“But this,” replied Morning, with some heat, “is unreasonable and outrageous. If the tax of two per cent is to be regarded in the light of a charge for insurance, I am sure there is not a marine or fire insurance company in the world that would charge one-fourth of one per cent for such a risk.”
“Company’s orders,” said the agent.
“Suppose you wire headquarters at my cost, and say that David Morning wishes to ship thirty tons of gold-bearing quartz from Tucson to San Francisco, at a valuation of $100 per ton. Say that he will prepay the freight, and load and unload the cars himself if permitted. Say that he does not wish the railroad company to take any of the risks of mining, transporting, or reducing the ore, nor to share any of the profits of the business. Say that he will release the company from all liability even for gross negligence or theft, beyond $100 per ton. Say that he does not wish to acquaint the company’s assayer or the company’s freight agent with the value of the ore, or permit either of them to form any accurate judgment for speculative or other purposes as to the value of the mine from which the ore was taken. Say that he wishes the privilege of conducting his own business in his own way. Say that if the railroad company will kindly fix a rate at which it will consent to carry the freight he offers, without sticking its meddlesome, corporate nose into his business, he will then consider whether he will pay that rate or refrain from shipping the ore at all.”
“Mr. Morning,” said the agent, “if I were to send such a telegram as that, it would cost me my place, and, indeed, my orders are not to communicate remonstrances made by shippers at the company’s rules, except by mail. Of course you can send any message you like over your own name to the head office, but I can inform you now that they will only refer you to me for an answer, and I can only refer to my general instructions, and there the matter will end.”
“Well,” replied Morning, “I will ship the ore by ox teams or not ship it at all before I will submit to the injustice of your general instructions. I suppose I am without remedy in the premises?”
“You might build another road, Mr. Morning,” said the agent, with a slight tinge of sarcasm in his voice.
Morning answered slowly, as he turned away:—
“I may conclude to do so, or to buy up this road, and if I do I will run it on business principles that shall give the shipper some little chance.”
“When will that halcyon hour for the public arrive, Mr. Morning?”
“By and by,” rejoined our hero, “and then you may look for better days.”