El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-04
CHAPTER XI.
By
FRANCIS LYNDE

- F Evan Blount had been anticipat-
ing an unfriendly reception at the
FL great mining camp in the Carna-
dine hills he was agreeably dis
appointed. A committee of prominent
citizens. headed by Jasper Steuchfield,
the reform chairman for Carnadine
county, met him at the train, escorted
him to the hotel and during the after
noon. which was at his disposal, gave
him joyously and hilariously the free
dom Of the camp.
The political meeting, which was
held in the Carnadine Mining COM
pany's electric lighted ore shed, was
packed with an enthusiastic audience
and there were prolonged cheers and
handclappings when the railroad rep
resentative took his seat on the i'm
provised platform as the guest of the
committee.
Later, when Judge Crowley, the re-
form candidate for the state senate,
had opened the joint debate with a
sharp arraignment OF the railroads
methods, not only in its dealings with
its patrons as a common carrier, but
also in the pertinacity with which 1t
invaded the political field, there was
tumultuous applause. But it was no
heartier than that which greeted
Blount when he rose to present the
railroads side Of the argument.
During the journey from the capital,
which had consumed the night and the
greater portion Of the forenoon, he
hads prepared his speech His argu-
ment-the one unanswerable argument,
as it seemed to him-was the existence
of law which presumed to limit the
Warnings of a private or at most a
quasi public corporation, without MAX
ing a corresponding regulation limit
ing the cost Of such a corporations
service Upon this foundation he was
able to build very fair structure of
oratory.
The Judge, his opponent, was a rath-
er turgid man, whose speech abounded
In flights of spread eagle eloquence
and whose appeal was to the emotions
and the impulses of his audience.
BIount, on the other hand, made a
typical lawyers speech, calmly deliv-
cred, logical in every syllogism and
appealing frankly to the intelligence
of his hearers In every period Of it
he was greeted with generous ap-
plause, and at the close Of the meet
ing he had what the editor Of the local
paper called in his issue Of the follow
ing day ian ovation"
Steuchfeld and his fellow commit
teemen escorted him to the midnight
train, and no one in the crowd of con-
gratulators was more enthusiastic than
the opposition chairman.
THAT was a great speech, Mr..
Blount," he said at parting. eff you-
can go all over the state making as
good talks as you have made here to-
night you'll tie us all up in a hard
knot But McYickar won't let you do
it, not by long shot"
Blount laughed. There are no
strings tied to me, Mr. Steuchf1eld," he
declared. This is a new deal, and 1
am the dealer. Come down to the
capital and let me convince you that
we are out for open publicity and a
square deal for every man. including
the railroad man.
"All right" was the cordial reply.
"I'n be down along some of these
days. and if you can show me that
McVickar isn't going into politics any
further than you have gone here to-
night I'll promise you to come back
here and tell the boys that the jig is
up"
Five minutes later the branch train
pulled out, and the chairman and his
fellow committeeman gave the depart
ing joint debater three cheers and an
other When the red tail lights Of the
train had disappeared around the first
curve Steuchfield turned to his fellow
conspirators.
"Wel, boys" he said. with grin
that went from ear to ear, II guess