He totaled up his possibilities, and discovered that in all likelihood, with a little preliminary missionary work, he could dispose of one million dollars if personal influence, through local political figures, could bring this much of the loan his way.
One man in particular had grown strong in his estimation as having some subtle political connection not visible on the surface, and this was Edward Malia Butler.

Butler was a contractor, undertaking the construction of sewers, water-mains, foundations for buildings, street-paving, and the like.

In the early days, long before Cowperwood had known him, he had been a garbage-contractor on his own account.

The city at that time had no extended street-cleaning service, particularly in its outlying sections and some of the older, poorer regions.

Edward Butler, then a poor young Irishman, had begun by collecting and hauling away the garbage free of charge, and feeding it to his pigs and cattle.
Later he discovered that some people were willing to pay a small charge for this service.