Franchises and necessary extensions to existing franchises could be added.

This conversion of his outstanding stock in other fields, and the picking up of odd lots in the local street-railway, was the business of Cowperwood.

Butler, through his sons, Owen and Callum, was also busy planning a new line and obtaining a franchise, sacrificing, of course, great blocks of stock and actual cash to others, in order to obtain sufficient influence to have the necessary legislation passed.

Yet it was no easy matter, seeing that others knew what the general advantages of the situation were, and because of this Cowperwood, who saw the great source of profit here, was able, betimes, to serve himself--buying blocks, a part of which only went to Butler, Mollenhauer or others.

In short he was not as eager to serve Butler, or any one else, as he was to serve himself if he could.
In this connection, the scheme which George W.Stener had brought forward, representing actually in the background Strobik, Wycroft, and Harmon, was an opening wedge for himself.