The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1921-06-11


ton by the insertion of one Of the
fish-plates between the rail-webs. If
we had hit the trap. going at even or
dinary mountain-climbing speed, there
would have been nothing left to tell
the tale but a heap Of scrap at the
bottom of the thousand-foot dump.
Under Mr.. Van Britt's directions the
engineer and fireman Of the pilot en-
gine brought tools and the break was
repaired.
While they were doing it the boss
stood aside with Mr.. Van Britt, and
l heard what was said. Mr.. Van Britt
began it by saying, 1--WE don't need
any detectives this time. You are on
your way to Strathcona to put a crimp
in the smelter squeeZe-the last OF
the Red Tower monopolies-so Dawes
told me. He was probably foolish
enough to tell others, and the word
was passed to scrag you before you
could get to It, This trap was set to
catch your special"
evidently" barked the boss; and
then: How did you happen to be
here on that engine, Upton?"
1--WE been ahead Of you all the way
up from Portal City," was the calm
reply II thought it might be safer
If you had a pilot to show you the
way 1 guess l must have had a
hunch."
The boss turned on him like flash.
"You had something more than a
hunch what was it-a wire!'
Mr.. Van Britt gritted his teeth
little, but he told the truth.
"Yes; friend of ours tipped me
| off-not about the broken track, OF
course, but lust in general way
The break was repaired and the
men were taking the tools back te
| the engine. AS we turned to follow
them, Mr.. Norcross said: Just one
more question, Upton. Did your wire
come from the capital?"
| But at this Mr.. Van Britt seemed
to forget that he was talking to his
general manager,
"It's none of your id bushes:
where 1t came FROM" he snapped back
and that ended it.
Notwithstanding the slow run ant
the near-disaster on Slide mountain
we had our meeting with the Strath
coma mine owners the following morn
/ ing: and that much of the special trail
trip served it's purpose, anyway. Th
boss met the miners a good bit NOR
than halfway, and gave them thei
relief-and the Hatch owned smelte
its knock -out-by promising that ou
traffic department would make an or
tariff to the Independent smelter OF
the other side of the range low enougl
to protect the producers.
If was nearly three o'clock in th
afternoon before we got away for tn
return to Portal City.
We had seen nothing of Mr.. Val
Britt during the day. and until WI
came to start out | thought maybe
he had gone back to Portal City OF
l the regular train. But at the station
/ saw the pilot engine just ahead o.
US again, and though | couldn't bt
quite sure, I thought caught glimpse
of our athletic little general superln
tendent on the fireman's box.
The boss was prettyqauiet all the
way on the run down the mountain
to Bauxite, and, for wonder, he
didn't pitch into the work at the desk
I could tell pretty well what he was
thinking about. For six months ne
! had been working like horse to pull
the Short Line out of the mudhole OF
contempt and hostility into which
more or less justly aroused pubic
enmity had dumped it; and now, jus,
as he was beginning to get it up over
| the edge, he had been plainly notified
that he was going 10 be killed If he
didn't let go.
| lust as the way seemed to be open
ing out to better things for the Short
| Line. a mis-set switch or bullet in
tbe dark would knock the entire hard
built reform experiment into cooked
| hat.
There was every reason, now, to
hope that the experiment was going
| TO he a success, at least, at our end
| of it. if it could go on just little
| farther. Slowly but surely the new
policy was winning IT'S way with the
public. Traffic was booming, and al
most from the first the Interstate Com
merce inspectors had let us alone, just
as the police will let man alone
where there is reason to believe that
he has taken brace and is trying
his best to walk straight
Also, for the drastic intrastate reg
ulations-the laws about headlights,
and safety devices. and grade cross
incs. and full crews, and the making
of reports to this, that, and the other
state official; laws which, If enforced
to the letter would have left the rail-
road management with little to do but
70 nav the bills; for these something
better was to be substituted. We had
Goyernor-elect Burrell's assurance for
this. He had met the boss in the lobby
of the Bullard the day after the cleo
tion. and ! had heard him say:
"You have kept your promise, Nor
cross. For the first time in its his
tory. your railroad has let state
campaign take its course without bully
ing bribery. or undetermined corrup-
tion. You'll get your reward. We
are going to have new laws, and
Railroad Commission with authority
TO act both ways-for the people when
,4,c ,,aodad and FOR thp carriers when