The spectator., 1921-07-05
CHAPTER XVIII
The Murder M3dY1an

when We headed down 10 the railroad layout, the chief and I. leaving the food old major thoughtfully putting Us cigar in the club smoking room. With strike due to be pulled off in little more than three hours there were about million things that would have to be jerkcd around into shape and propped up so that they could stand by themselves while the Shore l. nc was taking vacation. And Here was only little handful of us in the headquarters to do the jerking ali propping.
 T. was precisely in crisis like this that the boss could shine. From the minute we hit the tremendous job he WIS all there, carrying the whole map of the Short Line in his head think ins straight from the shoulder, and never missing lick; and don't be- lieEe anybody would ever have sus- peeted that he was beaten man. pushed t0 the ropes in the final round with the grafterS. his reputation as a successful railroad manager as good as gone and his warm little love dream knocked sky-winding forever and day.
 Luckily. We found Fred May still at his desk. and he was promptly clamped to the telephone and told to get busy spreading the hurry call. In half an hour every relief operator we had in Portal City was in the wire-room, and he. hsa.. il. |. s,,f f prit, thousand miles of railroad for q sud den tie=up was in full swing. MT. Perkins. as division superintendent, was in touch with the local labor leaders perSHading and insisting by turns, Mir. NorcroSS fought out the necessary compromises with the unions. AT ordinary traffic would he suspended at midnight, but passenger train, en route were tu he run through ta eae connecting line terminals east ami west. liNe stock trains were to he laid ont only where there were feed- ins eetHls. and peri,hahle freight was to hs taken to itS destination Whey- ever tfut might he.
 The strikers agreed to allow the mail trsify to run without m'crrup- ton Wifh our promise that they would not carry passengers. lloSkinN and his committee hHcked little at this, but gut down when tley were shown that they could not afford to risk clash with tue Government This cN- eepfieu admitted. another followed. as matter of course. 1T the mail trains were te h. run. some of the telegraph operators would haNe to remain an duty. gt least tu the extent ot han ding train orders.
 With these eeneralltie> out of the way, We gnt down tn 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 were notified that, for sheer hnmanifx's sake. they would have to permit the handling of provision trains in eases where they were nb- solutely needed.
 By eleven o'clock the tangle was getting Itself pretty well strengthened out. some uf tho trains had already been abandoned. and the others were moving along tn The agreed-upon des- tinatiou> kirgan had taken hold in the Portal City yard. and by putting on extra crews was getting the needful shifting and ear sorting into shape. and the Portal City employees. acting upon their own initiative. were picket ing the yard and company buildings to project them from hooters ar tire-S terS Mr Van Britt's special. so the wires told uS. was at Iesterburg. and it was likely to stay there; and Mir. Nan Britt. himself couldn't hc reached.
 IT vas at half-pa~t eleven that We got the urst real yelp from somebody Wbe Wa~ setfiHs rHchel. It came in the shape of a wire from the Strufh- enua night operator \ party ut men mine assur~s' fhe operator called them had la~f brarl ol tbc impcu1. ing ulrol1 fIeup They bad bccu meaning ts eame n ou the regular nl4tt taLH.. hat thli hld been utau. aaHe1 Sa aoW tHrs were aGcf.ug HH A4ul> es meHey for >p,iul to bring nlen fa Portal Ct. lt was tept,eenss that there we're millions aJ stake. gau'Jn't We do .ometlfns1
 NIT Nararas, had kept iio,k,n, and iew ot the other locaI strike lead. CTS where he could get hold 1f them. and he put the request ug to them Hs matter thuf was now out of his hands Would they allow him Co rrn oue=ear special from tAc gold camp io Portal Ciiy after midni-ht7 lt was for them to say.
 Hoskius and hls accumpllces vent nft to talk it over with some of the other men When The hlg fr, -bl con- du,tor came hack he Nas alone and was grinning ssad uature'lly
 "Me aint aimln' to make the cum- pany lose any good money that comes a-rolllng down the hiii at it Mister NOrcrosS." he said "Cinch these here