The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-25
HIS RISE
POWER
BY HENRY RUSSELL MILLER.
Author OF
"The Man Higher Up"
Copyright. 1911. by the Bobbs-MerriH
Company
CHAPTER vi.
The Call.

DNIhE COnSonuateQ Coal company
Ill u was fact, splendid, epoch
ISTSTN making fact.
- The last stubborn holdout,
surrendering to Hampden's skillful ne
gotiations. to necessity and pressure
of public opinion, had been led tri-
umphantly into camp-and on Hamp-
| denis terms. Among the hills west
of town things began to happen under
his forceful direction. A spur from the
railroad was being constructed. A VII
lage of rough shanties was hastily
thrown together TO house the colony
OF miners that was to be brought
later. An atmosphere of buslnesslike
haste pervaded New Chelsea. The price
of real estate promptly advanced. vi
sions of expansion. Of prosperity. filed
the eye.
Cranshawe one day explained To
John why he and his Deer township
neighbors had capitulated.
I'VE got to take what we can git. IL
takes a lot o. money to develop coal
lands. Hampden has tan we hain't
We found he'd got all the right o.
ways. IL we could find any one to
buy our coal, he couldn't "a shipped.
'ceptin' over Hampden's right o. way.
don't like to be held up, but it's my
only chance to leave anything fer my
children"
81 hope 1t will all turn out for the
BEST said John, fearing-he hardly
knew why-that 1t might not so turn
out.
Seems like" said Cranshawe, "the
Teller with money has the whip hand
over the Teller with something to sell
or developJ Trouble is, even when we
know it's wrong, we don't want to
change it, hopin' that some day it'll
give US a chanel to make money the
same way"
"Oh, nor John protested. I'D hate
to believe that. can't believe 1t.
Men aren't all of the dog-eat-dog spe-
cies"
don't know as I believe 1t myself
Guess I'm a little peevish over bein'
outbargained by Steve Hampden.
WISH" he added thoughtfully, you
could be lawyer fer the company. It
looks like US farmers won't have much
| say In the business ia like TO have
some one on the inside who could tell
US what's goin' on"
mo chance of that, RI Hampden
doesn't think much of me-" He did not
tell Cranshawe why he had lost the
capitalists favor.
The net result of his quixotism, be
thought with some bitterness, was to
win Hampden's hostility and to put
himself out of the way of protecting
his farmer friends.
And late in October occurred his par.
TVS rally. sgua SO
1t was necessary to marshal the
badly shaken party hosts. For into
i Benton county had marched a young
man who, in single opposition speech
i broke through the defenses so pains
l takingly reared by Jeremy Apologize
4 and his fellow soldiers. None other
Il than Jerry Brent A big, rawboned
\ homeIy fellow, uncouth In manner and
sometimes in grammar, but with O
Il crude, passionate eloquence that al
\ ways carried his audience with him
H He had been coal miner, a labor
organizer, and had, after a struggle
II so common that description stales
\ been admitted to the practice Of law
i In all the thirty-five years or bis lifs
II the charge of material dishonesty had
never been raised against him; he wal
\ still poor And he was counted ris
II ing man in the opposition party, no
H with the connivance of his part.
II bosses, however. They considered hin
II q radical, unsafe and-cardinal crfm
Il In an honest and manageable youni
Il man-ambitious. Respectable peopi
II sneered at his "antics." It was sal,
II that his eyes were fixed on the mex
II nomination for governor. Even wit
II this suspicion ranking in their mind
II the bosses dared not-so popular wa
H he among labor men-refuse him or
II portunity to speak during the can
II paign.
II John, an inconspicuous listenel
" heard Brent's Benton county speech
HI Ii troubled him. 1t seemed to hiI
III unanswerable. Brent, 1T was tru,
II dealt in terms OF suspicion, not Q
II facts, but it was a suspicion tha
III found swift echo In the hearts OF hi
III audience. He frankly said as much.
III 1--WE don't govern this state" sal
III Brent. Zone man, Murchell, picks OF
III our officers and tells 'em what to
HI while in Office. You people don't go
III ern Benton county. One man. jill
HI Sheehan, Murchells tool, chooses yot
III commissioners. your treasurers. yoV
HI sheriffs. your district attorneys" job
I'LL WINGED. "And it's wrong, my Godl II
I'LL wrongv' the orator cried passionatel
iiI 1T would be wrong. even IL the
iii men were honest. And I blame yC
III for It You haven't the right to sho'
III your responsibility on other men
Hi shoulders, and they haven't the rig
iii to take the power"
Hi The mans hot, rough eloquen
It'll found Judgment where least expect
~ in Johns heart, already sensitized
his own discoveries and questioning
Jerry Brent was right
The oldest inhabitant could not !
member when the old party had be
so vigorously attacked To stem {
tide of revolt-John felt 1t strongly
his canvass-an old time rally was
be held In the square Sheehan