Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-04

! Mr. French was reformer In politics.
Is one today, wheneyer the opportunity
All during the Rlankenburg Administra.
ton. and before and after, he was out In
the open in his shirt sleeves with his back
to the wall fighting "the machine"
The pertinence of this reference will be
He was against Quay and Martin and
-, Naturally he saw only one side of the
Tsen ths.e 0Sssns ssms the cbsnns Not in hi,
political opinions, but in his personal
| This was the way Of 1t:
j.SENATOR J. p. McNICHOL had just
~ finished the great Torresdale filter plant
lie. with his great contracting equipment,
bee*n looking around for new worlds to
| Howard B. French was at that time pres.
ident Of the Equitable Trust Company.
=, One day James P. McNichol walked into
the Office Of Mr.. French.
I've favor to ask of you, Mr.. French"
said jim with his ready smile and radi.
"A favor of me?" replied the trust com.
pany. president with surprise.
,,.nt YES :. Sir favor, and want you to
But I've no favors to grant you, Sen.
| ator McNichol," said Mr.. French-and I
fancy triae crustilY.
s.nI,o. ,su. ask ,s this Specially won't on the
| you've often called me a boss and a
CRATER: said I'd been cleaning up enormous
pronts on my city work. want the chance
to prove that you're wrong"
Mr.. French.
well. just listen. ] want you to select
one. or as many rs you like. of the very
best engineers and accountants. have him
| make q detailed examination OF the Torres
MI 4
my books and accounts at his disposal. II
| he finds that I've made more than 1OI% pcr
cent profit on that job I'll refund to The
city every cent ovef"that amount"
T DON'T know just the words he used. but
l. a. Howard % B. French turned the PROPOSE
But Jim McNichol refused to stop
| with that.
He came back from another aRglc.
| TEL you what IN do, then he cor.
tinued. unabashed
You name the man or men. those in
whose integrity YOU have the fullest conf
dence, to do the work. I'll foot the bill
with the understanding that they report
directly to you. ! don't want to know wha,
'nerh rbon innings az on til, get them from you
I'm out to pr9ve to you that you've
sized me up wrong on this proposition
A ETIIOCGH a Quaker. Howard French
"A could not resist such n clean .cut sport
ing proposition, coming from an opponent
like McNichol.
He called in one of his trust company
officials and asked him If he. knowing all
the circumstances. could name such a man.
lie could-and he did.
accountants. went through the books and
bills and vouchers with fine -toothcd comb
As for the Torresdale filter job. from the
engineering standpoint, it passed inspection
with colors flying.
1t was huge undertaking carried to sue
cessful completion.
But the contractors profits on this city
| job?
One day Mr.. French sent for the con
tractor.
imagine. from my informauts dcscrp.
tion, that the trust company presidents
manner had altered toward Senator Nc.
Nichol
He Informed the latter that the experts
had reported and he was ready to communi-
cate their finding.
II showed that James p. McNicho had
made a profit on the great undertaking Of
something like 1O1- per cent.
n than the usual legitimate profit on such
| a piece of construction work.
Now the sequel
From that day Howard b. French and
| James y. McNichol became firm friends.
The Senator, with his outspoken blunt.
| put over political schemes that might not
stand the fierce glare of rigid examination.
AS n business man, however, he prided
| himself that he wasn't afraid to lot In the
sunlight on any OF his transactions with
| the city.
| Long after 'Jim'' McNichol had passed
| away, when mutual friend made some
harsh comment on the business principles Of
| the Senator. Howard B. French halted him
| with culogy on the dead leader.
| A MOTHER unusual feature. and it shows
| n how men, bitter opponents in politics,
| find out the good that Is in each other. cane
to light in this same connection.
When Israel Durham, long Senator Nc.
! Nichols side partner in machine politics
! died. he made Howard B. Frenchs trust
| company his executor.
And in all the intricacics of settling Dur.
| hams estate Mr.. French was the guardian
| Of the dead leaders, interests.
| TTYII.\T incident shows the silver side Of
I i the political shield.
! Let us look on the reverse the golden
| Some time ago political leader died.
| leaving wife to whom he was tenderly at
tachcd through thirty five years of happy
| married life.
She is a frail. delicate woman, gray.
haired. broken. disconsolate.
| One Of her husbands friends was a great
| jurist. one Of those big souled men who
never forget Il friendship.
| lie hadn't heard from the widow for many
| months.
| One day recently he took ono Of his asso-
| ciatcs both Scptuagenarians got n taxi and
drove into the outskirts Of the town whore
| she lived in retirement with on aged sister.
| One carried big box Of candy, the other
a great bunch Of roses.
| When they entered the beautiful home
| the widow Of his FRIEND nervous and dis
| traught. broke down and cried OH his shoul-
der as she brokcnly tried to express her
| gratitude for his visit.
lie talked TO her Of the old days. led her
to chair and ca'med her, cheered the
bcrcavcd home than it had known for
months.
| When the two distinguished callers left