The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1921-06-03

he had gone back 10 fortal Sity v"
The regular train. But at the station
I saw the pilot engine just ahead OF
rs again. and though l couldn't De
quite sure, / thought / caught glimpse
of orr athletic little general superin-
tendent ON the iireman's box.
The boss was pretty quiet all tle
way on the run down the mountain
10 BauXite, and, for a wonder, ne
didn't pitch into the work at the desk
could tell pretty we'll what he was
thinking about. For six months he
had been working like horse to pun
the short Line out Of the mndhole OF
contempt and hostility into which
more or less justly aroused public
enmity had dumped II; and now, JUST
no he was beginning 10 get 1t UP over
the edge, he had beeh plainly notiheu
that he was going 10 be killed II ne
Didn't let 90.
Just as the way seemed to be open
Ing out 10 better things for the snort
/ inc. a mis-set switch or bullet III
the dark would knock the entire hard
built reform experiment into cooked
hat.
There was every reason, now, 10
here that the experiment was going
TO be a success, at least, at our END
Of II. II it could go on just a little
farther. Slowly but surely the new
policy was winning its way with the
public. Traffic was booming, and al
most from the first the Interstate COM
merce inspectors had let us alone, just
as the police will let a man alone
where there is reason to believe that
he has taken a brace and is trying
his best to walk straight.
Also, for the drastic intrastate reg
ulaiions-the laws about headlights
and safety devices, and grade cross
incs, and full crews, and the making
Of reports to this, that, and the other
state official: laws which, if enforced
to the letter would have left the rail-
road management with little to do but
to pay the bills; for these something
better was to be substituted. We had
| GOvernor-elect Burrelrs assurance FOR
this, He had met the boss in the lobby
OF the Billiard the day. after the cleo
ton. and | had heard him say:
"You have kept your promise, Nor
cross. For the first time in its his
tory, your railroad has let state
campaign take it's course without bully
ing, bribery, or underhanded corrup-
| ton. You'll get your reward. We
are going to have new laws, and a
| Railroad Commission with authority
to act both ways-for the people when
It's needed, and for the carriers when
they need it, If you can show that
/ the present laws are unjust to your
earning powers, you'll get relief and
the people of this commonwealth will
cheerfully pay the bills"
Past all this, though, and even past
/ the murderous Vaccinations Of the
disappointed grafters, there was the
old sore the original barrier that nc
amount of internal reform could break
down. There could be no permanent
prosperity for the Short Line while Its
majority stock was controlled by men
who cared absolutely nothing for the
/ property as working factor in the
life and activities of the region II
| served.
that was the way Mrs. Sheila had
put it to the boss, one evening along
in the summer when they were sit
ting out on the Hendricks porch, and
| lad butted in, as usual, with bunch
B Of kilograms that didn't matter. She
had said that the experiment couldn't
! be a success unless the conditions
could be changed in some way; that
| so dong as the railroads were owned
| or controlled by men of the Mr.. Dun
ton sort and used as counters In the
money making game, there would never
lie any real peace between the com
| panies and the people at large.
It was at Bauxite Junction that We
picked up Mr.. Hornack. l was GLAD
| when saw him come in. l had JUS
| been thinking that it. wasn't healthy
4 for the boss to be grilling there al
\ the window so long alone, and / knew
| Mr.. Hornack would keep him talking
about something or other all the res
of the way in.
For a little while they talked bust
ness. BY and by the business tall
wound itself up and heard Mr.. Hor
mack say: 81 saw Ripley going IN Oh