Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-09-16
CHAPTER xvH


|
| may have wanted to avoid publicity
regarding the change of ownerehiP
and policies in the Storage & Ware
house reorganization, the prompt an
nouncement Of general strike of tho
employees was enough to make every
newspaper in the state sit up and take
notice.
We had the Mountaineer at the
breakfast-table in the club grill-room
on the morning OF the day when the
strike was advertised to go into effect.
There was a news story, with big
headlines in red ink, and also an
editorial. Cantrell didn't say anything
against the railroad company His
comments were those of an observer
who wished to be straightforward and
fair to all concerned. but his edi-
torial did not spare the silly local
stockholders whose swapping and SELL
ing had made the coup possible.
Cantrell, himself mild-eyed and look
ing as if he'd got out of bed about
three hours too early, drifted into the
| grill-room and took seat at our table
! before we were through.
II wanted to be decent about 1t.
/ Ncrcross," he said, forestalling any
thing that the boss might be going to
/ say about the editorial In the Noun
! taineer SIN trying to believe that
the men higher up in your railroad
councils haven't fathered this Hatch
scheme of onsolidation-which is
| mo- fho Of ho
pushers will do for you, I'm afraid.
! Thanks to your publicity measures.
everybody believes that you still hold
the whip-hand over the combination
with your ground leases. Pm not ask
ing what you propose to do; l am
merely taking 1t for granted that you
are going to stick to your policy, and
hoping that you will come and tell me
| about it when you are ready to talk"
II shall do just that" the boss prom
| ised and / guess he would have been
glad to let the matter drop at this.
only Cantrell wouldn't.
81 lost three good hours sleep this
morning on the chance of catching you
here at table," the editor went on.
/
wires last night, or, rather early this
morning that set me to thinking. You
haven't been having any trouble with
| your own employees lately, have you,
! Norcross?"
"Not a bit In the world. Whyw
There is some little excitement,
with the public taking hand in it.
| There were Indignation meetings held
] last night in a number of the towns
I along your lines, and resolutions were
| passed protesting against the. action
/ of the new combination In cutting
wages, and asserting that public senti-
ment would be with the G. s. & w.
employees if they are forced to carry
| out their threat of striking mt noon
today. The whisper that spoke OF
intimated that the protest might ex-
tend to the railroad employees"
There's nothing in It," said the boss
| decisively. II suppose you mean In
the way Of sympathetic strike, and
that Is entirely improbable. / imagine
| very few of the G. S. & w. employees
belong to any of the labor unions"
"A strike on the railroad would hit
you pretty hard just now, wouldn't
/ it?'' Cantrell asked.
Mr. Norcross lodged the question.
"We're not going to have a strike"
he averred; and since we had finished
our breakfast, he made business ex-
| cuse and we slid out.
| When we reached the office we found
Dyiff ho inO h0
| morning paper.
"You don't get around as early as
you might" was the little millionaire's
comment when the boss walked in and
opened up his desk. 1--WE been wait
ing nearly half-hour for you to show
up. Seen the papersT
The boss nodded
II don't mean the strike business;
mean the market quotations."
No; / didn't look at them"
"They are interesting. p. s. L.
Common went up another three points
yesterday. 1t closed at 38 and frac-
ton. You know what that means,
Graham. 1t means that Uncle Brock
enridge and his crowd are already
JVyluhy uiSNOuhIihS JOuI COBiHS IColB-
nation. Somebody has given them a
wire tip that you are as good as down
and out. and unless a miracle of some
sort can be pulled off, I guess the tip
is straight one. Strong as he ia
Chadwick can't carry you alone"
Drop it." snapped the boss irritably.
And then: "Have you come to tell
me that you have reconsldered that
fool letter you wrote me last night?'
"Not in a million years." returned the
escaped captive airily. II am here
this morning as paying patron OF
the Pioneer Short Line. I want to
hire a special train to go--well, any
where please on your jerkwater rail-
road. The Eight-Fifteen will do, with
Buck Chandler to run IT,"
"Pshaw take your own car and any
crew you please. We are not selling
transportation to you"
'Yes. you are; I'm going to pay FOR
that train. and what's more. want