Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-09

course. il was some days before / could
screw my enthusiasm back TO fighting
pitch. In the meantime Rogers did
nothing. He, too, was waiting for new
developments. After a while W. were
pounding away at each other with a
great show OF fierceness, but the at
tacks lacked the personal luminosity
and bitterness that had previously
characterized them.
This lull was only a pause between
battles. II suddenly came to an end
January, 1896, when a new enemy APP
peared in the field. Henry NJ. Whitney,
who had built Boston's electric street
railway system, and who, from his fire.
quent dealings with the Massachusetts,
legislature in obtaining franchises, had
the reputation OF carrying that body
in his waistcoat pocket, came before
his legislature with a proposition for
a charter for a new and Independent
gas company. Up to this time Whitney
had had no relation with the gas pub
lie. The basis of his claim was that
he had come into possession of q pat
ented device through which IL became
possible to turn the low grade sulphuric
coal of Nova Scotia into coke without
sacrificing either the valuable byprod-
ucts, such as ammonia, tar, etc., or IL
Illuminating gas. This was a very re-
markable ~pretension for we had long
ago eliminated these low grade Goals
from consideration as material for gas
making, but IL Whitney's device actu-
ally was what he claimed, undoubtedly
he would be a dangerous competitor.
Whitney's petition set forth further,
that because OF the exceedingly
low price of this province coal
and it's richness in b~yproducts,
he could afford to sell gas to
NnCf,nonr~ a En cant .. th.,ytCond
feet (the legal charge was then 81 per
thousand feet), a price which would
enable the great manufacturing lnsti-
tutions and all the steam and heating
plants to use gas economically for fuel
purposes.
The experience of any man who has
had to do with political and financial
affairs Invariably shows him that moth
ing ever happens of itself. Thunder
bolts do not descend from clear skies,
but an enemy and not nature has
hurled them. A clever tactician will
always look for his antagonists hand
behind any isolated or detached luctu-
alton of public feeling which bears in
the slightest degree upon his problem.
In one way it seemed reasonable that
If Whitney really had found a way to
get something out of his coal, he was
justified in making the best possible use
IL IL. OH the QUIET ndIlu, Il GOulu HOI
but see how the new project brought
about the very situation which Rogers
had so long tried to get us into. Sell
ing gas at rs or so cents, the ney COM
pany would absolutely command the
business; the old companies must go
bankrupt, pass into a receivers hands,
and in due course would be absorbed
by the Whitney corporation. That left
but gas company in complete con-
troll of the Boston field, n 1t would
not be bound to continue the low prices
when competition had disappeared, but
would be legally free to go back to the
old rates Of 81 and slips. A combina-
ton which so completely went Rogers
way surely had his fine slim Italian
hand at it's throttle.
Once / had made up my mind by what
we were confronted, / lost no time. My
inquiries revealed hat Whitney's al
legged control of the Legislature was not
exaggerated, In fact. it seemed eager
to do his bidding in any direction.
There was no space for negotiation
or elaboration, so / returned his bomb
with another, which, exploding in his
breastworks. created as much of a SEN
sation as his own. / did not believe
Whitney could do with Nova Scotia
coal the things he claimed; but, wheth-
er or not, If he got his charter, Rogers
aim had been accomplished. If he
were absolutely bound, however, under
heavy bonds to do exactly as he had
promised, his proposition would be so
loaded that it might go off In his own
hands and blow him to pieces. So the
next day / went personally before the
legislature and agreed to pay the state
of Massachusetts, 81, 000,0 90 for the char
ter Whitney had applied for, and of
fered to give bonds to do all the things
Whitney would give bonds to do on re-
ceipt of Ii.
The proposition made a pause. 1t
startled the public and set the Whitney
forces agape. My proposition was de-
cidedly novel, and on its face absurd.
The state could not under the law ac-
cept $1,ot0,00 or any other sum for it's
charter; but, on the other hand, 1t was
the quick est-acting horse-sense pro-
Queer that could possibly have been
brought to bear. 1t was discussed ev-
erywhere. Men said, why not? IL
the state has a valuable thing to give
away why should 1t o go to the one
who will pay the people the most mon
ey for it" Above all, it was a check.
/ had o%utfanked the enemy, and If he
gave battle 1t would have to be on my
conditions. Whitney was furious, and
his privately owned legislature cursed
me for interfering with its plans; but
he and they recognized my advantage,
and that night / had a call from Mr..
Whitney and his attorney, George
Towle.
What are o going to do, Lawson?''
Whitney asked.
only trying to protect from destruc-
ton the Boston gas companies OF
which / am vice president ant general
manager" l replied.
But my proposition Is a perfectly
legitimate one" Whitney objected. II
have got hold of this invention. which
enables me to utilize my dominion coal
in such a way that we can make coke
out OF 1t, and at the same time get all
the gas. This coal Is cheap TO produce
and costs little per ton to bring in. So
1 can sell a cheaper than you can
make 1t"
And we have a plant for the manu-
facture and distribution Of gas which
has cost us seventy years and millions
or dollars to get together, and also
the customers to whom you must sell
your cheap gas" / returned. IF you
a really do what you claim why no
go ahead, make our gas, sell Ii to us
and we will distribute 1t to the people
and we will divide the profit. and you
will make as much as though you did
" 81, fof you will not have a fight on
hand pr be obliged to build up a dupli-
cate plant? That's all you can do, for
you cannot get a charter to duplicate
u plant, because whatever price you
offer the legislature for it we will go
you a few hundred better"
We argued for hours pro and con. I
showed him that IL he finally prevailed
and got what he was after. his charter