The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-08-06

IN ~
W. 4 this is the story of how it hap
r&A-S~SAAss pened. The people of the town
and the stockholders of the rail-
<oad 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
Pat O'Brien's town calls him the cardinal In
q moment of angry defeat, silk-stockinged enc
my. too polite to Eken Pat to the devil, sourly
dubbed him second Cardinal Richeeu. The
name ticked the towns fancy. and 1t stuck
The cardinal didn't mind He was too busy
TO cavil at mere names. His business as a stock
broker grew with the town. he had for customers
men like John, the and henchman of Joe
Dale. and. when John bought and sold stocks It
vas to be supposed that the cardinal profted
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 cleo
trio road needed many political favors and the
cardinal obtained them for 1t, or for his friend
Colonel Legarde. Really there was no 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 "d4ld sod" his clothes spelled
American business man, but his neckties faded
the solar spectrum to 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
~ enemy, he made money for his stock-dabbling
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 Dales 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 n the town anvhou-
at became necessary for him to ask favors of the
cardinal, and the favors given with open
hand. Dale found 1t necessary too, to have a
daily local organ and voice wherewith to fool
the people. He bought the Daily Planet Publish
ing company, and made Pat OBrien president
Dale regarded the presidency a reward for
'fayors received and final binding of the town
boss to hts chariot tail. The cardinal knew that
Pollock, the editor received all his orders from
Dale. and regarded the presidency as 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 no other in
ferest than Joe Dales to be thought of, or moved
I'm. or lived for by any one connected with him
sometimes he mistook hts man, as when one
day he went into the Office of one of his eminent
and wellpaid legal aids and found the lawyer
dead to the outside world and Joe Dae's bust
mess 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 at him long moment
MIR. Dale" he finally said, you pay me for
what know. not what do III read dunn French
novels'-crescendo-"or do any other dunn thing
-forto-"any DUN time any dunn pace"-for-
tssimo-'I dunn pleased" ending with Wagnerian
bang on 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 new franchise for an extension of the
interstate to summer resort some 80 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 snatchngs each
had made at the others magnateship. The car
dinal could not that this concerned him at
all. The extension would be benefit and
convenience to the town. There was money In
1T for him. The deal was on.
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,
unfathomabe. For the rest it might have been
whiskered farmer In his Sunday suit meeting
q city man. otherwise correctly clad. wearing
red red ascot tie.
Il hear" said Dale, THAT the Interstate peo-
pie want a 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 It."
The extension would be good thing for the
town, Mr.. Dale"
Il don't want it. 1t parallels my road Your
city council must refuse the franchise" Here was
slushy talk or thought of the rights of peo-
pie or of stockholders. 1t was my road" and
your council" The cardinal was undisturbed.
The people want it. Mr. Dale" he said. 1T will
be great convenience for travel between the
towns and the lake."
Dale measured his man again. There were the
cool. unfathomable eyes. the correct Clothes the
red tie The red neckte settled it. OBrien was
only cheap politician after all. He must be
shown.
You know O'Brien. the Planet will oppose
this thing to the bitter end and you are the
president of the Daily Planet Publishing COM