the titan-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


way　had　originally　been　owned　by　the　Chicago　City　or　South　Side　Railway；　but　was　now　a　separate　corporation。　　It　was　not　yet　so　profitable　as　the　other　divisions　of　the　city；　but　all　sections　of　the　city　were　growing。　　The　horse…bell　was　heard　everywhere　tinkling　gaily。

Standing　on　the　outside　of　this　scene；　contemplating　its　promise；　Cowperwood　much　more　than　any　one　else　connected　financially　with　the　future　of　these　railways　at　this　time　was　impressed　with　their　enormous　possibilitiestheir　enormous　future　if　Chicago　continued　to　grow；　and　was　concerned　with　the　various　factors　which　might　further　or　impede　their　progress。

Not　long　before　he　had　discovered　that　one　of　the　chief　handicaps　to　street…railway　development；　on　the　North　and　West　Sides；　lay　in　the　congestion　of　traffic　at　the　bridges　spanning　the　Chicago　River。　　Between　the　street　ends　that　abutted　on　it　and　connected　the　two　sides　of　the　city　ran　this　amazing　streamdirty；　odorous；　picturesque；　compact　of　a　heavy；　delightful；　constantly　crowding　and　moving　boat　traffic；　which　kept　the　various　bridges　momentarily　turning；　and　tied　up　the　street　traffic　on　either　side　of　the　river　until　it　seemed　at　times　as　though　the　tangle　of　teams　and　boats　would　never　any　more　be　straightened　out。　　It　was　lovely；　human；　natural；　Dickensesquea　fit　subject　for　a　Daumier；　a　Turner；　or　a　Whistler。　　The　idlest　of　bridge…tenders　judged　for　himself　when　the　boats　and　when　the　teams　should　be　made　to　wait；　and　how　long；　while　in　addition　to　the　regular　pedestrians　a　group　of　idlers　stood　at　gaze　fascinated　by　the　crowd　of　masts；　the　crush　of　wagons；　and　the　picturesque　tugs　in　the　foreground　below。　　Cowperwood；　as　he　sat　in　his　light　runabout；　annoyed　by　a　delay；　or　dashed　swiftly　forward　to　get　over　before　a　bridge　turned；　had　long　since　noted　that　the　street…car　service　in　the　North　and　West　Sides　was　badly　hampered。　　The　unbroken　South　Side；　unthreaded　by　a　river；　had　no　such　problem；　and　was　growing　rapidly。

Because　of　this　he　was　naturally　interested　to　observe　one　day；　in　the　course　of　his　peregrinations；　that　there　existed　in　two　places　under　the　Chicago　Riverin　the　first　place　at　La　Salle　Street；　running　north　and　south；　and　in　the　second　at　Washington　Street；　running　east　and　westtwo　now　soggy　and　rat…infested　tunnels　which　were　never　used　by　anybodydark；　dank；　dripping　affairs　only　vaguely　lighted　with　oil…lamp；　and　oozing　with　water。　Upon　investigation　he　learned　that　they　had　been　built　years　before　to　accommodate　this　same　tide　of　wagon　traffic；　which　now　congested　at　the　bridges；　and　which　even　then　had　been　rapidly　rising。　　Being　forced　to　pay　a　toll　in　time　to　which　a　slight　toll　in　cash；　exacted　for　the　privilege　of　using　a　tunnel；　had　seemed　to　the　investors　and　public　infinitely　to　be　preferred；　this　traffic　had　been　offered　this　opportunity　of　avoiding　the　delay。　　However；　like　many　another　handsome　commercial　scheme　on　paper　or　bubbling　in　the　human　brain；　the　plan　did　not　work　exactly。　　These　tunnels　might　have　proved　profitable　if　they　had　been　properly　built　with　long；　low…per…cent。　grades；　wide　roadways；　and　a　sufficiency　of　light　and　air；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　had　not　been　judiciously　adapted　to　public　convenience。　　Norman　Schryhart's　father　had　been　an　investor　in　these　tunnels；　and　Anson　Merrill。　　When　they　had　proved　unprofitable；　after　a　long　period　of　pointless　manipulation　cost；　one　million　dollarsthey　had　been　sold　to　the　city　for　exactly　that　sum　each；　it　being　poetically　deemed　that　a　growing　city　could　better　afford　to　lose　so　disturbing　an　amount　than　any　of　its　humble；　ambitious；　and　respectable　citizens。　　That　was　a　little　affair　by　which　members　of　council　had　profited　years　before；　but　that　also　is　another　story。

