Project Gutenberg 2005-06-01 Public domain in the USA. 144 Merwin, Samuel 1874 1936 Webster, Henry Kitchell 1875 1932 The Short Line War Text file produced by Eric Eldred, Beth Trapaga and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTML file produced by David Widger "The Short Line War" by Samuel Merwin and Henry Kitchell Webster is a novel written in the early 20th century, likely within the 1910s. The story focuses on Jim Weeks, whose journey from a loving youth burdened by the realities of the Civil War to a powerful businessman in the railroad industry forms the core of the narrative. The book explores themes of ambition, love, and the cutthroat nature of business as Jim faces formidable adversaries while trying to secure his interests in the management of the Manchester & Truesdale railroad. The opening of "The Short Line War" introduces us to Jim Weeks and his background, detailing his lineage and formative experiences that shaped him into a determined individual ready for the challenges of his time. Within the first chapter, Jim’s affection for Ethel Harvey is established, as well as the complications that arise from their differing perspectives on life and the world around them. Notably, tensions related to the approaching Civil War and Jim's enlistment introduce conflict. As Jim transitions into his role in the railroad industry, the groundwork is laid for the business rivalries and political maneuvers he will encounter, setting the stage for a larger conflict that challenges not just his professional acumen but also his personal relationships. Overall, the beginning of this novel sets up an engaging mix of character development and foreshadowing, designed to draw readers into the unfolding drama and intricacies of Jim's life and times. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 82.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Historical fiction Railroads -- History -- Fiction PS Text Category: Novels Category: American Literature 443209 2025-08-04T05:43:38.182220 text/html 460556 2021-01-26T22:47:46 text/html 226762 2025-08-04T05:43:46.398145 application/epub+zip 234097 2025-08-04T05:43:41.310312 application/epub+zip 214263 2025-08-04T05:43:40.003150 application/epub+zip 416665 2025-08-04T05:43:50.234129 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 388520 2025-08-04T05:43:45.569162 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 364283 2022-09-04T10:07:21.236872 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 376049 2025-08-04T05:43:37.273172 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 375852 2018-03-13T10:03:56 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 370000 2013-07-05T17:14:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21173 2025-08-04T05:43:50.373098 application/rdf+xml 12507 2025-08-04T05:43:40.639155 image/jpeg 3128 2025-08-04T05:43:40.378157 image/jpeg 140304 2018-03-17T08:39:32 application/octet-stream application/zip 147936 2021-01-26T22:47:46 application/octet-stream application/zip 139582 2013-07-05T17:14:40 application/octet-stream application/zip 221074 2025-08-04T05:43:38.221164 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia