Атлант расправил плечи
Account Overdrawn
Asthesoleresultofofficialinvestigations,twobridgesacrosstheMississippi,belongingtosmallerrailroads,werecondemned.Oneoftherailroadswentoutofbusiness;theotherclosedabranchline,toreupitsrailandlaidatracktotheMississippibridgeofTaggartTranscontinental;sodidtheAtlanticSouthern.
ThegreatTaggartBridgeatBedford,Illinois,hadbeenbuiltbyNathanielTaggart.Hehadfoughtthegovernmentforyears,becausethecourtshadruled,onthecomplaintofrivershippers,thatrailroadswereadestructivecompetitiontoshippingandthusathreattothepublicwelfare,andthatrailroadbridgesacrosstheMississippiweretobeforbiddenasamaterialobstruction;thecourtshadorderedNathanielTaggarttoteardownhisbridgeandtocarryhispassengersacrosstheriverbymeansofbarges.HehadwonthatbattlebyamajorityofonevoiceontheSupremeCourt.Hisbridgewasnowtheonlymajorlinklefttoholdthecontinenttogether.Hislastdescendanthadmadeitherstrictestrulethatwhateverelsewasneglected,theTaggartBridgewouldalwaysbemaintainedinflawlessshape.
ThesteelshippedacrosstheAtlanticbytheBureauofGlobalReliefhadnotreachedthePeople’sStateofGermany.IthadbeenseizedbyRagnarDanneskjold—butnobodyheardofitoutsidetheBureau,becausethenewspapershadlongsincestoppedmentioningtheactivitiesofRagnarDanneskjold.
