The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-07-14
The
Wreckers
By
FRANCIS
LYNDE
Copyright by Chas. seribncrs sons
CHAPTER xvlI-contlnued.

something. How far do you want YOU
train TO runi'
"Oh, don't know; anywhere tho
notion prods me-say to the west END
and back, with as many stops MS
see 1T TO make, and perhaps a run
over the branches"
saw the boss make a few figures
on pad under his hand.
at would cost anybody else, rough
~, something like five hundred dol
lars. On account of your little Joke
It's going TO cost you cold thou
sand"
Mr.. Van Britt took out his check
book anG n fountain pen and solemn
ly made out the check.
"Here you are" he said, Tipping the
check over TO the boss desk. "Now
shell out that receipt, so that I'll have
II TO show II anybody wants to know
how much you've gouged me. Since
you're making the accommodation cost
me dollar n minute. how long have
got to waltz
Mr.. Norcross said something that
ornndum of the thousand-dollar pay
ment on sheet of the scratch-pad
and handed IL over, saying: "The or
der for the car includes my cook and
porter. and something TO eat Wen
throw these In with the transporta-
ton. and II the car Is dltched and
you sue for damages, wen file cross
T. 10 a.,
20 away and work Off your little at
tack OF lunacy. I'm busy"
The G. s. & w. strike-as our wires
told us-went into effect promptly on
the stroke OF noon, and n train from
the west, arriving late In the after
noon, brought Ripley.
"The conditions all along the line
are almost revolutionary" was Rip
ley's summing.up of the situation.
Generally speaking, the public is not
holding MS responsible as yet, though
of course there are croakers who are
saying that II is entirely railroad
move, and predicting that we won't
do anything to interfere with the new
graft"
"Cantrell snys the public sentiment
is altogether on the side OF the c. S.
4 w. strikers" the boss put in.
"It Is; angrlly so. There Is hot
talk Of n boycott TO be extended to
everything sold or handled by the
Hatch syndicate. hope there won't
be any effort made to Introduce strike
breakers. In the present state of nf-
fairs that would mean arson and riot
ing and bloody murder"
al wired you because I wanted TO
consult you once more about those
ground leases, Ripley. DO you still
think you can made them hold"
III Hatch breaks the conditions,
Wen give him the fight of his life"
was the confident rejoinder.
"But that will mean long contest
in the courts. The Supreme court is a
full year behind Its docket, and the
delay will inevitably multiply your
few 'croakers' by many thousands.
But that isn't the worst of II. Hatch
has n better hold on us than the laws
delay" And to this third member of
his staff Mr.. Norcross told the story
OF the political trap into which Col
lingwood and the New York stock
Jobbers had betrayed the railroad man.
agement.
Ripley comment was n little like
Hornacks; less profane, perhaps. but
also less hopeful.
"Good Lord" he calculated. $50
that is what Hatch has had up his
sleeve? / don't know how you feel
about II, but l should say that II Is
all over but the shouting. II the Dun
ton crowd had been deliberately try
ing TO wreck the property, they couldn't
have gone about II In any surer way"
"That is the way II looked to me,
Ripley. at first; but I've had a chance
10 sleep on it-as you haven't. The
gun that can't be spiked In some way
has never yet been built. / have the
names OF the eleven men who were
bribed. Hatch was daring enough TO
give them TO me. Holding the afii-
dayits which they were foolish enough
10 give him, Hatch can make them
swear to anything he pleases. But II
j could get those afiidavits I'd go 10
these men separately and make each
one tell me how much he had been
paid by Bullock for his vote"
"Well, what thenT
''Then should make every mothers
son OF them come across with the full
amount OF the bribe, on pain OF an
exposure which the sdirtiest politician
in this state couldn't afford to face.
That would settle Il. Hatch couldn't
work the same game a second time"
We were closing our desks to 20 TO
dinner when Fred May came in 10 say
that a delegation OF The payroll men
was outside and wanting 10 have a
word with the big Boss Mr.. Nor
cross stopped with his desk curtain
half drawn down.
what is il, Fred?" die asked.
~ don't know" said the Pitts
burgher 81 should call II a grievance
committee II IL WaSnt so big And