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The next and perhaps most crucial recruit was [[Midas Mulligan|Michael Mulligan]] of [[Chicago]], known as "Midas" to his friends and associates. He had even gone so far as to change his name legally to "Midas" when he began to develop a reputation in the popular press as a [[money]] miser. (He was not a miser at all; he simply believed that sound banking principles did not include pretending to lend money when one might as well be giving it away.) In or about the fifth year of the strike, the Twentieth Century Motor Company went under, as Galt knew it would. A feckless man named Lee Hunsacker sought to buy the factory, thinking, as he would say later to [[Dagny Taggart]], that at last this was his "one chance at something big." He applied to Mulligan for a business loan, and Mulligan refused, citing his prior abysmal business record.

The next and perhaps most crucial recruit was [[Midas Mulligan|Michael Mulligan]] of [[Chicago]], known as "Midas" to his friends and associates. He had even gone so far as to change his name legally to "Midas" when he began to develop a reputation in the popular press as a [[money]] miser. (He was not a miser at all; he simply believed that sound banking principles did not include pretending to lend money when one might as well be giving it away.) In or about the fifth year of the strike, the Twentieth Century Motor Company went under, as Galt knew it would. A feckless man named Lee Hunsacker sought to buy the factory, thinking, as he would say later to [[Dagny Taggart]], that at last this was his "one chance at something big." He applied to Mulligan for a business loan, and Mulligan refused, citing his prior abysmal business record.

The resentful Hunsacker sued Mulligan and asked for a court order compelling Mulligan to grant the loan. The initial trial judge, [[Judge Narragansett]], summarily dismissed the case, saying that he could find no precedent for granting the relief for which Hunsacker had prayed. Hunsacker appealed. In a result that perhaps even John Galt found incredible, the appellate court reversed Judge Narragansett's dismissal and remanded the case for further consideration. A jury later found for Hunsacker, who now had a judgment against Mulligan.

The resentful Hunsacker sued Mulligan and asked for a court order compelling Mulligan to grant the loan. The initial trial judge, [[Judge Narragansett]], told the [[jury]] in his charge to them that he could find no precedent for granting the relief for which Hunsacker had prayed, and believed the law under which Hunsacker had sued to be unconstitutional. The jury, perhaps in a case of [[jury nullification]], found for Mulligan. Hunsacker appealed. In a result that perhaps even John Galt found incredible, the appellate court reversed Judge Narragansett's dismissal and remanded the case for further consideration. A second jury found for Hunsacker, who now had a judgment against Mulligan.

John Galt went straight to Mulligan and told him that this sort of travesty of justice would continue so long as men like Mulligan continued to put up with it. Mulligan would later say that he took all of five minutes to agree to join John Galt's strike. Like Francisco d'Anconia, Mulligan determined to liquidate his enterprise as he left. Unlike Francisco, the liquidation took all of twenty-four hours. He simply called in all his loans and then paid off his deposits and canceled their accounts. With that done, he vanished. A team of bank examiners later found that the books of the Mulligan Bank balanced exactly. The Mulligan Bank was wiped out, but wiped out in a manner by which not a single depositor had lost any money.

John Galt went straight to Mulligan and told him that this sort of travesty of justice would continue so long as men like Mulligan continued to put up with it. Mulligan would later say that he took all of five minutes to agree to join John Galt's strike. Like Francisco d'Anconia, Mulligan determined to liquidate his enterprise as he left. Unlike Francisco, the liquidation took all of twenty-four hours. He simply called in all his loans and then paid off his deposits and canceled their accounts. With that done, he vanished. A team of bank examiners later found that the books of the Mulligan Bank balanced exactly. The Mulligan Bank was wiped out, but wiped out in a manner by which not a single depositor had lost any money.

While this was happening, John Galt probably went to visit Judge Narragansett in his chambers. In any event, Judge Narragansett vanished on or about the same day that Midas Mulligan did.

While this was happening, John Galt visited Judge Narragansett in his chambers. Judge Narragansett stepped down from the bench and vanished on or about the same day that Midas Mulligan completed his liquidation.

== The founding of the Gulch ==

== The founding of the Gulch ==