New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-06-03
CHAPTER HI-Continued.

3
Mr.. NGrcroSs held up a finger for
me, and when | jumped up he gave
me n sheet of paper a Pioneer short
Line presidents letter-hca with a
few lines written on It with a pen and
a sort of crazy-lOoking signature under
them.
Take that 10 the Mnuntaineer job
office and have five hundred Of them
printed" was the boss order. Then
make "a copy ana take il To Mr. Can't
rell, the editor, and ask him to run II
in tomorrow'S paper as an item of
news. if he feels like il. When You
are through, come down to Mr.. Chad
wick'S car"
Since the thing was going to be
published, and ! was going to make
a copy of il, | didn't scruple to read
ii rs | hurried ont to begin n hunt for
the Mountalnrcr office. 1t was the
printers copy for an official circular,
dated nj Portal city and addressed TO
NIL officers and employees of the
Pioneer Short Line. II read:
EFFECTIVE AZ once. Mr.. Graham Nor
cross is appointed general manager of
the Pioneer Short Line system, with
headquarters ut Portal City, and his
orders will be respected accordingly,
breckenridge DuntOn,
"prcsident."
We had got our jolt, all right; ANA
leaving the ladder and the Friday start
u of the question. | g%rinned and old
myself that the one other thing that
counted for most was the fact that
Mrs. Shella Macrae was "A widow.
chased like the dickens on the
printing job, because. apart from
wanting to absorb all the dope | could
ms | went along on the new Job, |
knew | would be needed every minute
right nt Mr.. Norcross' elbow, now that
the actual work was beginning.
Luncheon was served In the AleXa.
aud they kept the business talk go
ing like a house aiire while they were
eating, the hurry being that Mr.. Chad
wick wanted to start back for Chi
cago the minute he could find out If
our connecting line east would run
him special.
"Now for a few unofficial things,
Graham, and we'll call il "A CO." he
said. "You are to have an absolutely
free hand In the management and the
operating. What you say goes as II
lies. and Dunton has promised me that
there shall be no appeal, not even TO
him"
II imagine he didn't say that Will
ingly," the boss put in, which was the
first intimntlon | had had that he
wasn't present nj the directors meet
ing In the hotel.
mo. indeed nothing was done Will
ingly. | had to swing the big stick
and swing IL hard. But ] had them
where they couldn't wiggle. You are
20 set your w pace, and you are TO
have some money for betterments.
I offered to float a new loan on short
time notes with the Chicago banks,
and the board authorized H."
The boss pushed that part of II
aside abruptly, as he always does
when he has got hold of the gist of n
thing.
Nov. about my staff" he said. ITS
open gossip all over the West that the
+. =. l.. is Oficered by "A lot of dunn
mics aud place-hunters and relatives.
I'll have 10 clean house"
eco TO IL; that Is n part Of your
free hand Have you the material
% draw from"
81 know a few good men. If | can
yet them" said The boss thOughtfully.
"Ihe one man ! cant place at sight Is
q good corporation counsel. I'm OBJ
ligcd 10 have n good lawyer, Uncle
John"
Il have the man for you. IL yOu1l
take him on my say So; a young fell
low named Ripley who has lone some
corking good work for me IN Chicago.
IN wire him. If you like. Now n word
or two about this local graft we
Touched upOn last night. I don't know
the ins and outs of IL. but people here
will tell you that a sort Of holding
Corporation, called Red Tower Con
sOlidated. has a strange grip on his
entire region. Its subsidiary com
pnhifN f'lilibl iHt -ihlu fleN dlbTS. the
fruit packcrics. the coal mines and
distributing yards. the timber supply
md the lumber yards. and even have
q finger on the so-called independent
sInelterS."
The boss nodded. i've heard of
Red Tower. Also. ! have heard that
the railroad stands In with II to pinch
the producers and consumers"
A road engine was hacking down
he spur 10 take the Alexa in tow for
the eastward run. and what was said
.sd to he said in a hurry.
-Dig it out. barked the wheat king.
eff you find that we are in on II. it's
your privilege 10 cut loose. The two
men who Will give you the most trou- /
bile are right here In Portal City:
Hatch. the president of Red Tower,
sBd Henckel. its vice-president. They
say either If them would commit muir
der for a ten-dollar bill. and they stand
in with Pete Clanahan. the city boss.
md his gang Of political thugs. That's
I'll. Graham: all but one thing. Write
ne after you've climbed into the sad
Te and have found out just what
yeu're in for. If you say you can
make il 90. III back you. If II takes
,sff Of next years wheat crop"
When the special had become a black
pmgdge Of cOsl smoke In the distance,