The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-07-15


| SNp , this is the story of how 1t hap
&sss.xag pened The people of the town
c. 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 aDuh-
dant proof that the story is true
Pat O'Bren's town calls him the cardinal IN .
a moment of angry defeat sllk-stocklnged enc 4
NV foo polite to liken Pat to the devil sourly
duhhed him second Cardinal Richelieu. The
name tickled the towns fancy and it stuck
The cardinal didn't mind He was too busy !
to cavil at mere names His business as stoch I
broker grew with the town, he had for customers
men like john the son and hencnman OF jos
Dale and when John bought and sold stocks II
was to be supposed that the cardinal prohted
through inside knowledge Other business friends
were DoWerful and their friendship financially
was worth while. Colonel Legarde, who controls
the Superior railroad, is also president or the
Interstate Electric railway, an electric road with
terminals and local lines In the town. Inc eec-
trio road needed many political favors and the
cardinal obtained them for 1t, or for his frlend
Colonel Legarde. Really there was no otner way
to get anything. Unless and until rat nodoea
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
ewav from the "ould 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 sockdabbling
customers, sereney grating his political way as
the surest means to a desired end, ana was
worth a million and half, at least lie owned
the town.
Of nil tbn oilr0a
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
It became necessary for him to ask favors of the
cardinal, and the favors were given with open
hand Dale found 1t necessary, too, to nave
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 reward for
fayors 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 as something
of Joke Grown to full stature among the other
railroad kings, ruling had become habit with
Toe Dale He made and unmade towns and the
DeOple in them at will, and expected no other IN
terest than Joe Dales to be thought of, or moved
in, or lived for by any one connected with MIN
Sometimes he mistook his man, as when onf
day he went into the office of one of his eminen
~ and well-paid legal aids and found the lawye
n dead to the outside world and Joe Dales bust
81 ness In volume Of Bazac'
The railroad king blew up. 81 don't pay you t
B read DUN French novels" he roared. The law
yer looked at him long moment.
"Mr Dale" he finally said, You pay me 10
what know, not what do. I'll read dun Frenc
noyels"-crescendo-" do any other dunn thing
--forto-"any dunn time or any dunn pace"-lo
tissimo-"I dunn please!" ending with Wagneria
bang on the table.
Whereupon Joe Dale changed the subject.
Dale thought he owned the president OF tt
Dailv Planet company, but the cardinal had othe
thoughts about the matter. Colonel Legarc
wanted a new franchise for an extension OF u
Interstate to summer resort, some 81 Mill
away The proposed extension would pa
through another town or two on its way to Il
1.La and would parallel Joe Dae's steam roa
Now Joe Dale and the colonel were bitterly
outs over various grabbings and snatchlngs ca
had made at the others magnateshlp. Inc CT
dinal could not see that this concerned MIN
all The extension would be a benefit and
convenience to the town. Tnere was mohey
It for him. The deal was on
Then Toe Dale came from New York and sc
for the cardinal The two men faced each other W
the ewes of poker players In game, keen' oe
unfathomable For the rest, 1t might nave DC
a whskered farmer in his Sunday suit meet1
city man, otherwise correctly clad. wearing
red red ascot tie.
"I hear" said Dale, "That the Interstate
ple want franchise for that foolish summer
sort extension Of theirs
81 hear so too" the cardinal replied
We'll, let's cut it short They cant get
THE extension would be good thing LOT
town, Mr.. Dale. -.
81 don't want it. 1t parallels my road y
civ council must refuse the franchise Here '
no slushy talk or thought of the rights OF l
nile or of stockholders. 1t was my road
"your council" The cardinal was undlsturt
"The people want it. Mr. Dale" ne sald' III
be great convenience for travel between
towns and the lake"
Dale measured his man again There were
cool unfathomable eyes, the correct clothes
red tie The red necktie settled 1t. OBrien
only a cheap politician after ALL He must
shown. 49,
Fyn,, Jpou O'RrieD the Planet will OPT