The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1921-07-15

that four or Ave thousand railroad
men have gone on strike out OF sheer
sympathy for a few hundred @. >.
& w. employees, most Of whom are
merely common laborers? Can you
look me In the eye and tell me that
you haven't fomented this eruption on
the quiet to get the better Of the Red
Tower crowd 10 some wayT de-
handed the editor.
Il can, indeed" was the smiling an
swer.
Cantrell looked as II he didn't more
than half believe II.
'Being a newspaper man, Pm nat
urally suspicious" he put In. There
are big dolngs down underneath all
this that / can smell, but can't dig
up. Everything about this strike Ia too
blamed good-natured 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 II
II were the best joke that was ever
pulled Of"
Again Mr.. NOrcross smiled hand
somely. IF you push me to 1t, Cant
rell, may say that this is exactly
their attitude toward me I"
"Well," said the editor, getting up
to go; ITS doing one thing TO you,
good and proper Your railroad stock
Is tumbling downstairs so fast that 1t
can't keep up with itself"
81 hope 1t will tumble still more"
said the boss pleasantly, with another
sort of enigmatic smile; and with that
! Mr.. Cantrel 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.
F, Most of them were plaintive little yips
from a strike-stricken lot of pAople
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 T. S. l.. Why
no report from you of labor troubles
threatening? 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 Il 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
vestigatlon for criminal incompetency
Answer"
The third message had been sent
stin later.
"Your continued silence is inexcus-
able. If 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
ut once"
| thought things were beginning to
look pretty serious for us If 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. 1t
was from Mr.. Chadwick, and was good
naturally laconic.
''To G. Norcross, 6. NJ,
PORTAL City.
"Just returned from trip to Seattle
What's doing on the Short Line?
chadwick"
"a couple of kilograms, Jimmie" said
the chief, as he passed this last wire
over, and got my notebook ready.
''To b. Dunton, New York. Strike Is
sympathetic and not subject to COM
promise Mails moving regularly, but
/ all other traffic suspended indefinitely.
My office closes today, and my resig-
nation, effective at once, goes to you
on Fast Mail tonight"
| NOW one 10 MI. NHuUWICki anu you
may send 1t 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 l have given It, HIVE plan for
complete reorganization along lines
discussed In beginning, and need your
help. At market opening tomorrow
sell p. s. L. large blocks and repur-
chase in dr1blets as price goes down.
Repeat until tell you to stop. Wire
quick If you are with u.s."
Just as ! 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 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