



Produced by David Widger from page images generously
provided by the Internet Archive








ON THE IRON AT BIG CLOUD

By Frank L. Packard

McClelland & Goodchild Limited

Prospect Press, Printers New York, U.S.A.

1911

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TO

MY FATHER

_LUCIUS HENRY PACKARD_





ON THE IRON AT BIG CLOUD




I--RAFFERTY’S RULE

The General Manager of the Transcontinental System glared at the young
man who stood facing him across the office desk. “Why, you wouldn’t last
three months!” he snapped.

“I’d like to try, uncle.”

“Humph!”

“I’m qualified for the position,” young Holman went on. “I’ve done
my stint with the construction gangs and I’ve spent four years in the
Eastern shops. You promised me that if I’d stick I’d have my chance.”

“Well, if I did, I didn’t promise to put you in the way of making a
fool of yourself and a laughing-stock of me, did I? You may be qualified
technically, I don’t say you’re not. In fact, I’ve been rather pleased
with you; that’s one reason why you’re not going out there to tackle
something you can’t handle. If men like Rawson and Williams can’t hold
down the job, what do you expect to do?”

“No worse than they, at least,” Holman answered, quietly. “Look here,
uncle, that’s just the point. There aren’t any of the men want the
position, so I’m not jumping anybody to take it. I’ll not make any
laughing-stock of you, either. I’m not going out as the Old Man’s
nephew; just plain Dick Holman. If I don’t make good you can wash your
hands of my railroad career.”

“Young man,” said the General Manager, severely, “don’t make rash
statements.”

He pushed the papers on his desk irritably to one side. Then he frowned.
Two years ago, when the road had dug, blasted, burrowed, and trestled
its right of way through the mountains, they had built the repair shops
for the maintenance of the rolling stock, and from the moment the first
brass time-check had been issued the locomotive-foremanship of the Hill
Division was no subject to be introduced with temerity anywhere within
the precincts of the executive offices. One man after another had
gone out there, and one after another they had resigned. “Hard lot
to handle,” Carleton, the division superintendent, had replied to the
numerous requests for explanation that had been fired at him. And now
