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h…hewn　countenance　a　sense　of　the　great　worth　and　dignity　of　the　man　came　over　him。

〃A　real　man；　that；〃　he　thought；　〃a　wonderful　temperament。〃　　His　every　gesture　came　upon　him　with　great　force。　　He　watched　him　enter　his　carriage；　thinking　〃So　that　is　the　railsplitter；　the　country　lawyer。　　Well；　fate　has　picked　a　great　man　for　this　crisis。〃

For　days　the　face　of　Lincoln　haunted　him；　and　very　often　during　the　war　his　mind　reverted　to　that　singular　figure。　　It　seemed　to　him　unquestionable　that　fortuitously　he　had　been　permitted　to　look　upon　one　of　the　world's　really　great　men。　　War　and　statesmanship　were　not　for　him；　but　he　knew　how　important　those　things　wereat　times。





Chapter　XI




It　was　while　the　war　was　on；　and　after　it　was　perfectly　plain　that　it　was　not　to　be　of　a　few　days'　duration；　that　Cowperwood's　first　great　financial　opportunity　came　to　him。　　There　was　a　strong　demand　for　money　at　the　time　on　the　part　of　the　nation；　the　State；　and　the　city。　　In　July；　1861；　Congress　had　authorized　a　loan　of　fifty　million　dollars；　to　be　secured　by　twenty…year　bonds　with　interest　not　to　exceed　seven　per　cent。；　and　the　State　authorized　a　loan　of　three　millions　on　much　the　same　security；　the　first　being　handled　by　financiers　of　Boston；　New　York；　and　Philadelphia；　the　second　by　Philadelphia　financiers　alone。　Cowperwood　had　no　hand　in　this。　　He　was　not　big　enough。　　He　read　in　the　papers　of　gatherings　of　men　whom　he　knew　personally　or　by　reputation；　〃to　consider　the　best　way　to　aid　the　nation　or　the　State〃；　but　he　was　not　included。　　And　yet　his　soul　yearned　to　be　of　them。　　He　noticed　how　often　a　rich　man's　word　sufficedno　money；　no　certificates；　no　collateral；　no　anythingjust　his　word。　If　Drexel　&　Co。；　or　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。；　or　Gould　&　Fiske　were　rumored　to　be　behind　anything；　how　secure　it　was！　Jay　Cooke；　a　young　man　in　Philadelphia；　had　made　a　great　strike　taking　this　State　loan　in　company　with　Drexel　&　Co。；　and　selling　it　at　par。　　The　general　opinion　was　that　it　ought　to　be　and　could　only　be　sold　at　ninety。　Cooke　did　not　believe　this。　　He　believed　that　State　pride　and　State　patriotism　would　warrant　offering　the　loan　to　small　banks　and　private　citizens；　and　that　they　would　subscribe　it　fully　and　more。　　Events　justified　Cooke　magnificently；　and　his　public　reputation　was　assured。　　Cowperwood　wished　he　could　make　some　such　strike；　but　he　was　too　practical　to　worry　over　anything　save　the　facts　and　conditions　that　were　before　him。

His　chance　came　about　six　months　later；　when　it　was　found　that　the　State　would　have　to　have　much　more　money。　　Its　quota　of　troops　would　have　to　be　equipped　and　paid。　　There　were　measures　of　defense　to　be　taken；　the　treasury　to　be　replenished。　　A　call　for　a　loan　of　twenty…three　million　dollars　was　finally　authorized　by　the　legislature　and　issued。　　There　was　great　talk　in　the　street　as　to　who　was　to　handle　itDrexel　&　Co。　and　Jay　Cooke　&　Co。；　of　course。

Cowperwood　pondered　over　this。　　If　he　could　handle　a　fraction　of　this　great　loan　nowhe　could　not　possibly　handle　the　whole　of　it；　for　he　had　not　the　necessary　connectionshe　could　add　considerably　to　his　reputation　as　a　broker　while　making　a　tidy　sum。　　How　much　could　he　handle？　That　was　the　question。　　Who　would　take　portions　of　it？　His　father's　bank？　Probably。　　Waterman　&　Co。？　A　little。　　Judge　Kitchen？　A　small　fraction。　　The　Mills…David　Company？　Yes。　　He　thought　of　different　individuals　and　concerns　who；　for　one　reason　and　anotherpersonal　friendship；　good…nature；　gratitude　for　past　favors；　and　so　onwould　take　a　percentage　of　the　seven…percent。　bonds　through　him。　　He　totaled　up　his　possibilities；　and　discovered　that　in　all　likelihood；　with　a　little　preliminary　missionary　work；　he　could　dispose　of　one　million　dollars　if　personal　influence；　through　local　political　figures；　could　bring　this　much　of　the　loan　his　way。

