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touch me； I didn't wish to face it； as usual： I couldn't acknowledge to
myself that anything was really wrong。。。 I patted her on the shoulder； I
bent over and kissed her。
〃A man in my position can't altogether choose just how busy he will be；〃
I said smiling。 〃Matters are thrust upon me which I have to accept； and
I can't help thinking about some of them when I come home。 But we'll go
off for a real vacation soon； Maude； to Europeand take the children。〃
〃Oh； I hope so；〃 she said。
From this time on； as may be supposed； our intercourse with both the
Blackwoods began to grow less frequent； although Maude continued to see a
great deal of Lucia； and when we did dine in their company； or they with
us； it was quite noticeable that their former raillery was suppressed。
Even Tom had ceased to refer to me as the young Napoleon of the Law： he
clung to me； but he too kept silent on the subject of business。 Maude of
course must have noticed this； must have sensed the change of atmosphere；
have known that the Blackwoods； at least； were maintaining appearances
for her sake。 She did not speak to me of the change； nor I to her； but
when I thought of her silence； it was to suspect that she was weighing
the question which had led up to the difference between Perry and me； and
I had a suspicion that the fact that I was her husband would not affect
her ultimate decision。 This faculty of hers of thinking things out
instead of accepting my views and decisions was； as the saying goes；
getting a little 〃on my nerves〃： that she of all women should have
developed it was a recurring and unpleasant surprise。 I began at times
to pity myself a little； to feel the need of sympathetic companionship
feminine companionship。。。。
I shall not go into the details of the procurement of what became known
as the Riverside Franchise。 In spite of the Maplewood residents； of the
City Improvement League and individual protests； we obtained it with
absurd ease。 Indeed Perry Blackwood himself appeared before the Public
Utilities Committee of the Board。 of Aldermen； anal vas listened to with
deference and gravity while he discoursed on the defacement of a
beautiful boulevard to satisfy the greed of certain private individuals。
Mr。 Otto Bitter and myself； who appeared for the petitioners； had a
similar reception。 That struggle was a tempest in a tea…pot。 The
reformer raged； but he was feeble in those days； and the great public
believed what it read in the respectable newspapers。 In Mr。 Judah B。
Tallant's newspaper； for instance； the Morning Era； there were semi…
playful editorials about 〃obstructionists。〃 Mr。 Perry Blackwood was a
well…meaning； able gentleman of an old family； etc。； but with a sentiment
for horse…cars。 The Era published also the resolutions which （with
interesting spontaneity！） had been passed by our Board of Trade and
Chamber of Commerce and other influential bodies in favour of the
franchise； the ideaunknown to the publicof Mr。 Hugh Paret； who wrote
drafts of the resolutions and suggested privately to Mr。 Leonard
Dickinson that a little enthusiasm from these organizations might be
helpful。 Mr。 Dickinson accepted the suggestion eagerly； wondering why he
hadn't thought of it himself。 The resolutions carried some weight with a
public that did not know its right hand from its left。
After fitting deliberation； one evening in February the Board of Aldermen
met and granted the franchise。 Not unanimously； oh； no！ Mr。 Jason was
not so simple as that！ No further visits to Monahan's saloon on my part；
in this connection were necessary； but Mr。 Otto Bitter met me one day in
the hotel with a significant message from the boss。
〃It's all fixed；〃 he informed me。 〃Murphy and Scott and Ottheimer and
Grady and Loth are the decoys。 You understand？〃
〃I think I gather your meaning；〃 I said。
Mr。 Bitter smiled by pulling down one corner of a crooked mouth。
〃They'll vote against it on principle； you know；〃 he added。 〃We get a
little something from the Maple Avenue residents。〃
I've forgotten what the Riverside Franchise cost。 The sum was paid in a
lump sum to Mr。 Bitter as his 〃fee；〃so； to their chagrin； a grand jury
discovered in later years； when they were barking around Mr。 Jason's hole
with an eager district attorney snapping his whip over them。 I remember
the cartoon。 The municipal geese were gone； but it was impossible to
prove that this particular fox had used his enlightened reason in their
procurement。 Mr。 Bitter was a legally authorized fox； and could take
fees。 How Mr。 Jason was to be rewarded by the land company's left…hand；
unknown； to the land company's right hand； became a problem worthy of a
genius。 The genius was found； but modesty forbids me to mention his
name； and the problem was solved； to wit： the land company bought a piece
of downtown property fromMr。 Ryerson； who was Mr。 Grierson's real
estate man and the agent for the land company； for a consideration of
thirty thousand dollars。 An unconfirmed rumour had it that Mr。 Ryerson
turned over the thirty thousand to Mr。 Jason。 Then the Riverside Company
issued a secret deed of the same property back to Mr。 Ryerson； and this
deed was not recorded until some years later。
Such are the elaborate transactions progress and prosperity demand。
Nature is the great teacher； and we know that her ways are at times
complicated and clumsy。 Likewise； under the 〃natural〃 laws of economics；
new enterprises are not born without travail； without the aid of legal
physicians well versed in financial obstetrics。 One hundred and fifty to
two hundred thousand； let us say； for the right to build tracks on
Maplewood Avenue； and we sold nearly two million dollars worth of the
securities back to the public whose aldermen had sold us the franchise。
Is there a man so dead as not to feel a thrill at this achievement？ And
let no one who declares that literary talent and imagination are
nonexistent in America pronounce final judgment until he reads that
prospectus； in which was combined the best of realism and symbolism； for
the labours of Alonzo Cheyne were not to be wasted； after all。 Mr。
Dickinson； who was a director in the Maplewood line； got a handsome
underwriting percentage； and Mr。 Berringer； also a director； on the bonds
and preferred stock he sold。 Mr。 Paret； who entered both companies on
the ground floor； likewise got fees。 Everybody was satisfied except the
trouble makers； who were ignored。 In short； the episode of the Riverside
Franchise is a triumphant proof of the contention that business men are
the best fitted to conduct the politics of their country。
We had learned to pursue our happiness in packs； we knew that the Happy
Hunting…Grounds are here and now； while the Reverend Carey Heddon
continued to assure the maimed； the halt and the blind that their kingdom
was not of this world； that their time was coming later。 Could there
have been a more idyl arrangement！ Everybody should have been satisfied；
but everybody was not。 Otherwise these pages would never have been
written。
A FAR COUNTRY
By Winston Churchill
BOOK 3。
XVIII。
As the name of our cit