the titan-第51部分

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s　in　cash　now　and　consider　this　thing　closed？〃

〃One　million；〃　replied　Purdy；　looking　sternly　at　the　ceiling。　〃Very　well；　Mr。　Purdy；〃　replied　Cowperwood。　　〃I'm　very　sorry。　　It's　plain　to　me　that　we　can't　do　business　as　I　had　hoped。　　I'm　willing　to　pay　you　a　reasonable　sum；　but　what　you　ask　is　far　too　muchpreposterous！　Don't　you　think　you'd　better　reconsider？　We　might　move　the　tunnel　even　yet。〃

〃One　million　dollars；〃　said　Purdy。

〃It　can't　be　done；　Mr。　Purdy。　　It　isn't　worth　it。　　Why　won't　you　be　fair？　Call　it　three　hundred　and　twenty…five　thousand　dollars　cash；　and　my　check　to…night。〃

〃I　wouldn't　take　five　or　six　hundred　thousand　dollars　if　you　were　to　offer　it　to　me；　Mr。　Cowperwood；　to…night　or　any　other　time。　　I　know　my　rights。〃

〃Very　well；　then；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　〃that's　all　I　can　say。　　If　you　won't　sell；　you　won't　sell。　　Perhaps　you'll　change　your　mind　later。〃

Mr。　Purdy　went　out；　and　Cowperwood　called　in　his　lawyers　and　his　engineers。　　One　Saturday　afternoon；　a　week　or　two　later；　when　the　building　in　question　had　been　vacated　for　the　day；　a　company　of　three　hundred　laborers；　with　wagons；　picks；　shovels；　and　dynamite　sticks；　arrived。　　By　sundown　of　the　next　day　（which；　being　Sunday；　was　a　legal　holiday；　with　no　courts　open　or　sitting　to　issue　injunctions）　this　comely　structure；　the　private　property　of　Mr。　Redmond　Purdy；　was　completely　razed　and　a　large　excavation　substituted　in　its　stead。　　The　gentleman　of　the　celluloid　cuffs　and　collars；　when　informed　about　nine　o'clock　of　this　same　Sunday　morning　that　his　building　had　been　almost　completely　removed；　was　naturally　greatly　perturbed。　　A　portion　of　the　wall　was　still　standing　when　he　arrived；　hot　and　excited；　and　the　police　were　appealed　to。

But；　strange　to　say；　this　was　of　little　avail；　for　they　were　shown　a　writ　of　injunction　issued　by　the　court　of　highest　jurisdiction；　presided　over　by　the　Hon。　Nahum　Dickensheets；　which　restrained　all　and　sundry　from　interfering。　　（Subsequently　on　demand　of　another　court　this　remarkable　document　was　discovered　to　have　disappeared；　the　contention　was　that　it　had　never　really　existed　or　been　produced　at　all。）

The　demolition　and　digging　proceeded。　　Then　began　a　scurrying　of　lawyers　to　the　door　of　one　friendly　judge　after　another。　　There　were　apoplectic　cheeks；　blazing　eyes；　and　gasps　for　breath　while　the　enormity　of　the　offense　was　being　noised　abroad。　　Law　is　law；　however。　　Procedure　is　procedure；　and　no　writ　of　injunction　was　either　issuable　or　returnable　on　a　legal　holiday；　when　no　courts　were　sitting。　　Nevertheless；　by　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　an　obliging　magistrate　was　found　who　consented　to　issue　an　injunction　staying　this　terrible　crime。　　By　this　time；　however；　the　building　was　gone；　the　excavation　complete。　　It　remained　merely　for　the　West　Chicago　Street　Railway　Company　to　secure　an　injunction　vacating　the　first　injunction；　praying　that　its　rights；　privileges；　liberties；　etc。；　be　not　interfered　with；　and　so　creating　a　contest　which　naturally　threw　the　matter　into　the　State　Court　of　Appeals；　where　it　could　safely　lie。　　For　several　years　there　were　numberless　injunctions；　writs　of　errors；　doubts；　motions　to　reconsider；　threats　to　carry　the　matter　from　the　state　to　the　federal　courts　on　a　matter　of　constitutional　privilege；　and　the　like。　　The　affair　was　finally　settled　out　of　court；　for　Mr。　Purdy　by　this　time　was　a　more　sensible　man。　　In　the　mean　time；　however；　the　newspapers　had　been　given　full　details　of　the　transaction；　and　a　storm　of　words　against　Cowperwood　ensued。