One　man　in　particular　had　grown　strong　in　his　estimation　as　having　some　subtle　political　connection　not　visible　on　the　surface；　and　this　was　Edward　Malia　Butler。　　Butler　was　a　contractor；　undertaking　the　construction　of　sewers；　water…mains；　foundations　for　buildings；　street…paving；　and　the　like。　　In　the　early　days；　long　before　Cowperwood　had　known　him；　he　had　been　a　garbage…contractor　on　his　own　account。　　The　city　at　that　time　had　no　extended　street…cleaning　service；　particularly　in　its　outlying　sections　and　some　of　the　older；　poorer　regions。　　Edward　Butler；　then　a　poor　young　Irishman；　had　begun　by　collecting　and　hauling　away　the　garbage　free　of　charge；　and　feeding　it　to　his　pigs　and　cattle。　　Later　he　discovered　that　some　people　were　willing　to　pay　a　small　charge　for　this　service。　　Then　a　local　political　character；　a　councilman　friend　of　histhey　were　both　Catholicssaw　a　new　point　in　the　whole　thing。　Butler　could　be　made　official　garbage…collector。　　The　council　could　vote　an　annual　appropriation　for　this　service。　　Butler　could　employ　more　wagons　than　he　did　nowdozens　of　them；　scores。　　Not　only　that；　but　no　other　garbage…collector　would　be　allowed。　　There　were　others；　but　the　official　contract　awarded　him　would　also；　officially；　be　the　end　of　the　life　of　any　and　every　disturbing　rival。　　A　certain　amount　of　the　profitable　proceeds　would　have　to　be　set　aside　to　assuage　the　feelings　of　those　who　were　not　contractors。　Funds　would　have　to　be　loaned　at　election　time　to　certain　individuals　and　organizationsbut　no　matter。　　The　amount　would　be　small。　　So　Butler　and　Patrick　Gavin　Comiskey；　the　councilman　（the　latter　silently）　entered　into　business　relations。　　Butler　gave　up　driving　a　wagon　himself。　　He　hired　a　young　man；　a　smart　Irish　boy　of　his　neighborhood；　Jimmy　Sheehan；　to　be　his　assistant；　superintendent；　stableman；　bookkeeper；　and　what　not。　　Since　he　soon　began　to　make　between　four　and　five　thousand　a　year；　where　before　he　made　two　thousand；　he　moved　into　a　brick　house　in　an　outlying　section　of　the　south　side；　and　sent　his　children　to　school。　　Mrs。　Butler　gave　up　making　soap　and　feeding　pigs。　　And　since　then　times　had　been　exceedingly　good　with　Edward　Butler。

He　could　neither　read　nor　write　at　first；　but　now　he　knew　how；　of　course。　　He　had　learned　from　association　with　Mr。　Comiskey　that　there　were　other　forms　of　contractingsewers；　water…mains；　gas…mains；　street…paving；　and　the　like。　　Who　better　than　Edward　Butler　to　do　it？　He　knew　the　councilmen；　many　of　them。　　Het　met　them　in　the　back　rooms　of　saloons；　on　Sundays　and　Saturdays　at　political　picnics；　at　election　councils　and　conferences；　for　as　a　beneficiary　of　the　city's　largess　he　was　expected　to　contribute　not　only　money；　but　advice。　　Curiously　he　had　developed　a　strange　political　wisdom。　　He　knew　a　successful　man　or　a　coming　man　when　he　saw　one。　　So　many　of　his　bookkeepers；　superintendents；　time…keepers　had　graduated　into　councilmen　and　state　legislators。　His　nomineessuggested　to　political　conferenceswere　so　often　known　to　make　good。　　First　he　came　to　have　influence　in　his　councilman's　ward；　then　in　his　legislative　district；　then　in　the　city　councils　of　his　partyWhig；　of　courseand　then　he　was　supposed　to　have　an　organization。

Mysterious　forces　worked　for　him　in　council。　　He　was　awarded　significant　contracts；　and　he　always　bid。　　The　garbage　business　was　now　a　thing　of　the　past。　　His　eldest　boy；　Owen；　was　a　member　of　the　State　legislature　and　a　partner　in　his　business　affairs。　His　second　son；　Callum；　was　a　clerk　in　the　city　water　department　and　an　assistant　to　his　father　also。　　Aileen；　his　eldest　daughter；　fifteen　years　of　age；　was　still　in　St。　Agatha's；　a　convent　school　in　Germantown。　　Norah；　his　second　daughter　and　youngest　child；　thirteen　years　old；　was　in　attendance　at　a　local　private　school　conducted　by　a　Catholic　sisterhood。　　The　Butler　family　had　moved　away　from　South　Philadelphia　into　Girard　Avenue；　near　the　twelve　hundreds；　where　a　new　and　rather　interesting　social　life　was　beginning。　　They　were　not　of　it；　but　Edward　Butler；　contractor；　now　fifty…five　years　of　age；　worth；　say；　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　had　many　political　and　financial　friends。　　No　longer　a　〃rough　neck；〃　but　a　solid；　reddish…faced　man；　slightly　tanned；　with　broad　shoulders　and　a　solid　chest；　gray　eyes；　gray　hair；　a　typically　Irish　face　made　wise　and　calm　and　undecipherable　by　much　experience。　　His　big　hands　and　feet　indicated　a　day　when　he　had　not　worn　the　best　English　cloth　suits　and　tanned　leather；　but　his　presence　was　not　in　any　way　offensiverather　the　other　way　about。　　Though　still　possessed　of　a　brogue；　he　was　soft…spoken；　winning；　and　persuasive。

He　had　been　one　of　the　first　to　become　interested　in　the　development　of　the　street…car　system　and　had　come　to　the　conclusion；　as　had　Cowperwood　and　many　others；　that　it　was　going　to　be　a　great　thing。　The　money　returns　on　the　stocks　or　shares　he　had　been　induced　to　buy　had　been　ample　evidence　of　that；　He　had　dealt　through　one　broker　and　another；　having　failed　to　get　in　on　the　original　corporate　organizations。　　He　wanted　to　pick　up　such　stock　as　he　could　in　one　organization　and　another；　for　he　believed　they　all　had　a　future；　and　most　of　all　he　wanted　to　get　control　of　a　line　or　two。　　In　connection　with　this　idea　he　was　looking　for　some　reliable　young　man；　honest　and　capable；　who　would　work　under　his　direction　and　do　what　he　said。　　Then　he　learned　of　Cowperwood；　and　one　d