The Dolores star., 1921-02-04
Bv PETER B. KYNE


speak n kind word for me, won't YOU
sort OF boom my stock, ehi Bc q
good fellow"
Certainly. Now come down TO earth
and render n report on your steward
ship
"Ill try. To begin. I've secured
rights of way, at total cost Of twelve
thousand. one hundred and three doll
lars and nine cents. from the city
limits Of Sequola to the southern boun-
Diary OF your timber In Township nine.
I've got my line surveyed. md so fRr
as the building OF the road is concern
ed, I 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
~ have an option of rattllng good
secondhand locomotive down at the
Santa Fe shops. and the Hawkins +
Barnes Construction company has offer
ed me a steam shovel. half dozen
flat-cars, and lot of fresnos and
scrapers at ruinous prices. We can
buy or rent teams from local citizens
| uhu 6Cl idil VI Jul nhe
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 log-dump
and another out on his mlll-dock.
From the mainline trncks we also
have built a spur through CAR drying
yard out to our log-dump and a
switch-line out to our mill-dock. We
can unload our locomotive, steam
shovel, and flat-cars on our own
wharf. but unless Pennington gives
us permission to use his mainline
tracks out to point beyond the city
limits-where 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 rennlngton's line on Water
street, and connecting with the spur
into our yard"
"See here, my son." Buck said
solemnly. "is this your first adventure
In railroad bulldIng?"
Bryce nodded.
Il thought so; otherwise you
wouldn't talk so confidently OF rum
| ming your line over city streets and
making jump-crosslngs on your com
petitor's road. II your competitor re-
| CARDS you as a menace to his pocket
book. he can give you nice little run
for your money and delay you indeii-
| nitely."
II realize that, Buck. That's why
I'm not appearing In this railroad deal
at all. If Pennington suspected was
back of 1t. he'd fight me before the
city council and move heaven and
earth to keep me out of 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
| perfect right to grant me the privi-
| lege of making a jump-crossing of his
| line"
"Will they do it? That's the prob.
lem. II they will not, you're licked.
my son, and Pm out Of lob"
Bryce hung his head thoughtfully.
i've been too cocksure," he muttered
presently. II shouldn't have spent
that twelve thousand for rights of way
until I had settled the matter of the
franchise"
"Oh, l didn't buy any rights of way
yet" Ogilvy hastened to assure him.
| I've only signed the landowners up
on an agreement to give or sell me n
| right or way at the stipulated figures
any time within one year from date.
| VIII the city council grant you a
franchise to enter the city and jump
Pennington's tracks?"
"Pm sure don't know, Buck You'll
have to ask them-sound them out.
The council meets Saturday morning.
They'll meet this evening-in the
private dining room of the Hotel
Sequoia. If I can arrange it." Buck
| ogiivy declared emphatically. "Tm
going to have them all up for dinner
and talk the matter over. know
the breed from cover to cover. Fol-
lowing preliminary conference, I'll
let you know whether you're going to
get that franchise without difficulty or
whether somebody's itchy palm will
nave to be crossed with silver first. by
| the way. what do you know about
your blighted old city council any
wayr
ITO pE C0Nrrry,-D>