Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1921-05-06
CHAPTER IIl--contlnusd.

me, and when / jumped up he gave
me q sheet Of paper; Pioneer Short
Line presidents letter-head with a
few lines written on 1t with pen and
a sort Of crazy-looking signature under
them.
"Take that to the Mountalneer Job
Office and have FIVE hundred Of them
printed" was the boss order. "Then
make copy and take it to Mr.. Can't
rel, the editor, and ask him to run 1t
In tomorrow,s paper as an item of
news, II he feels like 1t. When you
are through, come down to Mr.. Chad
wicks car"
Since the thing was going to be
published, and was going to make
a copy of it, didn't scruple to read
at as hurried out TO begin hunt for
the Mountaineer Office. 1t was the
printers copy for an official circular,
dated at Portal City and addressed to
all officers and employees of the
Pioneer Short Line. 1t read:
"Effective at once Mr.. Graham Nor
cross is appointed general manager Of
the Pioneer Short Line system, with
headquarters at Portal City, and his
orders will be respected accordingly.
Breckenridge DuntOn,
president"
We had got our jolt, all right; and
leaving the ladder and the Friday start
out of the question, grlnned and told
myself that the one other thing that
counted for most was the fact that
Mrs. Sheila Macrae was a widow.
l chased like the dickens on the
printing job, because, apart from
wanting to absorb all the dope I could
as / went along on the new job,
knew / would be needed every minute
right at Mr.. Norcross' elbow, now that
the actual work was beginning.
Luncheon was served In the Alexa,
and they kept the business talk go
ing like house afre while they were
eating, the hurry being that Mr.. Chad
wick wanted to start back for Chi
cago the minute he could find out If
our connecting line east would run
him special.
'Now for a few unofficial things,
Graham, and Wen call 1t a co." he
said. "You are to have an absolutely
free hand in the management and the
operating. What you say goes as 1t
lies, and Dunton has promised me that
there shall be no appeal, not even to
him."
'T imagine he didn't say that will
ingly," the boss put in, which was the
first intimation ! had had that he
wasn't present at the directors meet
ing in the hotel.
''No, indeed; nothing was done will
Rngly. / had to swing the big stick
and swing 1t hard. But had them
where they couldn't wiggle. You are
to set your own pace, and you are to
have some money for betterments.
I offered to float a new loan on short
time notes with the Chicago banks,
and the board authorized it."
The boss pushed that part of IL
aside abruptly, as he always does
when he has got hold of the gist of a
thing.
"N0w, about my staff" he said. tits
open gossip all over the West that the
P. s. L. is differed by lot of dunn
mics and place-hunters and relatives.
I'll have to clean house,"
''Go to it; that is a part of your
free hand Have you the material
TO draw. fromY
II know a few good men, if I can
get them" said the boss thoughtfuLly.
'"The one man l can't place at sight is
a good corporation counsel. I'm OBJ
liged to have a good lawyer, Uncle
john"
II have the man for you, If you'll
bake him on my say so; a young fell
low named Ripley who has done some
corking good work for me in Chicago.
I'll wire him, If you like. Now word
or two about this local graft we
touched upon last night. don't know
the ins and outs Of it, but people here
will tell you that a sort of holding
corporation, called Red Tower Con-
solidated, has a strange grip on this
entire region. It's subsidiary COM
panies control the grain elevators, the
fruit packeries, the coal mines and
distributing yards, the timber supply
and the lumber yards, and even have
a finger on the so-called independent
shelters"
The boss nodded. 1--WE heard of
Red Tower. Also, / have heard that
the railroad stands in with 1t to pinch
the producers and consumers"
A road engine was backing down
the spur to take the Alexa in tow for
the. eastward run, and what was said
had to be said in hurry.
"Dig 1t out" barked the wheat king.
.If you find that we are in on 1t, it's
your privilege to cut loose. The two
men who win give you the most trou-