He’s perfectly solvent.
Chicago is growing.
His lines are becoming more valuable every year.”
“I know that,” replied Simmons.
“But what about this talk of a rival elevated system?
Won’t that injure his lines for the time being, anyhow, if it comes into the field?”
“If I know anything about Cowperwood,” replied Addison, simply, “there isn’t going to be any rival elevated road.
It’s true they got the city council to give them a franchise for one line on the South Side; but that’s out of his territory, anyhow, and that other one to the Chicago General Company doesn’t amount to anything.
It will be years and years before it can be made to pay a dollar, and when the time comes he will probably take it over if he wants it.
Another election will be held in two years, and then the city administration may not be so unfavorable.
As it is, they haven’t been able to hurt him through the council as much as they thought they would.”
“Yes; but he lost the election.”
“True; but it doesn’t follow he’s going to lose the next one, or every one.”
“Just the same,” replied Simmons, very secretively, “I understand there’s a concerted effort on to drive him out.
Schryhart, Hand, Merrill, Arneel—they’re the most powerful men we have.
I understand Hand says that he’ll never get his franchises renewed except on terms that’ll make his lines unprofitable.
There’s going to be an awful smash here one of these days if that’s true.” Mr. Simmons looked very wise and solemn.
“Never believe it,” replied Addison, contemptuously.
“Hand isn’t Chicago, neither is Schryhart, nor Arneel.
Cowperwood is a brainy man.
He isn’t going to be put under so easily.
Did you ever hear what was the real bottom cause of all this disturbance?”
“Yes, I’ve heard,” replied Simmons.
“Do you believe it?”
“Oh, I don’t know.
Yes, I suppose I do.
Still, I don’t know that that need have anything to do with it.
Money envy is enough to make any man fight.
This man Hand is very powerful.”
Not long after this Cowperwood, strolling into the president’s office of the Chicago Trust Company, inquired:
“Well, Judah, how about those Northwestern ‘L’ bonds?”
“It’s just as I thought, Frank,” replied Addison, softly.
“We’ll have to go outside of Chicago for that money.
Hand, Arneel, and the rest of that crowd have decided to combine against us.
That’s plain.
Something has started them off in full cry. I suppose my resignation may have had something to do with it.
Anyhow, every one of the banks in which they have any hand has uniformly refused to come in.
To make sure that I was right I even called up the little old Third National of Lake View and the Drovers and Traders on Forty-seventh Street.
That’s Charlie Wallin’s bank.
When I was over in the Lake National he used to hang around the back door asking for anything I could give him that was sound.
Now he says his orders are from his directors not to share in anything we have to offer.
It’s the same story everywhere—they daren’t.
I asked Wallin if he knew why the directors were down on the Chicago Trust or on you, and at first he said he didn’t.
Then he said he’d stop in and lunch with me some day.
They’re the silliest lot of old ostriches I ever heard of.
As if refusing to let us have money on any loan here was going to prevent us from getting it!
They can take their little old one-horse banks and play blockhouses with them if they want to.
I can go to New York and in thirty-six hours raise twenty million dollars if we need it.”
Addison was a little warm.
It was a new experience for him.