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The　Titan

by　Theodore　Dreiser







Chapter　I



The　New　City

When　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　emerged　from　the　Eastern　District　Penitentiary　in　Philadelphia　he　realized　that　the　old　life　he　had　lived　in　that　city　since　boyhood　was　ended。　　His　youth　was　gone；　and　with　it　had　been　lost　the　great　business　prospects　of　his　earlier　manhood。　　He　must　begin　again。

It　would　be　useless　to　repeat　how　a　second　panic　following　upon　a　tremendous　failurethat　of　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。had　placed　a　second　fortune　in　his　hands。　　This　restored　wealth　softened　him　in　some　degree。　　Fate　seemed　to　have　his　personal　welfare　in　charge。　　He　was　sick　of　the　stock…exchange；　anyhow；　as　a　means　of　livelihood；　and　now　decided　that　he　would　leave　it　once　and　for　all。　　He　would　get　in　something　elsestreet…railways；　land　deals；　some　of　the　boundless　opportunities　of　the　far　West。　　Philadelphia　was　no　longer　pleasing　to　him。　　Though　now　free　and　rich；　he　was　still　a　scandal　to　the　pretenders；　and　the　financial　and　social　world　was　not　prepared　to　accept　him。　　He　must　go　his　way　alone；　unaided；　or　only　secretly　so；　while　his　quondam　friends　watched　his　career　from　afar。　　So；　thinking　of　this；　he　took　the　train　one　day；　his　charming　mistress；　now　only　twenty…six；　coming　to　the　station　to　see　him　off。　　He　looked　at　her　quite　tenderly；　for　she　was　the　quintessence　of　a　certain　type　of　feminine　beauty。

〃By…by；　dearie；〃　he　smiled；　as　the　train…bell　signaled　the　approaching　departure。　　〃You　and　I　will　get　out　of　this　shortly。　　Don't　grieve。　I'll　be　back　in　two　or　three　weeks；　or　I'll　send　for　you。　　I'd　take　you　now；　only　I　don't　know　how　that　country　is　out　there。　We'll　fix　on　some　place；　and　then　you　watch　me　settle　this　fortune　question。　　We'll　not　live　under　a　cloud　always。　　I'll　get　a　divorce；　and　we'll　marry；　and　things　will　come　right　with　a　bang。　　Money　will　do　that。〃

He　looked　at　her　with　his　large；　cool；　penetrating　eyes；　and　she　clasped　his　cheeks　between　her　hands。

〃Oh；　Frank；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I'll　miss　you　so！　You're　all　I　have。〃

〃In　two　weeks；〃　he　smiled；　as　the　train　began　to　move；　〃I'll　wire　or　be　back。　　Be　good；　sweet。〃

She　followed　him　with　adoring　eyesa　fool　of　love；　a　spoiled　child；　a　family　pet；　amorous；　eager；　affectionate；　the　type　so　strong　a　man　would　naturally　likeshe　tossed　her　pretty　red　gold　head　and　waved　him　a　kiss。　　Then　she　walked　away　with　rich；　sinuous；　healthy　stridesthe　type　that　men　turn　to　look　after。

〃That's　herthat's　that　Butler　girl；〃　observed　one　railroad　clerk　to　another。　　〃Gee！　a　man　wouldn't　want　anything　better　than　that；　would　he？〃

It　was　the　spontaneous　tribute　that　passion　and　envy　invariably　pay　to　health　and　beauty。　　On　that　pivot　swings　the　world。

Never　in　all　his　life　until　this　trip　had　Cowperwood　been　farther　west　than　Pittsburg。　　His　amazing　commercial　adventures；　brilliant　as　they　were；　had　been　almost　exclusively　confined　to　the　dull；　staid　world　of　Philadelphia；　with　its　sweet　refinement　in　sections；　its　pretensions　to　American　social　supremacy；　its　cool　arrogation　of　traditional　leadership　in　commercial　life；　its　history；　conservative　wealth；　unctuous　respectability；　and　all　the　tastes　and　avocations　which　these　imply。　　He　had；　as　he　recalled；　almost　mastered　that　pretty　world　and　made　its　sacred　precincts　his　own　when　the　crash　came。　　Practically　he　had　been　admitted。　　Now　he　was　an　Ishmael；　an　ex…convict；　albeit　a　millionaire。　　But　wait！　The　race　is　to　the　swift；　he　said　to　himself　over　and　over。　　Yes；　and　the　battle　is　to　the　strong。　　He　would　test　whether　the　world　would　trample　him　under　foot　or　no。

