Cavalier County farmers press. (Langdon, N.D.) 1920-1921, 1921-08-04

rers-whicn were as dsaI and uuiasss W.
ID graveyard--a little before MI. Rip
ley and Billoughby got down. But
Mr.. Editor Cantren was there, waiting
to shoot an anxious question at the
boss.
well. Norcross, are you ready to-
talk now?'
"Not just vet; tomorrow, maybe"
was the good-natured rejoinder.
"AIl right then perhaps you will
tell me this: Do you, yourself, believe
that four or five thousand railroad
men have gone on strike out Of sheer
sympathy for a few hundred g. s.
s w. employees, most Of whom are
merely common laborers? Can you
look me in the eye and tell me that
you haven't fomented this eruption on
the quiet to get the better Of the Red
Tower crowd in some way?' de-
manded the editor.
81 can, indeed" was the smiling n
swer.
Cantrell looked as if he didn't mere
than half believe it.
Being a newspaper man, I'm nat
urally suspicious, he put in. .'There
are big doings down underneath all
this that / can smell, but can't dig
up. Everything about this strike is too
blamed ~good-natured. I've talked with,
half a dozen of the leaders, and with
any number of the rank and file. They
all grin and give me the wink, as if
1t were the best joke that was ever
pulled off,"
Again Mr.. Norcross smiled hand
somely. IF you push me to 1t, Can't
rel, I may say that this is exactly
their attitude toward mel"
"Well," said the editor, getting up
to go; ITS doing one thing to you,
good and proper. Your railroad stock
is tumbling downstairs so fast that it
can't keep up with itself"
Il hope it will tumble still more"
said the boss, pleasantly, with another
sort of enigmatic smile; and with that
Mr.. Cantrell had to be content.
As the editor went out, Fred May
brought in the bunch of forenoon tele-
grams and laid them on the desk. They
were quickly glanced at and tossed
over to me as fast rs they were read.
Most-of them were plaintiye little yips
from a strike-stricken lot Of people
along the Short Line who seemed to
think that the world had come ito an
end, but there were three bearing the
New York date line and signed Dun
tom The earliest had been sent short
" after the opening of the Stock ex-
change, and 1t ran thus:
Morning papers announce strike
and complete tie-up on P. s. L. Why
no report from you Of labor troubles
threatening? Compromise at any cost
and wire emphatic denial Of strike.
Answer quick"
The second Of the series had been
filed for Transmission an hour later
and It was still more saw-toothed.
Later reports, confirm newspaper
story. Your failure to compromise in.
stnntly with employees will break
stock market and subject you t. In
vestigation for criminal incompetency.
Answer"
The third message had been sent
still later.
Your continued silence Is inexcus.
able. lie no favorable report from you
by six o'clock you may consider your
self discharged from the company's
service and criminal proceedings on
charge of conspiracy will be Instituted
at once"
thought things we're beginning tic
look pretty serious for us if Mr.. Dun.
ton was going to try to drag us into
the courts. but Mr.. Norcross was still
smiling when he handed me the lasl
and latest telegram in the bunch. I,
was from Mr.. Chadwick, and was good
MISUNDERSTANDING.
.'To Ct. Norcross. q. NJ.
Portal City.
"Just returned from trip to Seattle
What's doing on the Short Line?
"Chadwiek.'
"a couple of kilograms, Jimmie, : sale
the chief, as he passed this last wire
over, and I got my notebook ready.
ITO B. Dunton, New York. Strike ii
sympathetic and not subject to com
promise. Mails moving regularly. bul
all other traffic suspended indefinitely
MY Office closes today, and my resig
nation, effective at once. goes to yoI
on Fast Mail tonight.