Evening star., 1933-02-12
himself.

fastest these past three years, something always
happened on the line. looked up the records"
The devil you did," I objected "a lot
you know about our records. There's nothing
wrong every potato season with this line"
Just couple Of sweet derailments last year
and the whole division shot for two days. Year
before that train caught fire and burned five
full cars. And before that, somebody tore out
lot OF lining paper and the spuds frosted.
Sans telling the farmers wen break down
again. Warns 'em of bad luck"
1T won't be bad luck this year." answered.
Trouble this year'n be, Idaho and Maine will
have their crop ready just two weeks behind
US. We've got just two weeks"
"Or the price will go blooey? Well then,
lsten," and Jim began to tell me his scheme
Wen get hundreds of extra cars this time
When they want car. spot it. Get extra mo-
tive power from the other divisions
Have the line wide open and run potato
specials as second and third sections of No.
2, southbound each night. Get them into
Chicago at in the morning"
Potatoes on passenger timer" -'.
Sure" he said, and grinned. 1--WE have to
beat Sans trucks, don't we?"
\A/KIL, we went out among the farmers
w talking rates like a couple of lace ped
dlers. We quoted 27h cents hundred into
Chicago, which Is throwing profits away, but
we had to have the business.
But In spite of us, Sam got the jump with
the. first loads. A truck and trailer will handle
only third to half as much as a car, so
they could be filled and on the way before
one Of ours was loaded.
The day before digging started rode No.
south to Grand Rapids and came back in the
cab OF No. S. The division was smooth as
butter. There weren't even any hoboes in sight
until he pulled up the grade from the Big
Grandy River bottoms.
There saw camp fire beside the tracks
A couple of men had fixed a tie-pile into a
shelter.
That's the worst spot on our line. down by
the Big Grandy. An old wooden pile and crib
bridge, half a mile long, spans the swamp, with
2R per cent grade running down q fill fo-
nearly three miles on both sides to meet It,
and no other railroad within Is miles, either
east or west
wen move 10000 bushels tomorrow" told
Jim next morning. 10000 the next, and by the
third day we should have 100 900 bushels on
the way. Your schemes going to work"
But whistled too soon.
The farmers were digging by lantern light
You could hear the potatoes humping over
the grading screens In so warehouses, and they
popped right into the sacks and into the cars
The third morning Jim said:
They'll load 200 cars today. spotted extras
on 30 sidings last night"
Good" said, but could see Jim was wor-
Red
Sam Martins taking it too easy" he ex-
planned. II don't like his attitude"
didn't think much about 1t. There wasn't
any time. No. starts south at Sol in the
afternoon; as soon as she was out of the way
her second section was ready to 60, the first
80 cars Of potatoes all headed for Chicago.
saw them highban through. and 10 mir
utes later the third section pulled out from
the water tank Sc cars gathering speed
They'd be making 50 on the straightaway
north Of Grand Rapids; south Of there, On the
double tracks, they'd hit 90. Oh, We moved
potatoes, mister!