After　discovering　these　tunnels　Cowperwood　walked　through　them　several　timesfor　though　they　were　now　boarded　up；　there　was　still　an　uninterrupted　footpathand　wondered　why　they　could　not　be　utilized。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　if　the　street…car　traffic　were　heavy　enough；　profitable　enough；　and　these　tunnels；　for　a　reasonable　sum；　could　be　made　into　a　lower　grade；　one　of　the　problems　which　now　hampered　the　growth　of　the　North　and　West　Sides　would　be　obviated。　　But　how？　He　did　not　own　the　tunnels。　　He　did　not　own　the　street…railways。　　The　cost　of　leasing　and　rebuilding　the　tunnels　would　be　enormous。　　Helpers　and　horses　and　extra　drivers　on　any　grade；　however　slight；　would　have　to　be　used；　and　that　meant　an　extra　expense。　　With　street…car　horses　as　the　only　means　of　traction；　and　with　the　long；　expensive　grades；　he　was　not　so　sure　that　this　venture　would　be　a　profitable　one。

However；　in　the　fall　of　1880；　or　a　little　earlier　（when　he　was　still　very　much　entangled　with　the　preliminary　sex　affairs　that　led　eventually　to　Rita　Sohlberg）；　he　became　aware　of　a　new　system　of　traction　relating　to　street…cars　which；　together　with　the　arrival　of　the　arc…light；　the　telephone；　and　other　inventions；　seemed　destined　to　change　the　character　of　city　life　entirely。

Recently　in　San　Francisco；　where　the　presence　of　hills　made　the　movement　of　crowded　street…railway　cars　exceedingly　difficult；　a　new　type　of　traction　had　been　introducedthat　of　the　cable；　which　was　nothing　more　than　a　traveling　rope　of　wire　running　over　guttered　wheels　in　a　conduit；　and　driven　by　immense　engines；　conveniently　located　in　adjacent　stations　or　〃power…houses。〃　The　cars　carried　a　readily　manipulated　〃grip…lever；〃　or　steel　hand；　which　reached　down　through　a　slot　into　a　conduit　and　〃gripped〃　the　moving　cable。　This　invention　solved　the　problem　of　hauling　heavily　laden　street…cars　up　and　down　steep　grades。　　About　the　same　time　he　also　heard；　in　a　roundabout　way；　that　the　Chicago　City　Railway；　of　which　Schryhart　and　Merrill　were　the　principal　owners；　was　about　to　introduce　this　mode　of　traction　on　its　linesto　cable　State　Street；　and　attach　the　cars　of　other　lines　running　farther　out　into　unprofitable　districts　as　〃trailers。〃　At　once　the　solution　of　the　North　and　West　Side　problems　flashed　upon　himcables。

