the titan-第48章

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en　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　have　ever　been　through　it　you　know　what　condition　it　is　in。　　My　engineers　tell　me　the　walls　are　leaking；　and　that　there　is　great　danger　of　a　cave…in　unless　it　is　very　speedily　repaired。　I　am　also　told　that　it　will　require　about　four　hundred　thousand　dollars　to　put　it　in　suitable　condition　for　use。　　My　theory　is　that　if　the　North　Chicago　Street　Railway　is　willing　to　go　to　this　expense　for　the　sake　of　solving　this　bridge…crush　problem；　and　giving　the　residents　of　the　North　Side　a　sensible　and　uninterrupted　service　into　the　business　heart；　the　city　ought　to　be　willing　to　make　us　a　present　of　this　tunnel　for　the　time　being；　or　at　least　a　long　lease　at　a　purely　nominal　rental。〃

Cowperwood　paused　to　see　what　Haguenin　would　say。

The　latter　was　looking　at　the　map　gravely；　wondering　whether　it　was　fair　for　Cowperwood　to　make　this　demand；　wondering　whether　the　city　should　grant　it　to　him　without　compensation；　wondering　whether　the　bridge…traffic　problem　was　as　serious　as　he　pointed　out；　wondering；　indeed；　whether　this　whole　move　was　not　a　clever　ruse　to　obtain　something　for　nothing。

〃And　what　is　this？〃　he　asked；　laying　a　finger　on　the　aforementioned　loop。

〃That；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　〃is　the　only　method　we　have　been　able　to　figure　out　of　serving　the　down…town　business　section　and　the　North　Side；　and　of　solving　this　bridge　problem。　　If　we　obtain　the　tunnel；　as　I　hope　we　shall；　all　the　cars　of　these　North　Side　lines　will　emerge　here〃he　pointed　to　La　Salle　and　Randolph〃　and　swing　aroundthat　is；　they　will　if　the　city　council　give　us　the　right　of　way。　　I　think；　of　course；　there　can　be　no　reasonable　objection　to　that。　　There　is　no　reason　why　the　citizens　of　the　North　Side　shouldn't　have　as　comfortable　an　access　to　the　business　heart　as　those　of　the　West　or　South　Side。〃

〃None　in　the　world；〃　Mr。　Haguenin　was　compelled　to　admit。　　〃Are　you　satisfied；　however；　that　the　council　and　the　city　should　sanction　the　gift　of　a　loop　of　this　kind　without　some　form　of　compensation？〃

〃I　see　no　reason　why　they　shouldn't；〃　replied　Cowperwood；　in　a　somewhat　injured　tone。　　〃There　has　never　been　any　question　of　compensation　where　other　improvements　have　been　suggested　for　the　city　in　the　past。　　The　South　Side　company　has　been　allowed　to　turn　in　a　loop　around　State　and　Wabash。　　The　Chicago　City　Passenger　Railway　has　a　loop　in　Adams　and　Washington　streets。〃

〃Quite　so；〃　said　Mr。　Haguenin；　vaguely。　　〃That　is　true。　　But　this　tunnel；　nowdo　you　think　that　should　fall　in　the　same　category　of　public　beneficences？〃

At　the　same　time　he　could　not　help　thinking；　as　he　looked　at　the　proposed　loop　indicated　on　the　map；　that　the　new　cable　line；　with　its　string　of　trailers；　would　give　down…town　Chicago　a　truly　metropolitan　air　and　would　provide　a　splendid　outlet　for　the　North　Side。　　The　streets　in　question　were　magnificent　commercial　thoroughfares；　crowded　even　at　this　date　with　structures　five；　six；　seven；　and　even　eight　stories　high；　and　brimming　with　heavy　streams　of　eager　lifeyoung；　fresh；　optimistic。　　Because　of　the　narrow　area　into　which　the　commercial　life　of　the　city　tended　to　congest　itself；　this　property　and　these　streets　were　immensely　valuableamong　the　most　valuable　in　the　whole　city。　　Also　he　observed　that　if　this　loop　did　come　here　its　cars；　on　their　return　trip　along　Dearborn　Street；　would　pass　by　his　very　doorthe　office　of　the　Pressthereby　enhancing　the　value　of　that　property　of　which　he　was　the　owner。

〃I　certainly　do；　Mr。　Haguenin；〃　returned　Cowperwood；　emphatically；　in　answer　to　his　query。　　〃Personally；　I　should　think　Chicago　would　be　glad　to　pay　a　bonus　to　get　its　street…railway　service　straightened　out；　especially　where　a　corporation　comes　forward　with　a　liberal；　conservative　programme　such　as　this。　　It　means　millions　in　growth　of　property　values　on　the　North　Side。　　It　means　millions　to　the　business　heart　to　have　this　loop　system　laid　down　just　as　I　suggest。〃

He　put　his　finger　firmly　on　the　map　which　he　had　brought；　and　Haguenin　agreed　with　him　that　the　plan　was　undoubtedly　a　sound　business　proposition。　　〃Personally；　I　should　be　the　last　to　complain；〃　he　added；　〃for　the　line　passes　my　door。　　At　the　same　time　this　tunnel；　as　I　understand　it；　cost　in　the　neighborhood　of　eight　hundred　thousand　or　a　million　dollars。　　It　is　a　delicate　problem。　　I　should　like　to　know　what　the　other　editors　think　of　it；　and　how　the　city　council　itself　would　feel　toward　it。〃

Cowperwood　nodded。　　〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　he　said。　　〃With　pleasure。　I　would　not　come　here　at　all　if　I　did　not　feel　that　I　had　a　perfectly　legitimate　propositionone　that　the　press　of　the　city　should　unite　in　supporting。　　Where　a　corporation　such　as　ours　is　facing　large　expenditures；　which　have　to　be　financed　by　outside　capital；　it　is　only　natural　that　we　should　wish　to　allay　useless；　groundless　opposition　in　advance。　　I　hope　we　may　command　your　support。〃

〃I　hope　you　may；〃　smiled　Mr。　Haguenin。　　They　parted　the　best　of　friends。

The　other　publishers；　guardians　of　the　city's　privileges；　were　not　quite　so　genial　as　Haguenin　in　their　approval　of　Cowperwood's　proposition。　　The　use　of　a　tunnel　and　several　of　the　most　important　down…town　streets　might　readily　be　essential　to　the　development　of　Cowperwood's　North　Side　schemes；　but　the　gift　of　them　was　a　different　matter。　　Already；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　various　publishers　and　editors　had　been　consulted　by　Schryhart；　Merrill；　and　others　with　a　view　to　discovering　how　they　felt　as　to　this　new　venture；　and　whether　Cowperwood　would　be　cheerfully　indorsed　or　not。　　Schryhart；　smarting　from　the　wounds　he　had　received　in　the　gas　war；　viewed　this　new　activity　on　Cowperwood's　part　with　a　suspicious　and　envious　eye。　　To　him　much　more　than　to　the　others　it　spelled　a　new　and　dangerous　foe　in　the　street…railway　field；　although　all　the　leading　citizens　of　Chicago　were　interested。

〃I　suppose　now；〃　he　said　one　evening　to　the　Hon。　Walter　Melville　Hyssop；　editor　and　publisher　of　the　Transcript　and　the　Evening　Mail；　whom　he　met　at　the　Union　League；　〃that　this　fellow　Cowperwood　will　attempt　some　disturbing　coup　in　connection　with　street…railway　affairs。