Chicago；　when　it　finally　dawned　on　him；　came　with　a　rush　on　the　second　morning。　　He　had　spent　two　nights　in　the　gaudy　Pullman　then　provideda　car　intended　to　make　up　for　some　of　the　inconveniences　of　its　arrangements　by　an　over…elaboration　of　plush　and　tortured　glasswhen　the　first　lone　outposts　of　the　prairie　metropolis　began　to　appear。　　The　side…tracks　along　the　road…bed　over　which　he　was　speeding　became　more　and　more　numerous；　the　telegraph…poles　more　and　more　hung　with　arms　and　strung　smoky…thick　with　wires。　　In　the　far　distance；　cityward；　was；　here　and　there；　a　lone　working…man's　cottage；　the　home　of　some　adventurous　soul　who　had　planted　his　bare　hut　thus　far　out　in　order　to　reap　the　small　but　certain　advantage　which　the　growth　of　the　city　would　bring。

The　land　was　flatas　flat　as　a　tablewith　a　waning　growth　of　brown　grass　left　over　from　the　previous　year；　and　stirring　faintly　in　the　morning　breeze。　　Underneath　were　signs　of　the　new　greenthe　New　Year's　flag　of　its　disposition。　　For　some　reason　a　crystalline　atmosphere　enfolded　the　distant　hazy　outlines　of　the　city；　holding　the　latter　like　a　fly　in　amber　and　giving　it　an　artistic　subtlety　which　touched　him。　　Already　a　devotee　of　art；　ambitious　for　connoisseurship；　who　had　had　his　joy；　training；　and　sorrow　out　of　the　collection　he　had　made　and　lost　in　Philadelphia；　he　appreciated　almost　every　suggestion　of　a　delightful　picture　in　nature。

The　tracks；　side　by　side；　were　becoming　more　and　more　numerous。　　Freight…cars　were　assembled　here　by　thousands　from　all　parts　of　the　countryyellow；　red；　blue；　green；　white。　　（Chicago；　he　recalled；　already　had　thirty　railroads　terminating　here；　as　though　it　were　the　end　of　the　world。）　The　little　low　one　and　two　story　houses；　quite　new　as　to　wood；　were　frequently　unpainted　and　already　smoky　in　places　grimy。　　At　grade…crossings；　where　ambling　street…cars　and　wagons　and　muddy…wheeled　buggies　waited；　he　noted　how　flat　the　streets　were；　how　unpaved；　how　sidewalks　went　up　and　down　rhythmicallyhere　a　flight　of　steps；　a　veritable　platform　before　a　house；　there　a　long　stretch　of　boards　laid　flat　on　the　mud　of　the　prairie　itself。　　What　a　city！　Presently　a　branch　of　the　filthy；　arrogant；　self…sufficient　little　Chicago　River　came　into　view；　with　its　mass　of　sputtering　tugs；　its　black；　oily　water；　its　tall；　red；　brown；　and　green　grain…elevators；　its　immense　black　coal…pockets　and　yellowish…brown　lumber…yards。

Here　was　life；　he　saw　it　at　a　flash。　　Here　was　a　seething　city　in　the　making。　　There　was　something　dynamic　in　the　very　air　which　appealed　to　his　fancy。　　How　different；　for　some　reason；　from　Philadelphia！　That　was　a　stirring　city；　too。　　He　had　thought　it　wonderful　at　one　time；　quite　a　world；　but　this　thing；　while　obviously　infinitely　worse；　was　better。　　It　was　more　youthful；　more　hopeful。　In　a　flare　of　morning　sunlight　pouring　between　two　coal…pockets；　and　because　the　train　had　stopped　to　let　a　bridge　swing　and　half　a　dozen　great　grain　and　lumber　boats　go　bya　half…dozen　in　either　directionhe　saw　a　group　of　Irish　stevedores　idling　on　the　bank　of　a　lumber…yard　whose　wall　skirted　the　water。　　Healthy　men　they　were；　in　blue　or　red　shirt…sleeves；　stout　straps　about　their　waists；　short　pipes　in　their　mouths；　fine；　hardy；　nutty…brown　specimens　of　humanity。　　Why　were　they　so　appealing；　he　asked　himself。　　This　raw；　dirty　town　seemed　naturally　to　compose　itself　into　stirring　artistic　pictures。　　Why；　it　fairly　sang！　The　world　was　young　here。　Life　was　doing　something　new。　　Perhaps　he　had　better　not　go　on　to　the　Northwest　at　all；　he　would　decide　that　question　later。

