The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-05-04

pany."
Every eye was turned to Sledge, but
that omnipotent friend and relentless
foe. without moving cerpuscle. gazed
straight ahead at nothing.
HE Is no friend Of the working
man" swore little Henry Peters
As If infuriated by his impassive-
ness. Attorney Tucker. who was paid
by Sledge for the purpose. fguratively
ripped the big boss up the back. skin
ned him alive, hung up his hide to dry.
and scattered his ashes to the winds.
painting him as an Unsuitable monster.
and chiefly calling attention to his hab-
its Of ruthless devastation. Wherever
the present street car company had a
line the new one would have one on
an adjoining street with newer and
better and swifter cars and a closer
schedule. and unless something radical
were done he would not give a con-
tinental cuss per bale fer the stock of
the now rapidly dying Ring City Street
Railway company.
A long low sigh, like the midnight
soughing in n churchyard, arose from
that meeting as Attorney Tucker sat
down. Little Henry Peters. with a
livid face. clutched the arm of his
waffle necked neighbor. /
III that man had only come back
could have got thirtv-five for my
stockr' he walled. I'm ruined. l
shall lose my home! Frank Marley Is
rotten business manr'
"Yeh!" intoned the crooked nosed
one. They're all thieveA"
Jim Delaney, who, with a clear eye
and straight countenanee, could make
| louder speeches than any man In the
Eighth ward. painted even a blacker
picture than Attorney Tucker, and
| when be sat down he had bankrupted
every stockholder withins the sound of
his voice. 1t even semed incredible
that street car should still be whi3-
zing outside. Little Henry Peters sat
numbly, with his hair clutched In his
hands. II he could have swapped his
| $4,000 worth Of street railway stock for
a jackknife with two broken blades his
conscience would have hurt him, and
every stockholder was In his class.
Misery sat enthrOned on every counte-
nance.
Daniel B. Atkins, rising young law.
yer, with no capital but IN empty con.
science and a silver tongue, was th
first individual since Marley to offer a
gleam of hope.
| He admitted all that the preceding
gentlemen had said and believed, him.
self. that the company was reduced to
pauperism unless something radical
could be done. He had believed this
so thoroughly that he haa lain awake
nights trying to evolve plan for their
salvation.
He had evolved it-a scheme where
by the company could not only raise its
stock to par, but place it at premium;
whereby the company could become a
monopoly and extend its business to
meet the growing demands of the city
and become again a per cent divL
dend concern, capable Of piling up
again tremendous construction sur
plus. On his own responsibility he had
gone to the organizer Of the rival new
company and had labored with him fol-
hours to persuade him to come to this
meeting and lay before it a rather nov.
ell but life saving proposition. Would
the stockholders permit him to intro
duce the eminent promoter and organ.
izer. Mr.. Bozzam, who would present
his proposition in person?
The stockholders would. They said
so, with SO vociferous and almost tear
full a clamor that President Marley
could scarcely make himself heard t.
obtain formal vote on the proposi.
ton.
Mr.. Bozzam entered, with his hair
not too smoothly brushed nor his
clothes not SO immaculate. but he look
ed businesslike and sat down quietly
in the seat courteously offered him by
President Marley. He was wide
shouldered man. with a pleasant coun.
tenance and a good forehead. who look
cd as if he had muscles under his coat.
and he was we'll liked by the con-
course. Little Henry Peters judged
that he was keen business man, but
square and said so.
"Wagh!" nasaled the tow haired
neighbor. Il wouldn't trust anybody"
How many shares of stock have
you got?' asked little Henry.
Three" boasted the waffle necked
one. "AIy brother-in-law give 'em to
me-"
Mr. Marley introduced the caller In
few. neat. aseptic words. He had
met Mr.. Rozzam socially and only
hoped that he would prove as pleasant
commercially.
Laughing gracefully at this clever
turn of speech. Mr.. Bozzam continued
the introduction himself, stating exact
~ who and what he was-an organizer,
representing a group Of eastern capt.
taiists devoted to the promotion and
extension of the street railway indus
tries. Back of his hackers were GER
tain huge electrical, steel and car
building industries. 1t had been his
pleasure to organize and to put In
shape for immediate construction op-
, erations a new company in their own
thriving city. They were ready to be-
gin laying rails ut once, but it had been
earnestly represented to him that the
. manufacturing interests of his group
of capitalists would be just as well
served by permitting the new lines to
Ee erected by the old company. and
, nfter a conference with his principals