the riverman-第52章

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as　a　public　utility　to　the　highest　bidder。　　He　offered　further　

guarantees　as　to　future　improvements。　　In　addition　were　other　and　

more　potent　arguments　proffered　behind　closed　doors。　　Many　cases　

resolved　themselves　into　a　bald　question　of　cash。　　Others　demanded　

diplomacy。　　Jobs；　fat　contracts；　business　favours；　influence　were　

all　flung　out　freelybribes　as　absolute　as　though　stamped　with　the　

dollar　mark。　　Newspapers　all　over　the　State　were　pressed　into　

service。　　These；　bought　up　by　Heinzman　and　his　prospective　partners　

in　a　lucrative　business；　spoke　virtuously　of　private　piracy　of　what　

are　now　called　public　utilities；　the　exploiting　of　the　people's　

natural　wealths；　and　all　the　rest　of　a　specious　reasoning　the　more　

convincing　in　that　it　was　in　many　other　cases　only　too　true。　　The　

independent　journals；　uninformed　of　the　rights　of　the　case；　either　

remained　silent　on　the　matter；　or　groped　in　a　puzzled　and　undecided　

manner　on　both　sides。



Against　this　secret　but　effective　organisation　Newmark　most　

unexpectedly　found　himself　pitted。　　He　had　anticipated　being　absent　

but　a　week；　he　became　involved　in　an　affair　of　months。



With　decision　he　applied　himself　to　the　problem。　　He　took　rooms　at　

the　hotel；　sent　for　Orde；　and　began　at　once　to　set　in　motion　the　

machinery　of　opposition。　　The　refreshed　resources　of　the　company　

were　strained　to　the　breaking　point　in　order　to　raise　money　for　this　

new　campaign　opening　before　it。　　Orde；　returning　to　Lansing　after　a　

trip　devoted　to　the　carrying　out　of　Newmark's　directions　as　to　

finances；　was　dismayed　at　the　tangle　of　strategy　and　cross…strategy；　

innuendo；　vague　and　formless　cobweb　forces　by　which　he　was　

surrounded。　　He　could　make　nothing　of　them。　　They　brushed　his　face；　

he　felt　their　influence；　yet　he　could　place　his　finger　on　no　

tangible　and　comprehensible　solidity。　　Among　these　delicate　and　

complicated　cross…currents　Newmark　moved　silent；　cold；　secret。　　He　

seemed　to　understand　them；　to　play　with　them；　to　manipulate　them　as　

elements　of　the　game。　　Above　them　was　the　hollow　shock　of　the　

ostensible　battlethe　speeches；　the　loud　talk　in　lobbies；　the　

newspaper　virtue；　indignation；　accusations；　but　the　real　struggle　

was　here　in　the　furtive　ways；　in　whispered　words　delivered　hastily　

aside；　in　hotel　halls　on　the　way　to　and　from　the　stairs；　behind　

closed　doors　of　rooms　without　open　transoms。



Orde　in　comic　despair　acknowledged　that　it　was　all　〃too　deep　for　

him。〃　　Nevertheless；　it　was　soon　borne　in　on　him　that　the　new　

company　was　struggling　for　its　very　right　to　existence。　　It　had　been　

doing　that　from　the　first；　but　now；　to　Orde　the　fight；　the　

existence；　had　a　new　importance。　　The　company　up　to　this　point　had　

been　a　scheme　merely；　an　experiment　that　might　win　or　lose。　　Now；　

with　the　history　of　a　drive　behind　it；　it　had　become　a　living　

entity。　　Orde　would　have　fought　against　its　dissolution　as　he　would　

have　fought　against　a　murder。　　Yet　he　had　practically　to　stand　one　

side；　watching　Newmark's　slender；　gray…clad；　tense　figure　gliding　

here　and　there；　more　silent；　more　reserved；　more　watchful　every　day。



The　fight　endured　through　most　of　the　first　half　of　the　session。　　

When　finally　it　became　evident　to　Heinzman　that　Newmark　would　win；　

he　made　the　issue　of　toll　rates　the　ditch　of　his　last　resistance；　

trying　to　force　legal　charges　so　low　as　to　eat　up　the　profits。　　At　

the　last；　however；　the　bill　passed　the　board。　　The　company　had　its　

charter。



At　what　price　only　Newmark　could　have　told。　　He　had　fought　with　the　

tense　earnestness　of　the　nervous　temperament　that　fights　to　win　

without　count　of　the　cost。　　The　firm　was　established；　but　it　was　as　

heavily　in　debt　as　its　credit　would　stand。　　Newmark　himself；　though　

as　calm　and　reserved　and　precise　as　ever；　seemed　to　have　turned　

gray；　and　one　of　his　eyelids　had　acquired　a　slight　nervous　twitch　

which　persisted　for　some　months。　　He　took　his　seat　at　the　desk；　

