CHAPTER XXII.
Street-railways at Last Among the directors of the North Chicago City company there was one man, Edwin L.Kaffrath, who was young and of a forward-looking temperament.

His father, a former heavy stockholder of this company, had recently died and left all his holdings and practically his directorship to his only son.

Young Kaffrath was by no means a practical street-railway man, though he fancied he could do very well at it if given a chance.

He was the holder of nearly eight hundred of the five thousand shares of stock; but the rest of it was so divided that he could only exercise a minor influence.

Nevertheless, from the day of his entrance into the company--which was months before Cowperwood began seriously to think over the situation--he had been strong for improvements--extensions, more franchises, better cars, better horses, stoves in the cars in winter, and the like, all of which suggestions sounded to his fellow-directors like mere manifestations of the reckless impetuosity of youth, and were almost uniformly opposed.
"What's the matter with them cars ?" asked Albert Thorsen, one of the elder directors, at one of the meetings at which Kaffrath was present and offering his usual protest.