Account Overdrawn

           ItwasthefirstfailureinthehistoryofReardenSteel.Forthefirsttime,anorderwasnotdeliveredaspromised.ButbyFebruary15,whentheTaggartrailwasdue,itmadenodifferencetoanyoneanylonger.

           Winterhadcomeearly,inthelastdaysofNovember.Peoplesaidthatitwasthehardestwinteronrecordandthatnoonecouldbeblamedfortheunusualseverityofthesnowstorms.Theydidnotcaretorememberthattherehadbeenatimewhensnowstormsdidnotsweep,unresisted,downunlightedroadsandupontheroofsofunheatedhouses,didnotstopthemovementoftrains,didnotleaveawakeofcorpsescountedbythehundreds.

           ThefirsttimethatDanaggerCoalwaslateindeliveringfueltoTaggartTranscontinental,inthelastweekofDecember,Danagger’scousinexplainedthathecouldnothelpit;hehadhadtocuttheworkdaydowntosixhours,hesaid,inordertoraisethemoraleofthemenwhodidnotseemtofunctionastheyhadinthedaysofhiscousinKenneth;themenhadbecomelistlessandsloppy,hesaid,becausetheywereexhaustedbytheharshdisciplineoftheformermanagement;hecouldnothelpitifsomeofthesuperintendentsandforemenhadquithimwithoutreason,menwhohadbeenwiththecompanyfortentotwentyyears;hecouldnothelpitifthereseemedtobesomefrictionbetweenhisworkersandhisnewsupervisorystaff,eventhoughthenewmenweremuchmoreliberalthantheoldslavedrivers;itwasonlyamatterofreadjustment,hesaid.