No stoking or water-boiling. Does away with
the fireboy. One man runs it!"
"Why!" cried Ned, "I never stopped to think of all these
things."
"No ashes to dump," went on Tom. "No flues to clean, no boilers
to inspect, and none to wear out. And they say that on the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, at least, their freight
locomotives handle twice the load of a steam locomotive at a
greatly reduced cost."
"Sounds fine. Don't wonder Mr. Bartholomew is eager to
electrify his entire tine."
"On the side of passenger traffic," continued Tom Swift, "the
electric locomotive is smokeless, noiseless, dirtless, and
doesn't jerk the coaches in either stopping or starting. And in
addition, the electric locomotive is much easier on track and
roadbed than the old 'iron horse' driven by steam generated
either from coal or oil."
"It is a great field for your talents, Tom!" cried Ned, warmly.
"It is a big job," admitted Tom, and he said this with modesty.
"I don't know what I may be able to do--if anything. I would not
feel right in taking Mr. Bartholomew's twenty-five thousand
dollars for nothing."
"Quite right, my boy," said Mr. Swift, approvingly.
"Never mind that," said the financial manager, rather grimly.
"It was his own offer and his risk. That twenty-five thousand
comes to our account."
Tom laughed. "All business, Ned, aren't you? But there is more
than business for the Swift Construction Company in this.
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