the titan-第42章
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em all！ What a fortune！ That； if nothing else； might salve him for some of his woesa tremendous fortunenothing less。 He forever busied himself with various aspects of the scene quite as a poet might have concerned himself with rocks and rills。 To own these street…railways！ To own these street…railways！ So rang the song of his mind。
Like the gas situation； the Chicago street…railway situation was divided into three partsthree companies representing and corresponding with the three different sides or divisions of the city。 The Chicago City Railway Company； occupying the South Side and extending as far south as Thirty…ninth Street； had been organized in 1859； and represented in itself a mine of wealth。 Already it controlled some seventy miles of track； and was annually being added to on Indiana Avenue； on Wabash Avenue； on State Street； and on Archer Avenue。 It owned over one hundred and fifty cars of the old…fashioned； straw…strewn； no…stove type； and over one thousand horses； it employed one hundred and seventy conductors； one hundred and sixty drivers； a hundred stablemen； and blacksmiths； harness…makers； and repairers in interesting numbers。 Its snow…plows were busy on the street in winter； its sprinkling…cars in summer。 Cowperwood calculated its shares； bonds； rolling…stock； and other physical properties as totaling in the vicinity of over two million dollars。 The trouble with this company was that its outstanding stock was principally controlled by Norman Schryhart； who was now decidedly inimical to Cowperwood； or anything he might wish to do； and by Anson Merrill； who had never manifested any signs of friendship。 He did not see how he was to get control of this property。 Its shares were selling around two hundred and fifty dollars。
The North Chicago City Railway was a corporation which had been organized at the same time as the South Side company； but by a different group of men。 Its management was old； indifferent； and incompetent； its equipment about the same。 The Chicago West Division Railway 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 attenti