however；　as　calmly　as　ever。　　In　three　days　the　scandalised　howls　of　

bribery　and　corruption　had　given　place　in　the　newspapers　to　some　

other　sensation。



〃Joe；〃　said　Orde　to　his　partner；　〃how　about　all　this　talk？　　Is　there　

really　anything　in　it？　　You　haven't　gone　in　for　that　business；　have　

you？〃



Newmark　stretched　his　arms　wearily。



〃Press　bought　up；〃　he　replied。　　〃I　know　for　a　fact　that　old　Stanford　

got　five　hundred　dollars　from　some　of　the　Heinzman　interests。　　I　

could　have　swung　him　back　for　an　extra　hundred；　but　it　wasn't　worth　

while。　　They　howl　bribery　at　us　to　distract　attention　from　their　own　

performances。〃



With　this　evasive　reply　Orde　contented　himself。　　Whether　it　

satisfied　him　or　whether　he　was　loath　to　pursue　the　subject　further　

it　would　be　impossible　to　say。



〃It's　cost　us　plenty；　anyway；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment。　　〃The　

proposition's　got　a　load　on　it。　　It　will　take　us　a　long　time　to　get　

out　of　debt。　　The　river　driving　won't　pay　quite　so　big　as　we　thought　

it　would；〃　he　concluded；　with　a　rueful　little　laugh。



〃It　will　pay　plenty　well　enough；〃　replied　Newmark　decidedly；　〃and　it　

gives　us　a　vantage　point　to　work　from。　　You　don't　suppose　we　are　

going　to　quit　at　river　driving；　do　you？　　We　want　to　look　around　for　

some　timber　of　our　own；　there's　where　the　big　money　is。　　And　perhaps　

we　can　buy　a　schooner　or　two　and　go　into　the　carrying　tradethe　

country's　alive　with　opportunity。　　Newmark　and　Orde　means　something　

to　these　fellows　now。　　We　can　have　anything　we　want；　if　we　just　

reach　out　for　it。〃



His　thin　figure；　ordinarily　slightly　askew；　had　straightened；　his　

steel…gray；　impersonal　eyes　had　lit　up　behind　the　bowed　glasses　and　

were　seeing　things　beyond　the　wall　at　which　they　gazed。　　Orde　looked　

up　at　him　with　a　sudden　admiration。



〃You're　the　brains　of　this　concern；〃　said　he。



〃We'll　get　on；〃　replied　Newmark；　the　fire　dying　from　his　eyes。







XXIX





In　the　course　of　the　next　eight　years　Newmark　and　Orde　floated　high　

on　that　flood　of　apparent　prosperity　that　attends　a　business　well　

conceived　and　passably　well　managed。　　The　Boom　and　Driving　Company　

made　money；　of　course；　for　with　the　margin　of　fifty　per　cent　or　

thereabouts　necessitated　by　the　temporary　value　of　the　improvements；　

good　years　could　hardly　fail　to　bring　good　returns。　　This；　it　will　

be　remembered；　was　a　stock　company。　　With　the　profits　from　that　

business　the　two　men　embarked　on　a　separate　copartnership。　　They　

made　money　at　this；　too；　but　the　burden　of　debt　necessitated　by　new　

ventures；　constantly　weighted　by　the　heavy　interest　demanded　at　that　

time；　kept　affairs　on　the　ragged　edge。



In　addition；　both　Orde　and　Newmark　were　more　inclined　to　extension　

of　interests　than　to　〃playing　safe。〃　　The　assets　gained　in　one　

venture　were　promptly　pledged　to　another。　　The　ramifications　of　

debt；　property；　mortgages；　and　expectations　overlapped　each　other　in　

a　cobweb　of　interests。



Orde　lived　at　ease　in　a　new　house　of　some　size　surrounded　by　

grounds。　　He　kept　two　servants：　a　blooded　team　of　horses　drew　the　

successor　to　the　original　buckboard。　　Newmark　owned　a　sail　yacht　of　

five　or　six　tons；　in　which；　quite　solitary；　he　took　his　only　

pleasure。　　Both　were　considered　men　of　substance　and　property；　as　

indeed　they　were。　　Only；　they　risked　dollars　to　gain　thousands。　　A　

succession　of　bad　years；　a　panic…contraction　of　money　markets；　any　

one　of　a　dozen　possible；　though　not　probable；　contingencies　would　

render　it　difficult　to　meet　the　obligations　which　constantly　came　

due；　and　which　Newmark　kept　busy　devising　ways　and　means　of　meeting。　　

If　things　went　welland　it　may　be　remarked　that　legitimately　they　

shouldNewmark　and　Orde　would　some　day　be　rated　among　the　

millionaire　firms。　　If　things　went　ill；　bankruptcy　could　not　be　

avoided。　　There　was　no　middle　ground。　　Nor　were　Orde　and　his　partner　

unique　in　this；　practically　every　firm　then　developing　or　exploiting　

the　natural