again in his new bank, and he proceeded to use it over and over in maintaining exorbitant prices and in advancing his grandiose schemes.  His business took him often to Seattle, where by his whirlwind methods he duplicated his success in a measure:  his sensational attack upon the money powers got a wide hearing, and he finally secured an indorsement of his scheme by the Businessmen’s Association.  This done, he opened splendid offices and began a wide-spread stock-flotation campaign.  Soon the Cortez Home Railway became known as a mighty, patriotic effort of Alaskans to throw off the shackles of oppression.

Gordon perfectly understood that something more than vague accusations were necessary to bring the public to his support in sufficient numbers to sweep him on to victory, and with this in mind he laid crafty plans to seize the Heidlemann grade.  The Trust had ceased active work on its old right-of-way and moved to Kyak, to be sure, but it had not abandoned its original route, and in fact had maintained a small crew at the first defile outside of Cortez, known as Beaver Canon.  Gordon reasoned shrewdly that a struggle between the agents of the Trust and the patriotic citizens of the town would afford him precisely the advertising he needed and give point to his charge of unfair play against the Heidlemanns.

It was not difficult to incite his victims to this act of robbery.  On the contrary, once he had made the suggestion, he had hard work to restrain them, until he had completed his preparations.  These preparations were simple; they consisted in writing and mailing to every newspaper of consequence a highly colored account of the railroad struggle.  These mimeographed stories were posted from Seattle in time for them to reach their destinations on the date set for the seizure of the grade.

It was an ingenious publicity move, worthy of a theatrical press-agent, and it succeeded beyond the promoter’s fondest expectations—­too well, in fact, for it drove the Trust in desperation to an alliance with the S. R. & N.

The day set for the demonstration came; the citizens of Cortez boldly marched into Beaver Canon to take possession of the old Heidlemann workings, but it appeared that they had reckoned prematurely.  A handful of grim-faced Trust employees warned them back:  there was a rush, some rough work on the part of the aggressors, and then the guards brought their weapons into play.  The result afforded Gordon far more sensational material than he had hoped for:  one citizen was killed and five others were badly wounded.  Cortez, dazed and horror-stricken, arose in her wrath and descended upon the “assassins”; lynchings were planned, and mobs threatened the local jail, until soldiers were hurried thither and martial law was declared.