Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-06-24

trains en- route were to be run through
TO our connecting line terminals east
and west. live stock trains were to be
laid out only where there were feed
ing corrals, and perishable freight was
to be taken to its destination wher-
ever that might he.
The strikers agreed to allow the
NAL trains 70 run without Interrupt
ZION. with our promise that they would
not carry passengers. Hoskins and
his committee bucked little at this.
hut got down when they were shown
that they could not afford to risk
clash with the Government. This ex-
a matter of course. If the mail trains
were to be run. some of the telegraph
operators would have to remain on
duty, ut least TO the extent of ham
ding train orders.
With these generalities out of the
way, we got down to details. Fire
alarm" wires were sent to the various
cities and towns on the lines asking
for immediate information regarding
food and fuel supplies. and the strike
leaders we're notified that. for sheer
humanity's sake, they would have to
permit the handling Of provision
trains In cases where they were alb
s0lutely needed.
BY eleven o'clock the tangle was
getting itself pretty we'll Strengthened
out. Some Of the trains had already
been abandoned. and the others were
moving along to the agreed-upon des-
tinations. Kirgan had taken hold in
the Portal City yard, and by putting
on extra crews was getting the needful
shifting and car sorting into shape,
and the Portal City employees. acting
upon their own initiative. were picket
ing the yard and company buildings to
protect them from hooters OF i1re-set.
tiers. Mr.. Van BIRTHS special. so the
wires told US, was at Lesterburg. and
It was likely to stay there; and Mr..
Van Britt, himself. couldn't be reached.
It was at half.past eleven that we
got the first real yelp from somebody
who was getting pinched. 1t came In
the shape Of wire from the Strath.
or course, T read the message; I
knew there was nothing private about
It so far as was cpncerned, since
It had been given me to put away IN
the files. This Is what read:
ITO G. Norcross. g. NJ,
"Portal City.
"Your administration has been q
conspicuous failure from the begin
ming. Compromise with employees on
any terms offered and prevent strike
at all costs. That done, you are here
by directed to wire your resignation
to take effect one week from today.
"B. Dunton, President"
It had hit us at last; not decent
request, mind you. but a blunt, brutal
demand. The boss was fred. No
word had come from Mr.. Chadwick.
and there could be but one reason for
his silence. In some way. perhaps
through the late boosting Of the stock,
the New Workers had squeezed him
out. We were shot dead in the trenches.
I didn't understand how the chief
could take 1t SO quietly, unless 1t was
because he had been hammered SO
long and 40 hard that nothing mat
tered any more. Anyhow, he was just
standing there, talking soberly to Dom
ohue, when once more the Strathcona
branch sounder began to click furi-
ously, shipping out the headquarters
call.
Donohue cut In and we all heard
the Strathcona mans new bleat. The
way he told 1t, It seemed that one
member Of the party thatQhad char
tered the special to come to Portal
City had got left. and this man was
now In the Strathcona wire office, bid
ding high for an engine to chase the
train and put him aboard.
AT first the boss said "NO" short