Outside　of　the　bridge　crush　and　the　tunnels　above　mentioned；　there　was　one　other　special　condition　which　had　been　for　some　time　past　attracting　Cowperwood's　attention。　　This　was　the　waning　energy　of　the　North　Chicago　City　Railway　Companythe　lack　of　foresight　on　the　part　of　its　directors　which　prevented　them　from　perceiving　the　proper　solution　of　their　difficulties。　　The　road　was　in　a　rather　unsatisfactory　state　financiallyreally　open　to　a　coup　of　some　sort。　　In　the　beginning　it　had　been　considered　unprofitable；　so　thinly　populated　was　the　territory　they　served；　and　so　short　the　distance　from　the　business　heart。　　Later；　however；　as　the　territory　filled　up；　they　did　better；　only　then　the　long　waits　at　the　bridges　occurred。　　The　management；　feeling　that　the　lines　were　likely　to　be　poorly　patronized；　had　put　down　poor；　little；　light…weight　rails；　and　run　slimpsy　cars　which　were　as　cold　as　ice　in　winter　and　as　hot　as　stove…ovens　in　summer。　　No　attempt　had　been　made　to　extend　the　down…town　terminus　of　the　several　lines　into　the　business　centerthey　stopped　just　over　the　river　which　bordered　it　at　the　north。　　（On　the　South　Side　Mr。　Schryhart　had　done　much　better　for　his　patrons。　　He　had　already　installed　a　loop　for　his　cable　about　Merrill's　store。）　As　on　the　West　Side；　straw　was　strewn　in　the　bottom　of　all　the　cars　in　winter　to　keep　the　feet　of　the　passengers　warm；　and　but　few　open　cars　were　used　in　summer。　　The　directors　were　averse　to　introducing　them　because　of　the　expense。　　So　they　had　gone　on　and　on；　adding　lines　only　where　they　were　sure　they　would　make　a　good　profit　from　the　start；　putting　down　the　same　style　of　cheap　rail　that　had　been　used　in　the　beginning；　and　employing　the　same　antique　type　of　car　which　rattled　and　trembled　as　it　ran；　until　the　patrons　were　enraged　to　the　point　of　anarchy。　Only　recently；　because　of　various　suits　and　complaints　inaugurated；　the　company　had　been　greatly　annoyed；　but　they　scarcely　knew　what　to　do；　how　to　meet　the　onslaught。　　Though　there　was　here　and　there　a　man　of　sensesuch　as　Terrence　Mulgannon；　the　general　superintendent；　Edwin　Kaffrath；　a　director；　William　Johnson；　the　constructing　engineer　of　the　companyyet　such　other　men　as　Onias　C。　Skinner；　the　president；　and　Walter　Parker；　the　vice…president；　were　reactionaries　of　an　elderly　character；　conservative；　meditative；　stingy；　and；　worst　of　all；　fearful　or　without　courage　for　great　adventure。　　It　is　a　sad　commentary　that　age　almost　invariably　takes　away　the　incentive　to　new　achievement　and　makes　〃Let　well　enough　alone〃　the　most　appealing　motto。

Mindful　of　this；　Cowperwood；　with　a　now　splendid　scheme　in　his　mind；　one　day　invited　John　J。　McKenty　over　to　his　house　to　dinner　on　a　social　pretext。　　When　the　latter；　accompanied　by　his　wife；　had　arrived；　and　Aileen　had　smiled　on　them　both　sweetly；　and　was　doing　her　best　to　be　nice　to　Mrs。　McKenty；　Cowperwood　remarked：

〃McKenty；　do　you　know　anything　about　these　two　tunnels　that　the　city　owns　under　the　river　at　Washington　and　La　Salle　streets？〃

〃I　know　that　the　city　took　them　over　when　it　didn't　need　them；　and　that　they're　no　good　for　anything。　　That　was　before　my　time；　though；〃　explained　McKenty；　cautiously。　　〃I　think　the　city　paid　a　million　for　them。　　Why？〃

〃Oh；　nothing　much；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　evading　the　matter　for　the　present。　　〃I　was　wondering　whether　they　were　in　such　condition　that　they　couldn't　be　used　for　anything。　　I　see　occasional　references　in　the　papers　to　their　uselessness。〃

〃They're　in　pretty　bad　shape；　I'm　afraid；〃　replied　McKenty。　　〃I　haven't　been　through　either　of　them　in　years　and　years。　　The　idea　was　originally　to　let　the　wagons　go　through　them　and　break　up　the　crowding　at　the　bridges。　　But　it　didn't　work。　　They　made　the　grade　too　steep　and　the　tolls　too　high；　and　so　the　drivers　preferred　to　wait　for　the　bridges。　　They　were　pretty　hard　on　horses。　　I　can　testify　to　that　myself。　　I've　driven　a　wagon…load　through　them　more　than　once。　　The　city　should　never　have　taken　them　over　at　all　by　rights。　　It　was　a　deal。　　I　don't　know　who　all　was　in　it。　　Carmody　was　mayor　then；　and　Aldrich　was　in　charge　of　public　works。〃

He　relapsed　into　silence；　and　Cowperwood　allowed　the　matter　of　the　tunnels　to　rest　until　after　dinner　when　they