Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

resource was pay the money, unless he wanted to
unload his goods into truck wagons and vans and
cart them all over the city.
He was in very desperate situation Here he
IL was sadded with twenty -fve-year lease of one
of the most expensive piers In New York; here he
had great warehouse six blocks or more away from
the pier here he had also vast store several miles
from the warehouse here was a railroad that prac-
ticav connected all three, provided two little
spurs switches could be built from pier to railroad
and from warehouse to railroad The railroad people
meant to make him pay; he was equally determined
that he would not
He was not alone in his position, however; for it
was found on all sides that other shippers and
merchants seeking similar privilege were beng held
up in the same The whole waterfront OF New
York found itself tied up by this octopus OF cor
poration. .
There had been clamor in the papers over this
matter being the.habit of the conservative bust
ness to work quietly as long as he could, to
apitate nothing to grin and bear it while endurance
possible; but there was tremendous under
current of resentment and dissatisfaction, and
Gormly thought he saw an opportunity OF turning 1t
to his own account TO expose the injurious
methods of procedure of the Gotham Freight Trac-
ton Company, to bring about its ruin its down.
fall by deprving it of the franchise it was abusing,
to safeguard the people in their rights in any further
grants certainly object sufficiently high and
sufficiently vast to attract the attention, and should
he succeed to awaken the admiration of any being.
Inasmuch as Miss Haldane deeply interested in
the welfare of the people at large and in general
nothing, thought Gornly, could more conduce to his
plans than such endeavor on his part: And
Gormly himself began to look at the possibilities
from a high and noble point of view, in which self
interest took secondary position
CONSEQUENTLY late in November he
- boldly out in the open, and over his own name
vigorously attacked the Gotham Freight Traction
Company. He did it in a unique way too. Instead
of the full page advertisement of Gorrnlys store
that appeared simultaneously all the great
dailies, there presented one morning in clear,
direct businesslike English statement of the whole
situation exactly it There were no threats,
no menaces, no intimatons of any future plan or
purpose; just blunt statement of facts printed IN
large double-leaded type, and signed with the
familiar facsimile of his famous autograph.
The move made instant sensation. The news
papers took it up. They were not loath to take up
the cudgels for such heavy advertiser as Gormly,
anyway. Other merchants, frelghters, and shippers
were interviewed, and speedily made out
against the Gotham Freight Traction Company
which would have shaken to pieces less ponder
ous less thick skinned less Indifferent organization
Even the authorities were interviewed, and they
shed hvpocritical tears the unfortunate trick
cry by which the public had been bunkoed out of
its legitimate rights They beat their breasts and
made plaintive confessions of how they had been
befooed by the willy corporate interests; but they
took occasion at the same time to point out that
there was nothing whatever to be done about 1T.
The party in power was one that had long dom-
mated the metropolis To be sure, it gave the
city fairly good government; but the people
paid over and over again. Graft abounded every
where. The party out of power, which had
been out of power so long that it had per-
force become virtuouS, did not hesitate to *
point out the dreadful state of affairs to all X
who would listen; but its efforts had SO far rs
been unavailing, and the party In power re- v
manned there doing it pleased perhaps re- NJ
manned there because of its so doing. VI
NOV, the Gotham Freight Traction Com &c
~ panv had its weak point Things that de- N
pend upon the collision of SO many unscrupu- M
ious men, not to say villains, usually have "