The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-06-06
CHAPTER TX.

The story Wright had printed the
first day and the reply it drew from
the Banner the next morning caused
the News to be awaited with undis-
guised eagerness on the second after
noon. This was heightened on the
part of the men in the syndicate in
terested in the franchise by the. perth
nent questions put to them in the
morning by News reporters. David
Kerr was called on the telephone half
a dozen times by his lieutenants, and
arrangements were made to have a
line open to Esmeralda Springs at
three-thirty, the hour when the News
was issued.
Although they were prepared to dis
count some of the story because OF
the questions asked them, yet none of
the ring men was prepared for reve-
lation of the scheme such as the News
made Black headlines ran across
four columns and the story also took
up most of the second page. There
was a map of the proposed interurban
route, and pictures of pretty homes on
Maple Avenue. But from one end Of
the story to the other there was no
mention of David Kerr or Of the local
backing being given the bill before
the council. 1t was expressly stated
that the incorporators of the new COM
pany were merely dummies and that
they were acting in the interest Of the
stockyards company.
Amos Gilbert in an interview denied
any knowledge of the transaction. say
ing that his connection with the stock
yards company was merely nominal
and that he did not even know If the
company was interested in the line
proposed He did not see how, as a
company, it could be.
Gilbert sat in his office as soon as he
secured a paper and read the story
word for word over the telephone to
Kerr. The latter promptly announced
that he would be home the next day,
and ordered that Gloria be taken from
Belmont on any pretext whatever for
allowed to die down. The next day
was Sunday, on which Wright pub
llshed no paper, and Kerr would be
nome before another issued appeared.
he agreed with Gilbert that the Ban
ner ought to ridicule the alleged ex-
pose
Sunday night, much to her surprise
but not much against her will, Gloria
went to st. Louis with Mrs. Gilbert to
pick out furniture for Locust Lawn.
returned from Esmeralda Springs that
morning and had been closeted all aft
ernoon with Gilbert and John Ken
dali, who had hurried to Belmont in
response to telegram. The girl had
not seen Wright all day, nor had she
seen him Saturday, but there came
from him a box of roses at noon.
Little witch that she was, she meant
to surprise him by sending him note
of thanks from st. Louis. She knew
there on her hint that they would be
glad to see him.
Wright received her note and per-
ceived the slightly yelled invitation,
but ne was too busy even to answer. |
1t was a week that contained more ex-
element than Belmont had seen since,
q frontier village, it had struggled
with the question of whether the state |
should secede or remain in the Union.
David Kerr found himself confronted
by formidable line of battle. The |
Banner kept pounding away at the
News. but the afternoon paper was
not to be diverted from its purpose.
The citizens on Maple Avenue formed
The Maple League, and wore buttons
On which were q maple leaf and the
legend. Help US save our homes"
The car line was to run through the
'eyenth and eighth wards, and the
ladermen in those wards were del
zged with letters, post cards. tele-
phsae calls and personal visits. Fin