Атлант расправил плечи
Their Brothers’ Keepers
"Theonlyfactorstoconsiderarelandacreageandpopulationfigures,"saidDr.Ferrisinastatisticalvoice,blowingsmokeringsattheceiling."SinceitisnolongerpossibletomaintainboththeMinnesotaLineandthetranscontinentaltrafficofthisrailroad,thechoiceisbetweenMinnesotaandthosestateswestoftheRockieswhichwerecutoffbythefailureoftheTaggartTunnel,aswellastheneighboringstatesofMontana,Idaho,Oregon,whichmeans,practicallyspeaking,thewholeoftheNorthwest.Whenyoucomputetheacreageandthenumberofheadsinbothareas,it’sobviousthatweshouldscuttleMinnesotaratherthangiveupourlinesofcommunicationoverathirdofacontinent."
"Iwon’tgiveupthecontinent,"saidWesleyMouch,staringdownathisdishoficecream,hisvoicehurtandstubborn.
ShewasthinkingoftheMesabiRange,thelastofthemajorsourcesofironore,shewasthinkingoftheMinnesotafarmers,suchaswereleftofthem,thebestproducersofwheatinthecountry—shewasthinkingthattheendofMinnesotawouldendWisconsin,thenMichigan,thenIllinois—shewasseeingtheredbreathofthefactoriesdyingoutovertheindustrialEast—asagainsttheemptymilesofwesternsands,ofscragglypasturesandabandonedranches.
"Thefiguresindicate,"saidMr.Weatherbyprimly,"thatthecontinuedmaintenanceofbothareasseemstobeimpossible.
