The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1921-03-09

nice. Who is SheY
"She's Moira McTavish, and you're
not to make love to her. Understand?
can't have you shopping around this
office after to-day"
Mr.. Ogilvy's eyes popped with interest,
"Oh," he breathed "You have an eye
to the main chance youself, have your
Have you proposed to the lady as
YETI"
''No, you idiot"
"Then I'll match you for her-or
rather for the chance to propose first.
Nothing doing, Buck. Spare your
self these agonizing suspicious. The
fact of the matter is that you give me
a wonderful inspiration. I've always
been afraid MORA would fall In love
with some ordinary fellow around
Sequoia-propinquity. you know
"You bet. Propinquity's the stuff.
I'll stick around"
a fine man to marry her off to. She's
too wonderful for you. Buck, but in
time you might learn to live up to
her."
"Duckl I'm liable to kiss you"
Don't be too precipitate. Her father
used to be our woOds-boss. fired
him for boozing."
81 wouldn't care two boots II her
dad was old Nick himself. I'm going
to marry her-if she'll have me. All,
the glorious creature" He waved his
long arms despairingly. 20 Lord. send
me a cure for freckles. Bryce, you'll
speak kind word for me, won't you
sort Of boom my stock, eh7 Be a
good fellow"
Certainly. Now come down to earth
and render report on your steward
ship"
"Tll try. To begin, I've secured
rights of way, at total cost of twelve
thousand, one hundred and three dol
lars and nine cents, from the city
limits of Sequoia to the southern boun-
dairy of your timber In Township nine.
I've got my line surveyed, and so far
as the building of the road is concern
ed. know exactly what I'm going to
do, and how and when I'm going to
do 1t, once / get my material on the
ground.
81 have an option of rafting good
secondhand locomotive down at the
Santa Fe shops, and the Hawkins &
Barnes Construction company has offer
ed me a steam shovel, half a dozen
f1at-cars, and lot of fresnos and
scrapers at ruinous prices. We can
buy or rent teams from local citizens
and get half of our labor locally. And
as soon as you tell me how I'm to get
my material ashore and out on the Job.
I'll order 1t and get busy"
"That's exactly where the shoe be-
gins to pinch. PennIngton's mainline
tracks enter the city along Water
street, with one spur into his Iog-dump
and another out on his mIll-dock.
From the mainline tracks we also
have built spur through our drying
yard out to our log-dump and a
switch-line out to our mill-dock. We
can unload our locomotive, steam
shovel, and fiat-cars on our own
wharf. but unless Pennington gives
us permission to use his mainline
tracks out to point beyond the city
limits-where a Y will letd of to
where the point of construction be
gins-we're up stump"
Suppose he refuses, Bryce. What
them"
"Why, we'll simply have to enter
the city down Front street, paralleling
Pennington's tracks on Water street.
turning down B street, make jump
crossing of pennington's line on Water
street, and connecting with the spur
into our yard"
>"See here, my son." Buck said
solemnly, sis this your first adventure
in railroad building?"
Bryce nodded.
Il thought 50; otherwise you
wouldn't talk so confidently of run
ming your line over city streets and
making jump-crossings on your COM
petitor's road. If your competitor re-
CARDS you as menace to his pocket
book, he can give you nice little run
for your money and delay you indef-
nitely."
ST realize that, Buck. That's why
I'm not appearing in this railroad deal
at all. If Pennington suspected l was
back Of it, he'd fight me before the
city council and move heaven and
earth to keep me out Of a franchise
to use the city streets and cross his
line. OF course, since his main line
runs on city property, under fran
chise granted by the city. the city has
a perfect right to grant me the priv
lege of making jump-crossing of his
line"
"Will they do it? That's the prob
lem. If they will not, you're licked
my son, and I'm out of job"
Bryce hung his head thoughtfully
"Tve been too cocksure," he mutteret
presently. 81 shouldn't have spen
that twelve thousand for rights Of wa!
until had settled the matter of thu
franchise"
"Oh, didn't buy any rights of way
yet" 0gilvy FASTENED to assure him
I've only signed the landowners VI
| on an agreement to give or sell me