Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-06-17

clash with the Government. This ex-
ception admitted. another followed, as
a matter of course. II the mail trains
were to be run, some of the telegraph
operators would have to remain on
duty, at least to the extent of ham
ding train orders.
With these generalities out of the
way, we got down to details. Sire
alarm" wires were sent to the various
cities and towns on the lines asking
for immediate information regarding
food and fuel supplies, and the strike
leaders were notified that, for sheer
humanity's sake, they would have to
permit the handling of provision
trains In cases where they were alb
solutely needed.
BY eleven o'clock the tangle was
getting itself pretty well Strengthened
out. Some of the trains had already
been abandoned, and the others were
moving along to the agreed-upon des-
tinations. Kirgan had taken hold In
the Portal City yard, and by putting
on extra crews was getting the needful
shifting and car sorting into shape,
and the Portal City employees, acting
upon their own initiative, were picket
Ing the yard and company buildings to
protect them from lOoters or fire-set-
ters. Mr.. Van BIRTHS special, so the
wires told us, was at Lesterburg, and
II was likely to stay there; and Mr..
Van Britt, himself, couldn't be reached.
1t was at half-past eleven that we
got the first real yelp from somebody
who was getting pinched. 1t came In
the shape of wire from the Strath-
coma night operator. A party Of men
mine owners" the operator called
them-had just heard Of the impend-
ing railroad tie-up. They had been
meaning to come In on the regular
night train, but that had been aban-
dOned. SO now they were offering
all kinds of money for a special to
bring them to Portal City. 1t was
represented that there were millions
at stake Couldn't we do something?
Mr.. Norcross had kept Hoskins and
a few of the other local strike lead
ers where he could get hold Of them,
and he put the request up to them as
a matter that was now out Of his
hands. Would they allow him to run
one-car special from the gold camp
to Portal City after midnight? 1t was
for them to say.
HOskins and his accompllces went
off to talk 1t over with some Of the
other men. When the big freight con-
ductor came back he was alone and
was grinning good-naturedly.
ave amt amin to make the COM
pany lose any good money that comes
a-rolling down the hill at 1t, Mister
NOrcross," he said. "Cinch these here
StrathcOna hurry-boys f'r all you can
get out O. them, and If you'll lend us
the loan of the wires, We'll pass the
word to let the special come on
through"
1t was sure the funniest strike I
ever saw or heard Of, and guess the
boss thought so, too-with all this
good-natured bargaining back and
forth; but there was nothing more
said, and l carried the word to Mr..
Perkins, directing him to have arrange
ments made for the running of a one
car special from Strathcona for the
hurry folks.
Past that, things rocked along until
the hands of the big standard-time
clock in the dispatcher's room pointed
to midnight. Norris, who was hold
ing down the commercial wire, came
over to the counter railing just then
with New York message. saw the
boss eyes flash and the little bunchy
muscle-swellings of anger come and
go on the edge of his jaw as he read
1t, and then he handed 1t to me.
"You may indorse that No Answer
and file 1t when you go back to the
Office" he said shortly, and then he
went on talking to Donohue, telling
him how to handle the trains which
were still out and moving to their tie
w. destinations.
(TO BE CONTINUED)