In　the　mean　time　he　had　letters　of　introduction　to　distinguished　Chicagoans；　and　these　he　would　present。　　He　wanted　to　talk　to　some　bankers　and　grain　and　commission　men。　　The　stock…exchange　of　Chicago　interested　him；　for　the　intricacies　of　that　business　he　knew　backward　and　forward；　and　some　great　grain　transactions　had　been　made　here。

The　train　finally　rolled　past　the　shabby　backs　of　houses　into　a　long；　shabbily　covered　series　of　platformssheds　having　only　roofsand　amidst　a　clatter　of　trucks　hauling　trunks；　and　engines　belching　steam；　and　passengers　hurrying　to　and　fro　he　made　his　way　out　into　Canal　Street　and　hailed　a　waiting　cabone　of　a　long　line　of　vehicles　that　bespoke　a　metropolitan　spirit。　　He　had　fixed　on　the　Grand　Pacific　as　the　most　important　hotelthe　one　with　the　most　social　significanceand　thither　he　asked　to　be　driven。　　On　the　way　he　studied　these　streets　as　in　the　matter　of　art　he　would　have　studied　a　picture。　　The　little　yellow；　blue；　green；　white；　and　brown　street…cars　which　he　saw　trundling　here　and　there；　the　tired；　bony　horses；　jingling　bells　at　their　throats；　touched　him。　They　were　flimsy　affairs；　these　cars；　merely　highly　varnished　kindling…wood　with　bits　of　polished　brass　and　glass　stuck　about　them；　but　he　realized　what　fortunes　they　portended　if　the　city　grew。　　Street…cars；　he　knew；　were　his　natural　vocation。　　Even　more　than　stock…brokerage；　even　more　than　banking；　even　more　than　stock…organization　he　loved　the　thought　of　street…cars　and　the　vast　manipulative　life　it　suggested。




Chapter　II



A　Reconnoiter

The　city　of　Chicago；　with　whose　development　the　personality　of　Frank　Algernon　Cowperwood　was　soon　to　be　definitely　linked！　To　whom　may　the　laurels　as　laureate　of　this　Florence　of　the　West　yet　fall？　This　singing　flame　of　a　city；　this　all　America；　this　poet　in　chaps　and　buckskin；　this　rude；　raw　Titan；　this　Burns　of　a　city！　By　its　shimmering　lake　it　lay；　a　king　of　shreds　and　patches；　a　maundering　yokel　with　an　epic　in　its　mouth；　a　tramp；　a　hobo　among　cities；　with　the　grip　of　Caesar　in　its　mind；　the　dramatic　force　of　Euripides　in　its　soul。　　A　very　bard　of　a　city　this；　singing　of　high　deeds　and　high　hopes；　its　heavy　brogans　buried　deep　in　the　mire　of　circumstance。　　Take　Athens；　oh；　Greece！　Italy；　do　you　keep　Rome！　This　was　the　Babylon；　the　Troy；　the　Nineveh　of　a　younger　day。　　Here　came　the　gaping　West　and　the　hopeful　East　to　see。　　Here　hungry　men；　raw　from　the　shops　and　fields；　idyls　and　romances　in　their　minds；　builded　them　an　empire　crying　glory　in　the　mud。

From　New　York；　Vermont；　New　Hampshire；　Maine　had　come　a　strange　company；　earnest；　patient；　determined；　unschooled　in　even　the　primer　of　refinement；　hungry　for　something　the　significance　of　which；　when　they　had　it；　they　could　not　even　guess；　anxious　to　be　called　great；　determined　so　to　be　without　ever　knowing　how。　　Here　came　the　dreamy　gentleman　of　the　South；　robbed　of　his　patrimony；　the　hopeful　student　of　Yale　and　Harvard　and　Princeton；　the　enfranchised　miner　of　California　and　the　Rockies；　his　bags　of　gold　and　silver　in　his　hands。　　Here　was　alread