The new era., 1910-07-21


@I these two men were sure to war
for supremacy In the town, and
n this is the story Of how 1t hap
As.,nA pened The people Of the town
m and the stockholders of the rail-
road don't come into the story at ALL They only
furnished the sinews OF war which fact is abun
dant proof that the story Is true. d = i ui
Pat O'Brien's town calls him the cardinal. In
. moment Of angry defeat, silk-stockinged enc
my. too polite to liken Pat to the devil. sourly
dubbed him q second Cardinal Richelieu. The
name tickled the towns fancy. and 1t stuck
! The cardinal didn't mind. He was too busy
to cavH at mere names. His business as stock
broker grew with the town. he had for customers
men like John. the son and henchman of Joe
Dale. and when John bought and sold stocks 1t
was to be supposed that the cardinal prohted
through inside knowledge. Other business friends
were powerful and their friendship financially
was worth while. Colonel Legarde, who controls
the Superior railroad is also president of the
Interstate Electric railway, an electric road with
terminals and local lines In the town. The eec-
trio road needed many political favors and the
cardinal obtained them for It, or for his friend
Colonel Legarde. Really there other way
to get anything Unless and until Pat nodded
his head there was nothing doing for the town
council fed out of his hand and state legislators
followed out his orders.
Pat O'Brien waxed rich But one generation
away from the "ould sod" his clothes spelled
American business man, but his neckties faded
the solar spectrum to a neutral tint and marked
the politician who bought and sold franchises and
dealt out Jobs at will. Knowing the times to
talk and to keep silence. loyal friend and dead
Iy enemy he made money for his stock-dabbng
customers serenely grating his political way as
the surest means to desired end. and was
worth million and half at least. He owned
the town.
As John Dale's business of owning the railroad
grew greater and more complex he was more and
more away from Lacedaemon-for that is better
Greek than the real name Of the town, anyhow
1t became necessary for him to ask favors Of the
cardinal and the favors were given with open
hand Dale found 1t necessary too. to have
daily local organ and voice wherewith to fool
the people. He bought the Daily Planet Publish
ing company. and made Pat O'Brien president
Dale regarded the presidency reward for
fators received and final binding of the town
boss to his chariot tail. The cardinal knew that
Pollock. the editor, received all his orders from
Dale. and regarded the presidency something
of joke. Grown to full stature among the other
railroad kings, ruling had become a habit with
Joe Dale. He made and unmade towns and the
people In them, at will, and expected other in
tereft than Joe IDate's to be thought Of moved
In. or lived for by any one connected with him.
Sometimes he mistook his man. as when one
day he went into the office OF Of his eminent
and welpaid legal aids and found the lawyer
dead to the outside world and Joe Dales bust.
ness In a volume Of Balzac ..
The railroad king blew up Il don't pay you to
read dunn French novels" he roared The law
yer looked al him a long moment
"Mr Dale" he finally said. you pay for
what know, not what do. I'll read dunn French
novels"-crescendo-"ord do any other dunn thing
@forto-"any dunn time any dunn place"-for-
tfssimo-"I dunn pleased" ending with Wagnerian
bang the table.
Whereupon Joe Dale changed the subject.
- Dale thought he owned the president of the
Daily Planet company. but the cardinal had other
thoughts about the matter. Colonel Legarde
wanted franchise for extension of the
Interstate to summer resort. some 30 miles
away. The proposed extension would pass
through another town or two on its way to the
lake and would parallel Joe Dales steam road
Now Joe Dale and the colonel were bitterly at
outs over various grabbings and snatchings each
had made at the others magnateship. The car
dtnal could not that this concerned him at
ali. The extension would be benefit and 3
convenience to the town. There money in
It for him. The deal was
Then Joe Dale came from New York and sent
for the cardinal The two men faced each other with
the eyes Of poker players in game, keen. deep.
unfathomable. For the rest 1t might have been
. whiskered farmer in his Sunday suit meeting
q city man. otherwise correctly clad. wearing a
red, red ascot tie.
II hear" said Dale, THAT the Interstate peo-
pie want franchise for that foolish summer re-
sort extension of theirs"
! Il hear SO too," the cardinal replied.
We'll. let's cut 1t short. They can't get 1t"
! The extension would be good thing for the
town, Mr.. Dale
Il don't want 1t. 1t parallels my road. Your
city council must refuse the franchise" Here was
sushy talk or thought OF the rights Of peo-
pie or of stockholders. 1t was my road.' and
your council.' The cardinal undisturbed
THE people want it, Mr.. Dale" he said. ut will
be = great convenience for travel between the
towns and the lake."
Dale measured hi. man again. There were the
cool unfathomabfe eyes. the correct clothes. the
red tie. The red necktie settled It o'Brien was
only 4 cheap politician after all He must be
shown.
You know, or3rien. the Planet will oppose
this thing to the bitter end. and you are the
prcsia1nt Of the Daily Planet Publishing con-
pany. It win place you In . nasty light" This
Vas NO nsws to the cardinal. sad his eyes were