The Angus
Falls extension brought this system in, but too late to do the good
expected; for Mr. Halliday, in his dealings with us, convinced us of the
truth of the rumors that he had brought the other roads to terms, and
was a free-lance no longer. Month by month the need of real competition
in our carrying trade grew upon us. Rates accorded to other cities on
our commercial fighting line we could not get, in spite of the most
persistent efforts. In the offices of presidents and general managers,
in St. Louis, Chicago, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Kansas City, Omaha and
New York we were received by suave princes of the highways, who each
blandly assured us that his road looked with especial favor upon our
town, and that our representations should receive the most solicitous
attention. But the word of promise was ever broken to the hope.

After one of these embassies the syndicate held a meeting in Cornish's
elegant offices on the ground-floor of the new "Hotel Elkins" building.
We sent Giddings away to prepare an optimistic news-story for
to-morrow's _Herald_, and an editorial leader based upon it, both of
which had been formulated among us before going into executive session
on the state of the nation. Hinckley, who had an admirable power of
seeing the crux of a situation, was making a rather grave prognosis for
us.

"If we can't get rates which will let us into a broader territory, we
may as well prepare for reverses," said he. "Foreign cement comes almost
to our doors, in competition with ours. Wheat and live-stock go from
within twenty miles to points five hundred miles away. Who is furnishing
the brick and stone for the new Fairchild court-house and the big
normal-school buildings at Angus Falls? Not our quarries and kilns, but
others five times as far away. If you want to figure out the reason of
this, you will find it in nothing else in the world but the freight
rates."

"It's a confounded outrage," said Cornish. "Can't we get help from the
legislature?"

"I understand that some action is expected next winter," said I;
"Senator Conley had in here the other day a bill he has drawn; and it
seems to me we should send a strong lobby down at the proper time in
support of it."

"Ye-e-s," drawled Jim, "but I believe in still stronger measures; and
rather than bother with the legislature, owned as it is by the roads,
I'd favor writing cuss-words on the water-tanks, or going up the track a
piece and makin' faces at o