The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-01-10
CHAPTER Nv.
I1,N Machine

resigned and LEFT the country,
guess there were all kinds OF
nlne-mlnutes' wonder In Portal City,
and all along the short Lane. when
word went out that Mr.. Norcross
was back on the job and running Il
pretty much the same as II nothing
had happened
We Of the general offices didn't
hear much Of the comment naiu'
rally. because we were all too busy
to sit in on the gossip game. but
no doubt there was plenty OF ~
the more since the boas--a bit grim
mer than usuai-hadnt much TO
say about his drop-out. little even
to the members of his staff. and
nothing at all for publication
sippos. he broke over 90 the ma
jor. to Cantren. and. Of course. 10
Mrs. shelia. but these were all In
the family, too. as you might cay.
After supper. on the nigh, OF his
return from the hide-out. he had
sent a long code message TO Mr.
Chadwick. and a short one 20 Preri'
dent Dunton. and tho I didn't see
the reply to either. guess Mr.
Chadwick's answer. Mt least. was
the right kind. because our track
renewing campaign went into com.
mission again with n slam. and all
tho reform policies TOOK . SURF
enough fresh start and began to
hump themselves. with Junenan
working the newspapers 90 finish
We heard nothing further from
Mr.. Dismuka. the portiy gentleman
In the tan spats. tho he s;iii stayed
on at the Buiiard We saw him
occasionally At meal times. and
twice he was eating ut the same
table with Hatch and HenekeL That
placed him all right for us tho
guess he didn't need much placing,
In kind of wished he'd TO away.
Ills staying on made II look as II
there might be more TO follow.
wondered = little at first thai
Mr.. Norcross didn't take the clue
that Brandcrby. The Mountalneer re-
porter. had given us and tear loose
on the gang that had trapped him
He didn't or didn't seem to. From
the frs, hour Of the first day he
was up to his neck pushing things
for the new company formed for
the purpose of putting Red Tower
out of business, apd he wouldn't
Take a minutes time for anything
else
OF course. n says Itself that Hatch
never made any more proposals.
about selling tn. Red Tower plants
Ito the Citixrns' Storage a Ware
house people after the boss got
back. That move went into the dis
card In n hurry. and the conso!ida-
ton outfit was busy getting into
lts fighting clothes. and trying 10
chock the wheels of the c. $. A w.
with all sorts Of legal obstacles
Franchise contracts with the ran
road were flashed up, and injurc.
tons were prayed for. Ripley wadcd
I'm, and what little sleep he got for
= week or two was In Pullman cars.
snatched while he was rushing
around and trying TO keep his new
clients. the G. q. a w. folks, out
Of JAN for contempt Of court He
did IL. Little and quiet and smooth
spoken, he could put the legal
leather into the biggest bullles the
other side could hire. Luckily. we
were an interstate corporation. and
when the local courts proved crook
ed. Ripley would find some way "a
Jerk the case out OF them and put
IL up TO some federal judge.
Around home In Portal City
things we're Just sinrnerinE. Be
tween two days, as you might say,
land right soon after Mr.. Norcross
got back, we acquired n new chum
on the headquarters force. He was
la young fellow named Tarbeil. who
looked and talked and acted like n
COW punch Just In from riding line.
He was carried on Mr.. Van Britt's
payroll as an extra" or relief"
telegraph operator. tho we never
heard Of HIS being sent out 70 re
Iieve anybody.
| / sized this new young man up,
hight away. for a special" OF some
sort, and the proof that was right
came one afternoon when Ripley
dropped In and fell into chair TO
fan himself with his straw hat like
a man who had just put down a
load that he had been carrying
about a mile and half farther than
he had bargained TO.
| ~Thank the Lord, The last Of
those injunction suits s off the
docket" he said. drawing a long
L "A
| head at the boss I'm say one
thing for the Hatch people. Nor
| cross; they're stubborn fighters. II
| makes me sweat when | remember
that an this II only the preliminary.
that the real fight will come when
| Citizens Storage & Warehouse en-
ters the field as a business compeu-
tor of the Consolidated. That is
when the fur will NY"
wen beat 'em," predicted tho
boss. They've got 20 let go. How
about our c. 8. & w. friends7 Are
they still gamer"
"Ffnew asserted the lawyer. THAT
man Bigelow, at Lesterburg. In a
host In himself After he had pulled
his own local into shape. he went
out and helped the others organize.
The stock is over-subscribed every
where, now. and G. s. e. w. Ia a
going concern. The building boom
is on. venture to say there are
over two thousand mechanics at
work at the different centers, rush.
ing up the buildings for the new
plants. at this moment. You ought
TO have a monument. Norcross. It's
the ruasl original acheme for hrcak