
wasn't present at the directors meet
ing In the hotel. .
"No, indeed; nothing was done will
ingly. ! had to swing the big stick
and swing 1t hard. But 1 had them
where they couldn't wiggle. You are
to set your own pace and you are to
have some money for betterments.
offered to float a new loan on short
time notes with the Chicago banks,
and the board authorized it."
The boss pushed that part of II
aside abruptly, as he always does
when he has got hold of the gist of
thing.
"Now. about my staff" he said. "It's
open gossip all over the West that the
p. 8. L. is differed by lot of dunn
mics and place-hunters and relatives
I'll have to clean house"
Go to it; that is a part of your
free hand Have you the material
TO draw from?"
Il know a few good men, If / can
get them" said the boss thoughtfully.
THE one man can't place at sight is
. good corporation counsel. I'm OBJ
ltged to have good lawyer, Uncle
John"
Il have the man for you. II you'll
take him on my say SO; young fel-
low named Ripley who has done some
corking good work for me in Chicago.
I'll wire him. If you like. Now word
Or two about this local graft we
touched upon last night. I don't know
the ins and outs Of 1t, but people here
will tell you that q sort of holding
corporation, called Red Tower Con-
solidated, has a strangle grip on this
sntire region. Its subsidiary COM
panies control the grain elevators, the
fruit packeries. the coal mines and
distributing yards. the timber supply
and the lumber yards. and even have
. finger on the so-called Independent
ameifers"
The boss nodded. I've heard of |
Red Tower. Also, I have heard that |
he rafirosd stands In with 1t to pinch |
The producers and consumers"
A road engine was backing down
AAe spur to take the Arexa In tow for |
tie eastward run. and what was said
hAd to be said In a hurry.
"Dfg It out" barked the wheat king.
~ you nnd that we are In on II. It's
Sour privilege to est loose. The TIVE
~ W. WI gtvs vsa the most tros,