Evening star., 1933-02-12


trains named for race horses, and extra-fare
super-deluxe comforts mile minute or your
money back
But that's not railroading. That's just FROST
ing on the cake. It's dag to-day movement
that counts ordinary freight rolling over the
line ordinary shipments, lumber and cement
and canned goods and potatoes.
On our road the Michigan Northern, we
never see silk train. But we do see lots OF
potatoes. A couple of million dollars worth
any good year.
Nothing spectacular about potatoes of course.
At least there wasn't till young James Birney
Butler III came along
Jim Is one of the Philadelphia Buffers, the
family that owns most of our road and half
a dozen Others When he turned up in my
Office one morning last July, he wasn't needed.
Trainmaster on my division doesn't need an
assistant any more than a locomotive needs
second bell. But he was Butler. So what
could do?
figured just what was in for. was going
to be governess to half-baked kid born with
q silver switch key in his mouth. But wasn't
right.
Jim Butler was railroader He'd been
around railroads since he was knee-high to
trailer Wheel knew 'em from the ground up.
Twice that Summer when our little classifica-
ton yard went haywire, it was young Jim
unsnarled it. If there wasn't anything doing in
the office. he'd be out learning the division
And he learned it, mister, main line feeders
and the old lumber roads,
You see our division runs from Grand Rapids
almost to the Straits of Mackinaw, with
branches east and west, and q spider-web OF
abandoned logging roads thrown in.
TWENTY years those logging roads have been
idle It's miserable country, cut-over and
second growth, burned and returned and the
sand so light potato can't take hold in it.
Wed sort of forgotten how the old lines slid
IN and out, through stumps, over hills, across
swamps. But here was Jim Butler, whenever
he had the time out exploring them.
What's more, he liked it.
"A lot OF good railroading gone wrong" he'd
complain. "Sixty-pound rails, bleeding with
rust, and the ties rotten you can pull the
spikes with your teeth"
So it went, all that Summer. But when Sep
tember blazed in, full of color, things began to
happen. Jim met Charlotte Hazen =.
Charlotte is old Aunt Hazen's daughter She
was Just back from school in Detroit, one OF
those girls that are forever heaving monkey
wrenches at fellow, just by looking at him.
She looked at Jim and, of course he got ex-
cited.
Amos Is king among farmers up our way.
He owns 1000 acres of the best sandy loan in
the State, lives in a big house ON a hill, ana
youW find the Governor or maybe a Senator
sitting on the Hazen porch the night before
brook trout season opens. That sort of folks.
Jim just fitted in. Or he would have if it
hadn't been for Sam Martin. Sam was for
ever at Hazen's. too. and the trouble was Char
lotte paid just as much attention to Sam as she
did to Jim. No more, no less.
jim didn't like Sam Martin To begin with
Sam was trucker. He owned string of 80
blue and yellow motor trucks, and that's enough
10 make any railroader see red. Also Sam was
bit too smart, trif1e on the slick side.
He'd been in the trucking business six years
now, and was making money every time the
wheels turned. Making money while we lost
our shirts oh, the Michigan Northern was in
the red. Deep
was out at Hazen's, just after Labor day.
tnat jim heard the news. Charlotte said to
him, Sam Martin was here last evening"
Jim answered, "Yeah?"
wonderful idea he has, taking over two
other lines. It gives him 80 trucks"
And he's leasing 20 more for potato sea-
son" her father added. "You railroaders will
have to look to your laurels"
Sans 80 trucks were taking the hide off US
as 1t was, and what could a hundred do?
When 1t came to potatoes they bad the edge
on US anyway.
They could roll right up to those Cooper
attve warehouses scattered all trer our terri
tory, load late any afternoon make q delivery
In Chicago before breakfast, and get back for
another load the same night We were in
for q rodding, all right
"Un1ess We can beat his ti,ne," Jim told me
with q frown"
I'VE can't" said. We san beat his run
ming time, but It's the pickup that wears us
down. Making up trains. Grabbing the fun
cars and spotting the empeAaR Thaxr where
he has U.s."
~Oh. no." Jim said '7N promise to beat
the truck hands down, Z 4 weren't for the
jnE" And his frown grew deeper.
e71he what?" said.
e9onx. Just when potaAaas were coming In