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

with the public taking hand i'm II.
There were Indignation meetings held
last night I'm number of the towns
along your lines, and resolutions were
passed protesting against the action
of the new combination I'm cutting
wages. and asserting that public senti-
ment would be with the c. S. & w.
employees If they are forced to carry
out their threat of striking at noon
today. The whisper that / spoke Of
intimated that the protest might eX-
tend to the railroad employees"
There's nothing i'm It," said the boss
decisively. 81 suppose you mean In
the way of sympathetic strike, and
that is entirely improbable. imagine
very few of the G. s. & w. employees
belong to any of the labor unions"
"A strike on the railroad would hit
you pretty hard just now, wouldn't
it?" Cantrell asked.
Mr.. Norcross lodged the question.
"We're not going to have strike"
he averred and since we had finished
our breakfast, he made business ex-
cuse and we slid out.
When we reached the Office we found
Mr.. Van Britt on hand, reading the
morning paper
you don't get around as early as
you might" was the little millionaire's
comment when the boss walked in and
opened up his desk. "Ive been walt
ing nearly a half-hour for you to show
up. Seen the papers"
The boss nodded.
81 don't mean the strike business;
1 mean the market quotations"
"NO; / didn't look at them"
"They are interesting. p. S. L.
Common went up another three points
yesterday. 1t closed at 80 and frac-
ton. You know what that means,
Graham. 1t means that Uncle Brock
enridge and his crowd are already
joyfully discounting your coming resig-
nation. Somebody has given them a
wire tip that you are as good as down
and out, and unless miracle Of some
sort can be pulled off, l guess the tip
is a straight one. Strong as he is,
Chadwick can't carry you alone"
drop it " snapped the boss irritably.
And then: "Have you come to tell
me that you have reconsidered that
fool letter you wrote me last night"
mot i'm million years." returned the
escaped captive airily. 81 am here
this morning as paying patron Of
the Pioneer Short Line. / want to
hire special train to go--well, any,
where l please on your jerkwater rail-
road. The Eight-Fifteen will do, with
Buck Chandler to run it,"
"Pshaw! take your own car and any
crew you please. We are not selling
transportation to you"
"Yes, you are; I'm going to pay for
that train, and what's more, l want
your written receipt for the money.
need 1t in my business. Then, il
Chandler should happen to get gay and
dump me into the ditch somewhere,
l can sue you for damages"
"All right; if you will persist in
joking with me it's going to cost you
something. How far do you want your
train to rum"
"Oh, / don't know; anywhere the
notion prods me-say to the west end
and back, with as many stops rs
see fit to make, and perhaps run
over the branches"
saw the boss make a few figures
on pad under his hand.
ut would cost anybody else, rough
ly, something like five hundred dol
lars. On account Of your little joke
it's going to cost you cold thou
sand"
Mr.. Van Britt took out his check
book and a fountain pen and solemn
ly made out the check.
"Here you are" he said, Tipping the
check over to the boss desk. "Now
shell out that receipt, so that I'll have
1t to show If anybody wants to know
how much you've gouged me. Since
you're making the accommodation cost
me dollar a minute, how long have
/ got to waltz"
Mr.. Norcross said something that
sounded like d." scrubbed q men,
Orandum of the thousand-dollar pay
ment on a sheet of the scratch-pad
and handed 1t over, saying: 1.-THE or
der for the car includes my cook and
porter, and something to eat; We'll
throw these in with the transporta-
ton, and If the car is ditched and
you sue for damages, we'll file cross
bill for hotel accommodations. Now
go away and work off your little at
tack Of lunacy. I'm busy"
The G. s. & w. strike-as our wires
told us-went into effect promptly on
the stroke of noon, and train from
the west, arriving late In the after
noon brought Ripley.
1.-THE conditions all along the line
are almost revolutionary" was Rip
ley's summing-up of the situation.
Generally speaking, the public is not
holding us responsible as yet, though
of course there are croakers who are
saying that il Is entirely q railroad
move, and predicting that we won't
do anything to interfere with the new
| graft"
"ContralI saws the nuhlic sentiment