The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-07-24

N5SSNI making fact
gs The last stubborn holdout,
surrendering to Hampden's skilIful ne
gotations. to necessity and pressure
Of public opinion. had been led tri-
umphantly into camp-and on Hamp-
dcn's terms Among the hills west
Of town things began to happen under
his furceful direction. A spur from the
railroad was being constructed. A vii
tage of rough shanties was hastily
thrown together to house the colony
Of miners that was to be brought
later. An atmosphere of busnesslike
haste pervaded New Chelsea. The price
OF real estate promptly advanced. Vi
sions of expansion. of prosperity, filled
the eye.
Cranshawe one day explained to
John why he and his Deer TOWNSHIP:
neighbors had capitulated.
I'VE got to take what we eau git. 1t
takes lot O money to develop ccA.
lands Hampdcn has tan we hain't,
We found he'd got all the right @
ways II we could find any one to
buy our coal. he couldn't "a shipped.
'ceptin' over Hampden's right o way
l don't like to be held up, but it's my
onl.- chance to leave anything fer my
Children
Il hope it will all turn out for the
best said John, fearing-he hardly
knew why-that it might not so turn
! out.
Seems like" said Cranslawc, "the
| feller with money has the whip hand
| or develop. Trouble is. even when we
know It's wrong. we don't want tC
change it. hopin' that some day it'll
| give us 4 chanct to make money the
same way
"Oh. nor' John protested. I'D hate
to believe that can't believe it
Men aren't all Of the dog -eat-dog spe
cies."
WELL" said Ri, little ashamed. &c
| don't know as I believe it myself
| Guess I'm little peevish over bein
/ outlargained by Steve Hampden.
wislh." he added thoughtfnlly. "yo,
could I,c lawyer fer the company. I
looks like MS farmers won't have mucl
say in the business. I'd like to have
some one on the inside who could tel
MS what's goin' on"
"No chance Of that. Ri Hampdcl
doesn't think much of me-" He did no
tell cranshawe why he had lost tn
capitalists favor.
The net result of his quixOtism, h
thought with some bitterness. was II
win Hampden's hostility and to pm
himself out Of the way of protecting
his farmer friends.
And late in October occurred his par
tvs rally.
1t was necessary to marshal th
badly shaken party hosts. For int
Benton county had marched yO,n
man who, in n single opposition speech
broke through the defenses so pains
takingIy reared by Jeremy Applegat
and his fellow soldiers. None othe
than Jerry Brent A big. rawboncf
homely fellow. unconth in manner an
sometimes in grammar. but with
crude. passionate eloquence that Il
ways carried his audience with hin
He had been a coal miner. Il lalW
organizer, aud had, after Il struggl
so common that description stale:
been admitted to the practice of law
In all the thirty five years of his iii
the charge Of material dishonesty ha
never l,ecn raised against him; he wa
still poor And he was counted Il ri:
ing man in the opposition party. nt
with the connivance Of his part
bosses. however. They considered hil
radical. unsafe and-cardinal Grim
, in an honest and unmanageable youn
man-ambitious Respectable peop
sneered ut his "antics." 1t was sal
that his eyes were fixed on the nes
nomination for governor. Even wit
this suspicion ranking in their mind
the bosses dared not-sO popular we
he among labor men-refnse him o.
portunity to speak during the car
paign.
John. an inconspicnous listene
heard Brent's Benton county speec
1t troubled him. 1t seemed to hi
unanswerable Brent. it was tru
dealt in terms of suspicion, not {