"I s'pose Ingolby has paid this old skeesicks for talking this swash. We
know all right what Ingolby is, and what he's done. He's made war between
the two towns--there's hell to pay now on both sides of the Sagalac. He
took away the railway offices from here, and threw men out of work. He's
done harm to Manitou--he's against Manitou every time."
Murmurs of approval ran through the crowd, though some were silent,
looking curiously at the forceful and confident old man. Even his bent
shoulders seemed to suggest driving power rather than the weight of
years. He suddenly stretched out a hand in command as it were.
"Comrades, comrades," he said, "every man makes mistakes. Even if it was
a mistake for Ingolby to take away the offices from Manitou, he's done a
big thing for both cities by combining the three railways."
"Monopoly," growled a voice from the crowd. "Not monopoly," the old man
replied with a ring to his voice, which made it younger, fresher. "Not
monopoly, but better management of the railways, with more wages, more
money to spend on things to eat and drink and wear, more dollars in the
pocket of everybody that works in Manitou and Lebanon. Ingolby works, he
doesn't loaf."
"Oh, gosh all hell, he's a dynamo," shouted a voice from the crowd.
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