But　more　disturbing　than　the　Redmond　Purdy　incident　was　the　rivalry　of　a　new　Chicago　street…railway　company。　　It　appeared　first　as　an　idea　in　the　brain　of　one　James　Furnivale　Woolsen；　a　determined　young　Westerner　from　California；　and　developed　by　degrees　into　consents　and　petitions　from　fully　two…thirds　of　the　residents　of　various　streets　in　the　extreme　southwest　section　of　the　city　where　it　was　proposed　the　new　line　should　be　located。　　This　same　James　Furnivale　Woolsen；　being　an　ambitious　person；　was　not　to　be　so　easily　put　down。　　Besides　the　consent　and　petitions；　which　Cowperwood　could　not　easily　get　away　from　him；　he　had　a　new　form　of　traction　then　being　tried　out　in　several　minor　citiesa　form　of　electric　propulsion　by　means　of　an　overhead　wire　and　a　traveling　pole；　which　was　said　to　be　very　economical；　and　to　give　a　service　better　than　cables　and　cheaper　even　than　horses。

Cowperwood　had　heard　all　about　this　new　electric　system　some　time　before；　and　had　been　studying　it　for　several　years　with　the　greatest　interest；　since　it　promised　to　revolutionize　the　whole　business　of　street…railroading。　　However；　having　but　so　recently　completed　his　excellent　cable　system；　he　did　not　see　that　it　was　advisable　to　throw　it　away。　　The　trolley　was　as　yet　too　much　of　a　novelty；　certainly　it　was　not　advisable　to　have　it　introduced　into　Chicago　until　he　was　ready　to　introduce　it　himselffirst　on　his　outlying　feeder　lines；　he　thought；　then　perhaps　generally。

But　before　he　could　take　suitable　action　against　Woolsen；　that　engaging　young　upstart；　who　was　possessed　of　a　high…power　imagination　and　a　gift　of　gab；　had　allied　himself　with　such　interested　investors　as　Truman　Leslie　MacDonald；　who　saw　here　a　heaven…sent　opportunity　of　mulcting　Cowperwood；　and　Jordan　Jules；　once　the　president　of　the　North　Chicago　Gas　Company；　who　had　lost　money　through　Cowperwood　in　the　gas　war。　　Two　better　instruments　for　goading　a　man　whom　they　considered　an　enemy　could　not　well　be　imaginedTruman　Leslie　with　his　dark；　waspish；　mistrustful；　jealous　eyes；　and　his　slim；　vital　body；　and　Jordan　Jules；　short；　rotund；　sandy；　a　sickly　crop　of　thin；　oily；　light　hair　growing　down　over　his　coat…collar；　his　forehead　and　crown　glisteningly　bald；　his　eyes　a　seeking；　searching；　revengeful　blue。　　They　in　turn　brought　in　Samuel　Blackman；　once　president　of　the　South　Side　Gas　Company；　Sunderland　Sledd；　of　local　railroad　management　and　stock…investment　fame；　and　Norrie　Simms；　president　of　the　Douglas　Trust　Company；　who；　however；　was　little　more　than　a　fiscal　agent。　　The　general　feeling　was　that　Cowperwood's　defensive　tacticswhich　consisted　in　having　the　city　council　refuse　to　actcould　be　easily　met。

〃Well；　I　think　we　can　soon　fix　that；〃　exclaimed　young　MacDonald；　one　morning　at　a　meeting。　　〃We　ought　to　be　able　to　smoke　them　out。　A　little　publicity　will　do　it。〃

He　appealed　to　his　father；　the　editor　of　the　Inquirer；　but　the　latter　refused　to　act　for　the　time　being；　seeing　that　his　son　was　interested。　　MacDonald；　enraged　at　the　do…nothing　attitude　of　the　council；　invaded　that　body　and　demanded　of　Alderman　Dowling；　still　leader；　why　this　matter　of　the　Chicago　general　ordinances　was　still　lying　unconsidered。　　Mr。　Dowling；　a　large；　mushy；　placid　man　with　blue　eyes；　an　iron　frame；　and　a　beefy　smile；　vouchsafed　the　information　that；　although　he　was　chairman　of　the　committee　on　streets　and　alleys；　he　knew　nothing　about　it。　　〃I　haven't　been　payin'　much　attention　to　things　lately；〃　he　replied。

