Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-07-08
The WreckerS
Blu FRANCIS LYNDE
Copyright by Charles ScribnerS Sons.

Etau half believe Il.
Being newspaper man. I'm nat
ura,ly suspicious, he put in. "There
IRE big dOipg> down underneath all
this thar l can smell, but can't dig
/ Ip. Everything about this strike is TOO
| blamed .oCd>naturrd I've talked with
! half dozen of the leaders, and with
any number of the RANK and file. They
all grin and give me the wink. as If
! it wera the best Joke that WAS ever
pulled off,
Again NJ. Norcross smiled hand
sotnely. IF you push me to 1t, Cant
rell. l may say that this is exactly
their attitude toward me"
| "Well," said the editor, getting up
to go; its doing one thing to you,
| good and proper. Your railroad stock
Is tuinbling downstairs SO cast that 1t
can't keep up with itself"
~ hope 1t will tumble still more"
said the boss, pleasantly, with another
sort Of enigmatic smile; and with that
Mr.. Caatrell had to be content.
AS the editor went out, Fred May
brought In the bunch of forenoon tele-
| grams and laid them on the desk. They
were quickly glanced at and tossed
over to me as fast as they were read.
Most Of them were plaintive little yips
from a strike-stricken lot Of people
along the Short Line who seemed to
| think that the world had come to an
end. but there were three bearing the
New York date line and signed "Dun-
ton" The earliest had been sent short
ly after the opening of the Stock ex-
change, and 1t ran thus:
Morning papers announce strike
and complete tie-up on p. s. L. Why
no report from you Of labor troubles
threatening7 Compromise at any cost
and wire emphatic denial Of strike.
Answer quick"
The second of the series had been
filed for Transmission an hour later
and 1t was still more saw-toothed.
later reports confirm newspaper
story. Your failure to compromise in
stantly with employees will break
stock market and subject you to in
vestigation for criminal incompetency.
| Answer"
The third message had been sent
still later.
"Y0ur continued silence IL inexcus-
able. II no favorable report from you
BY six O'Clock you may consider your
self discharged from the company's
service and criminal proceedings on
charge Of conspiracy will be instituted
ct once"
thought things were beginning to
look pretty serious for ~ II Mr.. Dun
ton was going to try to drag us into
the courts. but Mr.. Norcross was still
smiling when he handed me the last
and latest telegram in the bunch. Il
was from Mr.. Chadwick, and was good.
naturedly laconic.
ITO g. Norcross, q. NJ,
"Portal City.
~Just returned from trip to Seattle.
What's doing on the Short Linef
| Chadwick"
"A couple Of kilograms, Jimmie, !" said
the chief. 40 he passed this last wire
over. ana got my notebook ready.
| 10 B. Dunton. New York. Strike ID
sympathetic and not 'subject to COM
promise. Malls moving regularly. but
| al other traflc suspended Indefinitely.
Ny ONCE closes today. and my resig-
nation. effective at once, goes to you
on Fast Mall tonight"
.Now one to Mr.. Chadwick, and you
may send It In CODE" he directed
crisply. Then he dictated:
"See Newspapers for account strike.
Hatch and eight Of his associates were
killed last night In railroad wreck.
Dunton has demanded my resignation
and / have given 1t. Have plan for
complete reorganization along lines
discussed In beginning, and need your
help. At market opening tomorrow
sell P. 8. L. large blocks and repur-
chase In driblets as price goes down.
Repeat until tell you to stop. Wire
quick II you are with u.s."
Just as l was taking the last sen.
tence, Mr.. Ripley and Billoughby came
In, and Mr.. Norcross took them both
into the third room of the suite and
shut the door. An hour later when
the door opened and they came out,
the boss was summing up the new or
ders to Billoughby: There's a lot to
do, and you have my authority to hire
all the help you need. See the bank
ers yourself. personally, and get them
to interest other local buyers along the
line, the more of them, and the smaller
they are. the better. I'll take care of
Portal City. myself. I've had Van
Britt on the wire and he Is taking care
Of the employees-yes. that goes as It
lies, and is part Of the original plan ;
every man who works for P. s. L. is
going to own bit of stock, IL we have
to carry him for 1t and let him pay q
dollar q week. More than that, they
shall have representation on the board
II they want it. And while you're
knocking about, take time to show
these G. s. & w. folks how they can
climb back into the saddle. Red Tower
Is down and out, now, and they can
keep 1t out If they want to-"