the titan-第42节

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nd　habitable　order。　　Often　now；　in　these　preliminary　days；　he　looked　at　the　large　companies　of　men　with　their　horses　gathered　in　and　about　the　several　carbarns　of　the　company；　and　wondered　at　their　state。　　So　many　of　them　were　so　dull。　　They　were　rather　like　animals；　patient；　inartistic；　hopeless。　　He　thought　of　their　shabby　homes；　their　long　hours；　their　poor　pay；　and　then　concluded　that　if　anything　at　all　could　be　done　for　them　it　would　be　pay　them　decent　living　wages；　which　he　proposed　to　donothing　more。　　They　could　not　be　expected　to　understand　his　dreams　or　his　visions；　or　to　share　in　the　magnificence　and　social　dominance　which　he　craved。　　He　finally　decided　that　it　would　be　as　well　for　him　to　personally　visit　the　various　newspaper　publishers　and　talk　the　situation　over　with　them。　Addison；　when　consulted　as　to　this　project；　was　somewhat　dubious。　He　had　small　faith　in　the　newspapers。

He　had　seen　them　play　petty　politics；　follow　up　enmities　and　personal　grudges；　and　even　sell　out；　in　certain　cases；　for　pathetically　small　rewards。

〃I　tell　you　how　it　is；　Frank；〃　remarked　Addison；　on　one　occasion。　〃You　will　have　to　do　all　this　business　on　cotton　heels；　practically。　You　know　that　old　gas　crowd　are　still　down　on　you；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　you　are　one　of　their　largest　stockholders。　　Schryhart　isn't　at　all　friendly；　and　he　practically　owns　the　Chronicle。　　Ricketts　will　just　about　say　what　he　wants　him　to　say。　　Hyssop；　of　the　Mail　and　the　Transcript；　is　an　independent　man；　but　he's　a　Presbyterian　and　a　cold；　self…righteous　moralist。　　Braxton's　paper；　the　Globe；　practically　belongs　to　Merrill；　but　Braxton's　a　nice　fellow；　at　that。　　Old　General　MacDonald；　of　the　Inquirer；　is　old　General　MacDonald。　　It's　all　according　to　how　he　feels　when　he　gets　up　in　the　morning。　　If　he　should　chance　to　like　your　looks　he　might　support　you　forever　and　forever　until　you　crossed　his　conscience　in　some　way。　　He's　a　fine　old　walrus。　　I　like　him。　　Neither　Schryhart　nor　Merrill　nor　any　one　else　can　get　anything　out　of　him　unless　he　wants　to　give　it。　　He　may　not　live　so　many　years；　however；　and　I　don't　trust　that　son　of　his。　　Haguenin；　of　the　Press；　is　all　right　and　friendly　to　you；　as　I　understand。　　Other　things　being　equal；　I　think　he'd　naturally　support　you　in　anything　he　thought　was　fair　and　reasonable。　　Well；　there　you　have　them。　　Get　them　all　on　your　side　if　you　can。　　Don't　ask　for　the　LaSalle　Street　tunnel　right　away。　　Let　it　come　as　an　afterthought　a　great　public　need。　　The　main　thing　will　be　to　avoid　having　the　other　companies　stirring　up　a　real　fight　against　you。　　Depend　on　it；　Schryhart　will　be　thinking　pretty　hard　about　this　whole　business　from　now　on。　　As　for　Merrillwell；　if　you　can　show　him　where　he　can　get　something　out　of　it　for　his　store；　I　guess　he'll　be　for　you。

It　is　one　of　the　splendid　yet　sinister　fascinations　of　life　that　there　is　no　tracing　to　their　ultimate　sources　all　the　winds　of　influence　that　play　upon　a　given　barqueall　the　breaths　of　chance　that　fill　or　desert　our　bellied　or　our　sagging　sails。　　We　plan　and　plan；　but　who　by　taking　thought　can　add　a　cubit　to　his　stature？　Who　can　overcome　or　even　assist　the　Providence　that　shapes　our　ends；　rough　hew　them　as　we　may。　　Cowperwood　was　now　entering　upon　a　great　public　career；　and　the　various　editors　and　public　personalities　of　the　city　were　watching　him　with　interest。　　Augustus　M。　Haguenin；　a　free　agent　with　his　organ；　the　Press；　and　yet　not　free；　either；　because　he　was　harnessed　to　the　necessity　of　making　his　paper　pay；　was　most　interested。　　Lacking　the　commanding　magnetism　of　a　man　like　MacDonald；　he　was　nevertheless　an　honest　man；　well…intentioned；　thoughtful；　careful。　　Haguenin；　ever　since　the　outcome　of　Cowperwood's　gas　transaction；　had　been　intensely　interested　in　the　latter's　career。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　Cowperwood　was　probably　destined　to　become　a　significant　figure。　　Raw；　glittering　force；　however；　compounded　of　the　cruel　Machiavellianism　of　nature；　if　it　be　but　Machiavellian；　seems　to　exercise　a　profound　attraction　for　the　conventionally　rooted。　　Your　cautious　citizen　of　average　means；　looking　out　through　the　eye　of　his　dull　world　of　seeming　fact；　is　often　the　first　to　forgive　or　condone　the　grim　butcheries　of　theory　by　which　the　strong　rise。　　Haguenin；　observing　Cowperwood；　conceived　of　him　as　a　man　perhaps　as　much　sinned　against　as　sinning；　a　man　who　would　be　faithful　to　friends；　one　who　could　be　relied　upon　in　hours　of　great　stress。　　As　it　happened；　the　Haguenins　were　neighbors　of　the　Cowperwoods；　and　since　those　days　when　the　latter　had　attempted　unsuccessfully　to　enter　Chicago　society　this　family　had　been　as　acceptable　as　any　of　those　who　had　remained　friendly。

