The Ordway new era., 1921-05-27
CHAPTER UI-continued.

mt anu NhtiA -AlAAE'NA
me a sheet of paper; PioceS- Sa''rc
Line presidents IetIey-hssi uca q
few lines written or i VITA a rsa AMI
sort OF crazy-lookinS stS-a-'z-s -1,Lsr
them
'-'raSe that 70 ths N7znt4inser- foh
office and have ivs hundred u them
printed was the boss order "'rbee
make q copy snf take it O. Mr.. Cant
reIl The editor, aud ask hiru TO run IL
in tomorrow'S paper as an ITEM oe
news II he feels like IT, When you
are through. come down . Mr. Chad-
wick's car"
Since the thing was going 10 be
published. and l was going TO make
copy of ii, didn't scrupie to read
it as hurried out to begin a hunt for
the Mountaineer office. 1t was the
printers copy for an official circular.
dated at Portal City and addressed to
all officers and employees of the
Pioneer Shoct Line. 1t read:
effective at once. Mr.. Graham Nor
cross is appointed general manager of
the Pioneer Short Line system. with
headquarters at Portal City. and his
orders will be respected accordingly.
Breckenridge Dunton,
president"
We had got our jolt. all right and
leaving the ladder and the Friday start
out of the question, grinned and told
myself that the one other thing that
counted for most was the fact that
Mrs. Sheila Macrae was widow.
l chased like the dickens on the
printing job, because. apart from
wanting to absorb all the dope could
as l went along on the new job,
knew I would be needed every minute
right at Mr.. Norcross' elbow. now that
the actual work was beginning.
Luncheon was served in the Alexa,
and they kept the business talk 60
ing like house afire while they were
eating, the hurry being s4lat Mr. Chad
wick wanted to s.art back for Chi
cagO the minute he could find out if
our connecting line east would run
him specis,.
Now for a few unofficial things.
Graham. and We'll call it CO." he
said. You are to have an absolutely
free hand in the management and the
operating. What you say goes as it
lies. and Dunton has promised me that
there shall he no appeal, not even to
him."
II imagine he didn't say thar will
ingiy," the boss put in. which was the
first intimation l had had that he
wasn't present at the directors meet
ing in the hotel.
mo. indeed, nothing was done will
ingly. had to swing the big stick
and swing it hard. But l had them
where they couldn't wiggle. You are
to set your own pace, and you are TO
have some money for betterments.
l offered to float new loan on short
time notes with the Chicago banks,
and the board authorized it,"
The boss pushed that part of /.
aside abruptly, as he always does
when he has got hold of the yist of n
thing
Now. about my staff" he said. ITS
open gossip all over the West that the
+. S. L. is officered by lot of dunn
mics and place-hunters and relatives.
III have to clean house"
Go to it; that is part of your
free hand Have you the material
to draw from?"
u know few good men, if can
get them" said the boss thoughtfully.
The one man l can't place at sight is
good corporation counsel I'm OBJ
hged to have good lawyer Uncle
John
have the man for you, If you'll
tnke him on my say so; young fell
low named Ripley who has done some
corking good work for me IN Chicago.
III wire him. If you like Now word
or two about this local graft we
touched upon last night. don't know
the ins and outs of it, but people here
will tell you that a sort of holding
corporation, called Red Tower Con-
sOlidated. has a strangle grip on this
entire region. Its subsidiary com
panies control the grain elevators, the
fruit packeries: the coal mines and
distributing yards. the timber supply
and the lumber yards, and even have
finger on the sb-called independent
sfnelttrx.'
The boss nodded. ave heard Of
Red Tower. Also, have heard that
.the railroad stands in with 1t to pinch
the produceEe and consumers"
A rosd engine was hacking down
ne spur to take the AIexa In tow for
tlse eastward run. and what was said
had 10 ~ said In = hurry.
s. ~DtG 4 out.v farkei the wheat king.
~ - ndd ~ 80 m ~ On II, III
~ 1siylIs 4. q g: ss 3 y! !eSss. 2 4 The re