The Dolores star., 1921-11-25


railing switch, which was held In posi-
ton by the insertion OF one OF the
fish-plates between the rail-webs. III
we had hit the trap. going at even or
binary mountain climbing speed. there
would have been nothing left to tell
the tale but a heap OF scrap at the
bottom OF the thousand-foot dump.
Under Mr.. Van Britt's directions the
engineer and fireman of the pilot en-
gine brought tools and the break was
repaired.
While they were doing It the boss
stood aside with Mr.. Van Britt, and
I heard what was said. Mr.. Van Britt
began It by saying, 'We don't need
any detectives this time. You are on
your way to Strathcona TO put a crimp
In the smelter squeeZe-the last or
the Red Tower monopolies-so Dawes
told me. He was probably foolish
enough to tell others, and the word
was passed TO scrag you before you
could get TO IT, This trap was set to
catch your special"
Evidently" barked the boss; and
then: How did you happen to be
here on that engine. UptonT
i've been ahead of you all the way
I'D from Portal CITY," was the calm
reply. 81 thought IT might be safer
| II you had a pilot TO show you the
way. guess l must have had
hunch.'
| The boss turned on him like flash.
"You had something more than
| hunch: what was it-a wireT'
Mr.. Van Britt gritted his teeth
| little. but he told the truth.
"Yes; a friend OF ours tipped me
| off-not about the broken track, Of
course. but just in a general way
The break was repaired and the
men were taking the tools back to
| the engine. AS we turned to follow
| them, Mr.. Norcross said: Just one
more question, Upton. Did your wire
come from the capital?"
But at this Mr.. Van Britt seemed
| to forget that he was talking to his
| general manager.
ITS none OF your id business
where 1t came from" he snapped back;
| ana inst pnueU II.
Notwithstanding the slow run and
the neardlsaster on Slide mountain,
we had our meeting with the Strath-
| coma mine owners the following morn
| ing: and that much OF the special train
trip served its purpose, anyway. The
| boss met the miners good bit more
| than halfway. and gave them their
| relief-and the Hatch-owned smelter
Its knock -out-by promising that our
| traffic department would make an ore
| tariff to the independent smeter on
| the other side of the range low enough
to protect the producers.
1t was nearly three o'clock In the
afternoon before we got away for the
return to Portal City.
We had seen nothing OF Mr.. Van
| Britt during the day. and until we
| came to start out l thought maybe
| he had gone back TO Portal City on
| the regular train. But at the station
I saw the pilot engine just ahead of
us again. and though l couldn't be
quite sure. thought caught glimpse
Of our athletic little general superin-
| tendent on the fireman's box.
The boss was pretty quiet all the
way on the run down the mountain
| to Bauxite, and, for wonder. he
didn't pitch into the work at the desk.
I could tell pretty well what he was
thinking about. For six months he
had been working like a horse to pull
| the Short Line out of the mudhole of
contempt and hostility into which a
| more or less justly aroused public
enmity had dumped 1t; and now. Just
as he was beginning to get 1t up over
the edge, he had been plainly notified
that he was going 10 be killed II he
| didn't let go.
Just as the way seemed to be OPEN
| Ing out to better things for the Short
Line. mis-set switch or a bullet in
the dark would knock the entire hard
built reform experiment into a cooked
| hat.
There was every reason, now, to
| hope that the experiment was going
| to be success, at least. at our end
| Of 1t, II it could go on Just 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, lust
as the police will let man alone
where there is reason to believe that
he has taken brace and is trying
his best to walk straight.
Also, for the drastic intrastate reg
ulations-the laws about headlights,
and safety devices. and grade cross
ings, and full crews. and the making
| OF reports to this. that, and the other
state official; laws which. II 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 Burrells assurance for
| this. He had met the boss in tbe Iohbv