Mr。　MacDonald　went　to　see　the　remaining　members　of　this　same　committee。　　They　were　non…committal。　　They　would　have　to　look　into　the　matter。　　Somebody　claimed　that　there　was　a　flaw　in　the　petitions。

Evidently　there　was　crooked　work　here　somewhere。　　Cowperwood　was　to　blame；　no　doubt。　　MacDonald　conferred　with　Blackman　and　Jordan　Jules；　and　it　was　determined　that　the　council　should　be　harried　into　doing　its　duty。　　This　was　a　legitimate　enterprise。　　A　new　and　better　system　of　traction　was　being　kept　out　of　the　city。　　Schryhart；　since　he　was　offered　an　interest；　and　since　there　was　considerable　chance　of　his　being　able　to　dominate　the　new　enterprise；　agreed　that　the　ordinances　ought　to　be　acted　upon。　　In　consequence　there　was　a　renewed　hubbub　in　the　newspapers。

It　was　pointed　out　through　Schryhart's　Chronicle；　through　Hyssop's　and　Merrill's　papers；　and　through　the　Inquirer　that　such　a　situation　was　intolerable。　　If　the　dominant　party；　at　the　behest　of　so　sinister　an　influence　as　Cowperwood；　was　to　tie　up　all　outside　traction　legislation；　there　could　be　but　one　thing　leftan　appeal　to　the　voters　of　the　city　to　turn　the　rascals　out。　　No　party　could　survive　such　a　record　of　political　trickery　and　financial　jugglery。　McKenty；　Dowling；　Cowperwood；　and　others　were　characterized　as　unreasonable　obstructionists　and　debasing　influences。　　But　Cowperwood　merely　smiled。　　These　were　the　caterwaulings　of　the　enemy。　　Later；　when　young　MacDonald　threatened　to　bring　legal　action　to　compel　the　council　to　do　its　duty；　Cowperwood　and　his　associates　were　not　so　cheerful。　　A　mandamus　proceeding；　however　futile；　would　give　the　newspapers　great　opportunity　for　chatter；　moreover；　a　city　election　was　drawing　near。　　However；　McKenty　and　Cowperwood　were　by　no　means　helpless。　　They　had　offices；　jobs；　funds；　a　well…organized　party　system；　the　saloons；　the　dives；　and　those　dark　chambers　where　at　late　hours　ballot…boxes　are　incontinently　stuffed。

Did　Cowperwood　share　personally　in　all　this？　Not　at　all。　　Or　McKenty？　No。　　In　good　tweed　and　fine　linen　they　frequently　conferred　in　the　offices　of　the　Chicago　Trust　Company；　the　president's　office　of　the　North　Chicago　Street　Railway　System；　and　Mr。　Cowperwood's　library。　　No　dark　scenes　were　ever　enacted　there。　　But　just　the　same；　when　the　time　came；　the　Schryhart…Simms…MacDonald　editorial　combination　did　not　win。　　Mr。　McKenty's　party　had　the　votes。　　A　number　of　the　most　flagrantly　debauched　aldermen；　it　is　true；　were　defeated；　but　what　is　an　alderman　here　and　there？　The　newly　elected　ones；　even　in　the　face　of　pre…election　promises　and　vows；　could　be　easily　suborned　or　convinced。　　So　the　anti…Cowperwood　element　was　just　where　it　was　before；　but　the　feeling　against　him　was　much　stronger；　and　considerable　sentiment　generated　in　the　public　at　large　that　there　was　something　wrong　with　the　Cowperwood　method　of　street…railway　control。




Chapter　XXXI



Untoward　Disclosures

Coincident　with　these　public　disturbances　and　of　subsequent　hearing　upon　them　was　the　discovery　by　Editor　Haguenin　of　Cowperwood's　relationship　with　Cecily。　　It　came　about　not　through　Aileen；　who　was　no　longer　willing　to　fight　Cowperwood　in　this　matter；　but　through　Haguenin's　lady　society　editor；　who；　hearing　rumors　in　the　social　wo