Arizona republican., 1911-04-10
fishing Company.

"Done?" he asked nervously. DE
you mean to say that something is
going to be doneH"
Look here, Mr.. Vining," said Tank.
severely serious in his tone and look;
what you drivin' at? My times
kind Of took up this afternoon. Il
you want anything, out with It sud.
den."
Now this was a disagreeable speech
It is a harsh man that will not lei
another state himself in his own way
or lead up to his own point after his
own preferred method of time killing
and climax development. But Tank
was in that mood often, and especially
now. The man who came to him
from the higher ups" was in his
power and remained there. Tank held
the lowbrows, "Th' Wards" behind
him after the time-honored methods of
his craft, and he held the high-brows,
the heads OF corporations and the rep
resentatives Of privileged interests,
by the price Of the service he had rem
dered them. The men who came and
did business with Tank once, he held,
and ruthlessly. They paid him money
and thought that was all; but no, they
gave him their regulations and some
times their liberty in hostage, and he
welded a more relentless sway over
the man who had paid him a hundred
thousand dollars for a privilege than
he did over the dollar-a-day voter
who held his Job as a coal-heaver or
cleaned spittoons at the City Hall be-
cause Tank had got the place for him.
For, the moment the man came to see
Tank on a motion Of some kind, he
practically laid his head upon the floor
and said: Put your foot on my neck,
please" So now Tank had shot one
over hard and straight at the elderly
Mr.. Vining, the Earring effect of which
was such as to make his false teeth
rattle little as his tongue scrambled
quickly for words.
why, Just this. Mr.. Tank" he
burst out Our people don't want
that franchise to go through"
"Our people" scowled Tank. 80 Who
the blazes are our people?'"
1.-The Old Telephone Company" ex-
planned Vining.
We'll, what you got to do with it?"
Tank asked bluntly. through teeth that
clenched the stub of his cigar while
both hands were feeling in correspond
ing pockets in quest Of a match.
! "Why. Mr.. Tank" expostulated Vim
L. l.
vestmentsi our wires, poles, switch
boards, franchises. Our business
would be injured"
; "Well, what Of it? The city council
amt elected to keep you fellows under
the plum tree. Your service is rotten.
Your stock pays forty per cent. The
New Telephone Company is goin' to
get franchise, and reckon after it
does your service won't be so rotten
and your dividends won't be so big,
which is about three blades of grass
CROWN where a thistle was goin' to
seed before; which is pretty darned
good business from the peoples stand
point, / take it."
Tank had found a match and was ig-
hitting the stump OF his cigar.
THE peoples standpoint, ex-
claimed Mr.. Vining in peppery tones,
his anger having been aroused by this
direct assault upon the most sacred
rights of a public service corporation
to monopoly and outrageous profits
90 The peoples standpoint, Who in
blazes said anything about the peo-
pies standpoint"
Tank removed his cigar from his
lips. He leaned forward on his desk.
HIS huge shoulders towering high. and
his great head swinging forward be-
tween them. while his little eyes
glazed over with a kind of dull, in
tense CLEAN. full of antagonism. Il
did," he answered emphatically.
"You?" snorted Vining. you?
You the peoples standpoint" The
OF vested interests
laughed. harsh, discordant note, like
the cackle Of sick hyena-
"By helli" Tank roared with rising
wrath. I'D like TO know who would
'em if l didn't. Who else
gives a damn for EN-? You don't. |
You fellows chew off their necks like !
pack of wolves. II didn't stand be- |
tween you and them you and your |
kind would eat 'em up"
Tank brought his great fist down |
with a bang upon the little table be- |
'ore him. His brows hardened and |
TWO tiny blue lights burned out be- |
meath them, while a great. bullying |
him pushed itself out and frightened |
Ill the muscles of the face until it |
seemed as though rude determination |
mad annexed the whole face of Tank |
and turned ii into the prov Of a bat
leship driving hard ahead. with those |
.wo small blue lamps at the catheads. |
But Mr.. Vining was also reused by /
his seeming impertinence of the vul-
gar boss. He was the representative
If good traditions. He knew what the
deals of government were. He be-
ieved perhaps that ii was creatures
ike Tank who compelled him TO buy
It private barter what there was no /
lse 10 seek for in the open-forgetting 4
hat Just now he was seeking in secret L
o block the progress of a rival which
or all he knew was advancing along II
he open road.
Look here, Tank" he blaZed back.
You're a dirty CRATER. and | know
t. Talk about the people, There
ant anything go through like this
Without you're paid for it; and If
-ou're paid for it. it goes through. it
ont matter a hOt-WaVe in HadeS