-
Главная
-
- Книги
-
- Авторы
-
- Фрэнк Норрис
-
- Спрут: Калифорнийская история
-
- Стр. 169/416
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
The
man
who
,
even
after
twenty
years
’
training
in
the
operation
of
railroads
,
can
draw
an
equitable
,
smoothly
working
schedule
of
freight
rates
between
shipping
point
and
common
point
,
is
capable
of
governing
the
United
States
.
What
with
main
lines
,
and
leased
lines
,
and
points
of
transfer
,
and
the
laws
governing
common
carriers
,
and
the
rulings
of
the
Inter
-
State
Commerce
Commission
,
the
whole
matter
has
become
so
confused
that
Vanderbilt
himself
couldn
’
t
straighten
it
out
.
And
how
can
it
be
expected
that
railroad
commissions
who
are
chosen
—
well
,
let
’
s
be
frank
—
as
ours
was
,
for
instance
,
from
out
a
number
of
men
who
don
’
t
know
the
difference
between
a
switching
charge
and
a
differential
rate
,
are
going
to
regulate
the
whole
business
in
six
months
’
time
?
Cut
rates
;
yes
,
any
fool
can
do
that
;
any
fool
can
write
one
dollar
instead
of
two
,
but
if
you
cut
too
low
by
a
fraction
of
one
per
cent
.
and
if
the
railroad
can
get
out
an
injunction
,
tie
you
up
and
show
that
your
new
rate
prevents
the
road
being
operated
at
a
profit
,
how
are
you
any
better
off
?
”
“
Your
conscientiousness
does
you
credit
,
Lyman
,
”
said
the
Governor
.
“
I
respect
you
for
it
,
my
son
.
I
know
you
will
be
fair
to
the
railroad
.
That
is
all
we
want
.
Fairness
to
the
corporation
is
fairness
to
the
farmer
,
and
we
won
’
t
expect
you
to
readjust
the
whole
matter
out
of
hand
.
Take
your
time
.
We
can
afford
to
wait
.
”
“
And
suppose
the
next
commission
is
a
railroad
board
,
and
reverses
all
our
figures
?
”
The
one
-
time
mining
king
,
the
most
redoubtable
poker
player
of
Calaveras
County
,
permitted
himself
a
momentary
twinkle
of
his
eyes
.
“
By
then
it
will
be
too
late
.
We
will
,
all
of
us
,
have
made
our
fortunes
by
then
.
”
The
remark
left
Presley
astonished
out
of
all
measure
He
never
could
accustom
himself
to
these
strange
lapses
in
the
Governor
’
s
character
.
Magnus
was
by
nature
a
public
man
,
judicious
,
deliberate
,
standing
firm
for
principle
,
yet
upon
rare
occasion
,
by
some
such
remark
as
this
,
he
would
betray
the
presence
of
a
sub
-
nature
of
recklessness
,
inconsistent
,
all
at
variance
with
his
creeds
and
tenets
.
At
the
very
bottom
,
when
all
was
said
and
done
,
Magnus
remained
the
Forty
-
niner
.
Deep
down
in
his
heart
the
spirit
of
the
Adventurer
yet
persisted
.
“
We
will
all
of
us
have
made
fortunes
by
then
.
”
That
was
it
precisely
.
“
After
us
the
deluge
.
”
For
all
his
public
spirit
,
for
all
his
championship
of
justice
and
truth
,
his
respect
for
law
,
Magnus
remained
the
gambler
,
willing
to
play
for
colossal
stakes
,
to
hazard
a
fortune
on
the
chance
of
winning
a
million
.
It
was
the
true
California
spirit
that
found
expression
through
him
,
the
spirit
of
the
West
,
unwilling
to
occupy
itself
with
details
,
refusing
to
wait
,
to
be
patient
,
to
achieve
by
legitimate
plodding
;
the
miner
’
s
instinct
of
wealth
acquired
in
a
single
night
prevailed
,
in
spite
of
all
.
It
was
in
this
frame
of
mind
that
Magnus
and
the
multitude
of
other
ranchers
of
whom
he
was
a
type
,
farmed
their
ranches
.
They
had
no
love
for
their
land
.
They
were
not
attached
to
the
soil
.
They
worked
their
ranches
as
a
quarter
of
a
century
before
they
had
worked
their
mines
.
To
husband
the
resources
of
their
marvellous
San
Joaquin
,
they
considered
niggardly
,
petty
,
Hebraic
.
To
get
all
there
was
out
of
the
land
,
to
squeeze
it
dry
,
to
exhaust
it
,
seemed
their
policy
.
When
,
at
last
,
the
land
worn
out
,
would
refuse
to
yield
,
they
would
invest
their
money
in
something
else
;
by
then
,
they
would
all
have
made
fortunes
.
They
did
not
care
.
“
After
us
the
deluge
.
”
Lyman
,
however
,
was
obviously
uneasy
,
willing
to
change
the
subject
.
He
rose
to
his
feet
,
pulling
down
his
cuffs
.
“
By
the
way
,
”
he
observed
,
“
I
want
you
three
to
lunch
with
me
to
-
day
at
my
club
.
It
is
close
by
.
You
can
wait
there
for
news
of
the
court
’
s
decision
as
well
as
anywhere
else
,
and
I
should
like
to
show
you
the
place
.
I
have
just
joined
.
”
