A certain amount of the profitable proceeds would have to be set aside to assuage the feelings of those who were not contractors.

Funds would have to be loaned at election time to certain individuals and organizations--but no matter.
The amount would be small.

So Butler and Patrick Gavin Comiskey, the councilman (the latter silently) entered into business relations.

Butler gave up driving a wagon himself.

He hired a young man, a smart Irish boy of his neighborhood, Jimmy Sheehan, to be his assistant, superintendent, stableman, bookkeeper, and what not.