The Gilded Age by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner

the National Capitol.”

Col. Sellers did not of course lose the opportunity to impress upon so

influential a person as the Senator the desirability of improving the

navigation of Columbus river. He and Mr. Brierly took the Senator over

to Napoleon and opened to him their plan. It was a plan that the Senator

could understand without a great deal of explanation, for he seemed to be

familiar with the like improvements elsewhere. When, however, they

reached Stone’s Landing the Senator looked about him and inquired,

“Is this Napoleon?”

“This is the nucleus, the nucleus,” said the Colonel, unrolling his map.

“Here is the deepo, the church, the City Hall and so on.”

“Ah, I see. How far from here is Columbus River? Does that stream

empty—-”

“That, why, that’s Goose Run. Thar ain’t no Columbus, thout’n it’s over

to Hawkeye,” interrupted one of the citizens, who had come out to stare

at the strangers. “A railroad come here last summer, but it haint been

here no mo’.”

“Yes, sir,” the Colonel hastened to explain, “in the old records Columbus

River is called Goose Run. You see how it sweeps round the town-forty-

nine miles to the Missouri; sloop navigation all the way pretty much,

drains this whole country; when it’s improved steamboats will run right

up here. It’s got to be enlarged, deepened. You see by the map.

Columbus River. This country must have water communication!”

“You’ll want a considerable appropriation, Col. Sellers.

“I should say a million; is that your figure Mr. Brierly.”

“According to our surveys,” said Harry, “a million would do it; a million

spent on the river would make Napoleon worth two millions at least.”

“I see,” nodded the Senator. “But you’d better begin by asking only for

two or three hundred thousand, the usual way. You can begin to sell town

lots on that appropriation you know.”

The Senator, himself, to do him justice, was not very much interested in

the country or the stream, but he favored the appropriation, and he gave

the Colonel and Mr. Brierly to and understand that he would endeavor to

get it through. Harry, who thought he was shrewd and understood

Washington, suggested an interest.

But he saw that the Senator was wounded by the suggestion.

“You will offend me by repeating such an observation,” he said.

“Whatever I do will be for the public interest. It will require a

portion of the appropriation for necessary expenses, and I am sorry to

say that there are members who will have to be seen. But you can reckon

upon my humble services.”

This aspect of the subject was not again alluded to. The Senator

possessed himself of the facts, not from his observation of the ground,

but from the lips of Col. Sellers, and laid the appropriation scheme away

among his other plans for benefiting the public.

It was on this visit also that the Senator made the acquaintance of Mr.

Washington Hawkins, and was greatly taken with his innocence, his

guileless manner and perhaps with his ready adaptability to enter upon

any plan proposed.

Col. Sellers was pleased to see this interest that Washington had

awakened, especially since it was likely to further his expectations with

regard to the Tennessee lands; the Senator having remarked to the

Colonel, that he delighted to help any deserving young man, when the

promotion of a private advantage could at the same time be made to

contribute to the general good. And he did not doubt that this was an

opportunity of that kind.

The result of several conferences with Washington was that the Senator

proposed that he should go to Washington with him and become his private

secretary and the secretary of his committee; a proposal which was

eagerly accepted.

The Senator spent Sunday in Hawkeye and attended church. He cheered the

heart of the worthy and zealous minister by an expression of his sympathy

in his labors, and by many inquiries in regard to the religious state of

the region. It was not a very promising state, and the good man felt how

much lighter his task would be, if he had the aid of such a man as

Senator Dilworthy.

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