Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-07-08

and sprung the big plan upon them,
which was nothing less than the snap
ping up, on a tumhling stock market,
/ Of the opportunity now presented to
| tu"m of wning-actually owning In
! fee simpe--their own railroad the
buying to De done quietly through Mr.
| fhHiWick's brokers in Chicago and
| New York.
/ There was some opposition and
! iangling and see-Sawing back and
! forth OF course. but the newspapers.
! led hy the 'fnuntaineer. took hold. and
| then, pretty soon. everybody took
J hold after which the only trouble was
| 10 keep people---our own rank and file
! among them-froIn buying +. s. L..
| Common so fast that the New York
ers would catch on and run the price
up.
They didn't catch on--nOt until after
| 1t was too late: ana the minute Mr..
| Chadwick wired Us from Chicago that
we were safe, the strike went off, as
you might say, between two minutes,
uIll MI. iNtItIbSS N3tl1tu d IutttliiE vi
stockholders, the same to be held
bless your heart in Portal City, the
thriving metropolis OF the region in
which. counting Mr.. Chadwick in as
one Of us. good. solid voting major
ity Of the stock was now held. The
spoke Of the railroad as "our railroad
company!
The meeting was held In due time,
and Mr.. Chadwick was there to pre-
side. He made cracking good chair
man, and the way he dilated on the
fact that now the country-and the
employees-had railroad Of their
own, and that the whole nation would
be looking to see how we would de-
monstrate the problem we had taken
over, actually brought cheers-think
Of It; cheers in a railroad stockhold-
ers' meeting!
Following Mr.. Chadwick's talk there
was the usual routine business; re-
ports were read and 1t was shown that
the Short Line, notwithstanding all the
stealirgs and mismanagements. was
still good going proposition at the
price at which It had been bought in.
A new board Of directors was chosen,
and as soon as the new board got to-
gether. Mr.. Norcross went back to his
Office In the headquarters, not as gen.
eral manager. this ume-not on your
life!-but as the newly elected presi-
dent Of Pioneer Short Line. And by
the same token, the first oflcial cirs
cular that came out-a copy Of which
I sent. tied up With a blue ribbon, to
Maisie Ann-read like this:
ITO all Employees:
Effective this day, Mr.. James r.
Dodds II appointed assistant to the
president with headquarters In Portal
City. .
g. Norcross. President"
That's all; all but q little talk be-
tween the boss and Mr.. Upton Van
Britt that took place In our once ON
the day after Mr.. Van Britt. still kick
ing about the hard work that the boss
was always piling upon him. had been
appointed general manager.
"You've made the rifle. Graham
Just a. I said you would" said our
own and only millionaire, after he had
got through abusing the fates that
wouldn't let him 90 back east and play
with his coupon shears and his yachts
and polo ponies. you're going to
be the biggest man this side Of the
mountains. some day; and the day isn't
% very fur on. either"
It was inst here that the boss got
cut Of his chair and walked to the
other end Of the room. When no came
back It was to ny:
you think have won out, Up
ton. and 90 does everybody elses. I
suppose Il looks that way to the man
In the street. But haven't. you know.
I have lost the one thing for which
I would gladly give all the business
success have ever made or hope to
make"
Mr.. Van Britt's smile was more than
half a grin.
ut isn't lost, Graham: its only gone
before. Can't you wait q decent lit.
tie whilel"
III l should wait all my life II
wouldn't be long enough. Upton" was
the reply. "What you said to me-
that time when we FIRST spoke Of Col
nngwood-was true. You said she
loved the other man-And 20 site did"
This time Mr.. Van Britts smile was
q whole grin.
II said 1t. and I'll say It again. She
didn't realize 1t or admit II, even to
herself. you know she's too good and
clean.hearted for anything like that.
But could see It plainly enough, and
30 could everybody else except the
two people most nearly concerned. I
didn't mean HOWE Collingwood: You
were the other man. Graham"
At this the boss whirled short
around and tramped to the other end
of the room again, standing for quite
little while with one foot on the
low window-sill and making out like
he was looking down at the trafiic