Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-05-07
Boss HoTrigan.

: "
Boss Horrigan.
places, you know. And now won't you
tell that butler of yours not to let us
be disturbed?"
Wainwright complied, and the two
settled down to their deferred talk.
"How about the election this fall?'
began the financier.
"We're already growing; but, Just be-
tween you and me, it's going to be a
hot fight. The people at large seem to
be a little sore on the organization. A
few deals lately have been a little raw,
and some of the papers are kicking.
Good Lord! If it wasn't for the news
papers what a cinch a boss would have
in running a city! 1t d be like taking
pennies from a baby's bank. Butt
"Then you think there is some doubt
about the elections"
Il wouldn't go so far as that. It'll be
a tussle, but with plenty of cash and
the right man for mayor-mark ME, I
say and the right man'-we ought to
win"
"The woods are full of right men,"
replied Wainwright. "The money is
the chief thing to consider. That is
why l asked YOU here today. This is
the point I'm getting at: AS soon as
election is safely over the Borough
Street railway will apply for a fran
chise for a car line from Blank avenue
to Dash street along the river front"
81 see!!' nodded Horrigan. "And, as
you own the City Surface line and as
that is the Borough Street railways
franchise bill killed when it comes be-
fore the board of aldermen"
"You're wrong. To paraphrase your
own words, you know a lot about poll
tics. l want the Borough Street rail-
ways franchise granted, and l want
the franchise to be perpetual"
"But l don't see what your driving
at. If you intend to merge the Borough
Street railway with your wv City Sur
face line it's charter will become void"
81 don't mean to merge them. l own
both roads, and I run them separately"
"The - you do!''
That's a little surprise, eh? l
haven't made any parade of it. l just
went quietly to work, through Gibbs,
and bought up a majority of the Bor-
ough stock. Now don't you see how
the granting of the franchise and the
news that control the road will work
when they are made knownY"
"Sure! It'll send that stock sky
high. You'll scoop in a million or two"
"a million or two!" echoed Vain
wright scornfully. Nearer
"Hold on!' interrupted Horrigan.
whats that noise?"
He had jumped to his feet with an
alacrity that was surprising in so large
a man and vas listening intently.
"That clicking?" asked Wainwright.
ooh, that's only the private wire in my
Office"
"Private wire? Any OPERATOR"
"Of course. Whyw
Suppose he should happen to be
listening to us?"
"Who? Thompson? Absurd!'
81 don't know. I'd rather
Nonsense. It's Thompson, my pri-
vate secretary, a man who's been with
me nine years. l trust him as'-
"But l don't. I don't trust anybody
Send him into some other ROOM"
81 can't. In his absence some i'm
portant message might come, and if he
wasn't there on the very moment to
transmit 1t to me I might lose thou
sands. He's all right if ever a man
a I trust him implicitly"
ooh, all right, then. Go on with wha,
you We're saying"
81 want the Borough Street railway
franchise made perpetual. Catch my
drift?"
"sure. But the papers and the prop.
erty holders will make a big kick"
"Let them. They'll soon get hoarse
and have to rest their threats. AS long
as we get the votes what do we care
IT,
Eyes, yes" agreed the boss impa-
tiently. THAT'S all right, but what I
want to know is, How does all this
concern me-"
Horrigan threw himself back in his
chair, uptilted cigar in one corner Of
his mouth, thumbs in waistcoat arm
holes and eyed his host quizzically.
Wainwright did not even pretend not
to understand. Still, instead Of giving
a direct answer he went on with SEEM
ing ~lrrelevance:
II am a public spirited citizen. / be-
lieye civic welfare would suffer by any