The Argosy, March 1907 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Pee at eaed ale little oy estate dea a a fan whist ae toy ad ‘the young — ae | vineyard. In other words, chap mentioned by the president seems to _ 3 Burns wants our road for himself, and in be just such a character-—keen, self-re- = = oS Za Pe order: to get it as cheap as possible has liant, resourceful. =~ = ae taken this method of depressing our stock “J move, therefore, that this whats aes on the market and forcing us to sell. his name?—Gardiner Davis be made : — as a a 38 ‘ Meanwhile, we who are occupying chief engineer of the road!” Se Anes ae = es the unhappy role of Naboth have one One or two of the directors still hesi-- Pood possible alternative. - tated, but the man from New York ‘was fs oe ek “At Berkely, here on our line,” pla- in no humor for debate. | Se. cing his forefinger at the spot as desig- “Tt is Hobson’s choice,” he ec aed nated on the map, “our right of way is curtly; “for it is*manifestly useless to = a but fifteen miles distant from Melton, employ any more of these so-called ex- - a eee the terminal of a thirty- -mile spur run- perts. We can either try the. boy or S252 = ning up from the main line of the sell out to Burns; and since the few ie a e Southeastern system. All we have to do, months required to see whether or not then, to secure our Eastern outlet is to he can make good will have no appre- oe connect up Berkely and Melton,” tracing ciable effect on the price, I.am in favor - a line between the two points, “for the of trying the boy. apie Southeastern has already assured us of ‘Furthermore, he added signifi- = ~~ pee 2 Sa factory traffic arrangements when- cantly, “unless you do try him, or some- is BS ever the link is made. body like him, I shall advise my princi- BPs ° ae “ But, alas, what looks so easy on pa- pals to withhold all further support of = SRS -~per is, aS we know, well-nigh impossible your enterprise.” Re ax in facts That intervening fifteen miles The final argument was a- clincher: = ~~, covers a rugged mountain range, impass- “Question!” roared every other man = a ee to even the most adventurous sort in the room; and without a dissenting =~ ~ ef railroad construction, except at the vote Gardiner Davis was.elected chief: ent cs — cost of an outlay not to be considered. gineer. dies See as “We have laid the problem before. . CREUSET Be - skilled engineers. One after another, the ~ CHAPTER II. | Pee foremost authorities in the country have | Meee Seany Or CAREER. Boe ~ tackled it; yet all we have to show for =a the thousands of dollars we have paid Most people were prone, like the pres- ere ie = them in.fees is a stack of plans for elab- ident of the Spring Creek Railway, to ee orate systems of tunnels and grade work, date Gardiner Davis’s rise in the world and a bunch of estimates which would from the time that he assumed control) bankrupt the national treasury. of his’ father’s sawmill; but he himself = “And, still I believe there is a way. always insisted that he had tumbled into © ze -- One of those big fellows as much as success through a hole in the ice on © er: oes eS confessed to me that it might be done Rossmore Pond. ee ata reasonable cost; but he said he would Yet, if so, he was very far from real- 33 = never risk ‘his reputation by fathering izing it at the time. As he rose from his ~~ se any such dubious scheme. That has freezing bath, with chattering teeth and a5 -___» been the trouble with all of them. They garments rapidly congealing in the nip- = os SS “are. wedded to,their traditions, and they ping air, to hear the shouts of laughter | are afraid to take a chance. which greeted his grotesque appearance, . Pe = Now, ‘it strikes me, gentlemen, that he would willingly have sold himself for SS ce. what we want. in this emergency is a two cents, and have considered the buyer : Ss -man with a reputation to make rather ‘cheated in the exchange. _ than one who has his reputation already There had not been even a. spice of made ; ; not a scatter-brained fool, of danger to lend a thrill to his mishap; for course, but one who is willing to. con- everybody knew that Rossmore Pond was _ cede that some’ cases may require a lit- scarcely deep enough to drown a flea, Ee se tle departure » from the conventional. much less a gawky lad of seventeen, built ~-rules; in short, a man who will mix his on the general architectural plan of a = evpincering with a bit of common sense. flagstaff. | |