And　so；　when　Cowperwood　arrived　one　day　at　the　office　of　the　Press　in　a　blowing　snow…stormit　was　just　before　the　Christmas　holidays　Haguenin　was　glad　to　see　him。　　〃It's　certainly　real　winter　weather　we're　having　now；　isn't　it？〃　he　observed；　cheerfully。　　〃How　goes　the　North　Chicago　Street　Railway　business？〃　For　months　he；　with　the　other　publishers；　had　been　aware　that　the　whole　North　Side　was　to　be　made　over　by　fine　cable…tracks；　power…houses；　and　handsome　cars；　and　there　already　was　talk　that　some　better　arrangement　was　to　be　made　to　bring　the　passengers　into　the　down…town　section。

〃Mr。　Haguenin；〃　said　Cowperwood；　smilinglyhe　was　arrayed　in　a　heavy　fur　coat；　with　a　collar　of　beaver　and　driving…gauntlets　of　dogskin〃we　have　reached　the　place　in　this　street…railway　problem　on　the　North　Side　where　we　are　going　to　require　the　assistance　of　the　newspapers；　or　at　least　their　friendly　support。　　At　present　our　principal　difficulty　is　that　all　our　lines；　when　they　come　down…town；　stop　at　Lake　Streetjust　this　side　of　the　bridges。　That　means　a　long　walk　for　everybody　to　all　the　streets　south　of　it；　and；　as　you　probably　know；　there　has　been　considerable　complaint。　Besides　that；　this　river　traffic　is　becoming　more　and　more　what　I　may　say　it　has　been　for　yearsan　intolerable　nuisance。　　We　have　all　suffered　from　it。　　No　effort　has　ever　been　made　to　regulate　it；　and　because　it　is　so　heavy　I　doubt　whether　it　ever　can　be　systematized　in　any　satisfactory　way。　　The　best　thing　in　the　long　run　would　be　to　tunnel　under　the　river；　but　that　is　such　an　expensive　proposition　that；　as　things　are　now；　we　are　in　no　position　to　undertake　it。　　The　traffic　on　the　North　Side　does　not　warrant　it。　　It　really　does　not　warrant　the　reconstruction　of　the　three　bridges　which　we　now　use　at　State；　Dearborn；　and　Clark；　yet；　if　we　introduce　the　cable　system；　which　we　now　propose；　these　bridges　will　have　to　be　done　over。　　It　seems　to　me；　seeing　that　this　is　an　enterprise　in　which　the　public　is　as　much　interested　almost　as　we　are；　that　it　would　only　be　fair　if　the　city　should　help　pay　for　this　reconstruction　work。　　All　the　land　adjacent　to　these　lines；　and　the　property　served　by　them；　will　be　greatly　enhanced　in　value。　The　city's　taxing　power　will　rise　tremendously。　　I　have　talked　to　several　financiers　here　in　Chicago；　and　they　agree　with　me；　but；　as　is　usual　in　all　such　cases；　I　find　that　some　of　the　politicians　are　against　me。　　Since　I　have　taken　charge　of　the　North　Chicago　company　the　attitude　of　one　or　two　papers　has　not　been　any　too　friendly。〃　（In　the　Chronicle；　controlled　by　Schryhart；　there　had　already　been　a　number　of　references　to　the　probability　that　now；　since　Cowperwood　and　his　friends　were　in　charge；　the　sky…rocketing　tactics　of　the　old　Lake　View；　Hyde　Park；　and　other　gas　organizations　would　be　repeated。　　Braxton's　Globe；　owned　by　Merrill；　being　semi…neutral；　had　merely　suggested　that　it　hoped　that　no　such　methods　would　be　repeated　here。）　〃Perhaps　you　may　know；〃　Cowperwood　continued；　〃that　we　have　a　very　sweeping　programme　of　improvement　in　mind；　if　we　can　obtain　proper　public　consideration　and　assistance。〃

At　this　point　he　reached　down　in　one　of　his　pockets　and　drew　forth　astutely　drafted　maps　and　blue…prints；　especially　prepared　for　this　occasion。　　They　showed　main　cable　lines　on　North　Clark；　La　Salle；　and　Wells　streets。　　These　lines　coming　down…town　converged　at　Illinois　and　La　Salle　streets　on　the　North　Sideand　though　Cowperwood　made　no　reference　to　it　at　the　moment；　they　were　indicated　on　the　map　in　red　as　running　over　or　under　the　river　at　La　Salle　Street；　where　was　no　bridge；　and　emerging　therefrom；　following　a　loop　along　La　Salle　to　Munroe；　to　Dearborn；　to　Randolph；　and　thence　into　the　tunnel　again。　　Cowperwood　allowed　Haguenin　to　gather　the　very　interesting　traffic　significance　of　it　all　before　he　proceeded。

〃On　the　map；　Mr。　Haguenin；　I　have　indicated　a　plan　which；　if　we　can　gain　the　consent　of　the　city；　will　obviate　any　quarrel　as　to　the　great　expense　of　reconstructing　the　bridges；　and　will　make　use　of　a　piece　of　property　which　is　absolutely　without　value　to　the　city　at　present；　but　which　can　be　made　into　something　of　vast　convenience　to　the　public。　　I　am　referring；　as　you　see〃he　laid　an　indicative　finger　on　the　map　in　Mr。　Haguenin's　hands〃to　the　old　La　Salle　Street　tunnel；　which　is　now　boarded　up　and　absolutely　of　no　use　to　any　one。　　It　was　built　apparently　under　a　misapprehension　as　to　the　grade　the　average　loaded　wagon　could　negotiate。　　When　it　was　found　to　be　unprofitable　it　was　sold　to　the　city　and　locked　up。　　If　you　h