All language subtitles for Riverboat S02E05 No Bridge on the River

Bridge.

Who needs it?

A railroad bridge across the Mississippi.

Ah.

In fact, they're going slow.

Looks like they could use a few more
hands, huh? Well, that's their plan.

Now, friends, if you just gather around,

I'm going to give you the
opportunity of a lifetime.

As you know, the West no
longer stops at the Mississippi,

but it's going to reach out,
clear out to the Pacific Ocean. Now,

if you'll just listen to me a moment,
if you'll just listen. Who are you?

The name's Bledsoe, friend. Jim
Bledsoe. And I come down here to St.

Louis... Well, who asked you to?

I come down here to St. Louis
because the railroad needs men.

Good men, strong men.

Men with muscle and grit that
can swing a sledge and drive

a spike to help build that
new bridge up at Rock Island.

Was he still talking? I
hope he runs out of wind.

A dollar a day, plus tobacco
and whiskey when you want it.

Now that's what's waiting
for you up at Rock Island.

We ain't no fools, mister. Of course
you're not fools. You're sensible men.

That's why you'll want to come
up and work on the new bridge.

Now here's passage money up to Rock
Island. Now who'll be the first taker?

We put a bridge across that river,
we'll be cutting our own throats.

You can't stop progress, my friend.

The West is growing.

Step right up, boys.

Build our bridge, push our
railroad across the river,

take the bread out of
our mouths. Vultures.

Not you, ma'am.

And by all that's right, the
railroad is willing to pay.

You know, I think I'll pipe her a board.

Well, Miss Murray, welcome
back. Did you enjoy your shopping?

Oh, yes. St. Louis is so exciting.

Mr. Murray has bought me many things.

Yes, my hat and purse. Oh, and look.
Look at my parasol. Isn't that beautiful?

It's charming.

You know, your father spoiled you.

Now, that is the second time you have
made this mistake. Oh, that's right.

Well, I can't help wishing
that he were your father.

And I try so hard to look married.

Serious.

Settle.

But maybe it's because
it's only two weeks.

And this is still our honeymoon.

Oh, see these wonderful gifts.

Oh, thank you. Pardon, Capitaine, but
you must forgive her. She's like a child,

Steve. Everything excites her,
everything catches her fancy.

Oh, but why shouldn't it? Even
the cloud on the top, that meeting,

I could hardly drag it away.

I found it so very interesting.

Such anger, such loud voices.

Oh, look, look.

Now, just keep calm, keep calm. A
man's got a right to free speech.

We're getting even
more excited than before.

Miss Jim Murray, I think you'd
better take your bride topside.

Oh, no. Yes, madame. Wait,
wait, wait. Mammy, come on.

Nobody's hanging anybody.

He's asking us to ruin ourselves. That
bitch will take our river jobs away.

You don't have to work for him.

The law says you can't hang him.

Now move off.

All right, mister. Bloodstone.

Jim Bloodstone. You better get started
wherever you're going and get there fast.

Where are you going? Well, I'm
going to come aboard as a passenger.

That way, I'll come under the
protection of the ship's officers. What?

Get out of here! They're calling!

No, no, let go, let go, let go.

You got a railroad man on board?

You got any money, mister?

Sure have. You need the business.

You'd let the devil come
aboard if he had the money.

The devil thinks you say. Ah,
the fare, mister, the fare.

And that one, too.

All right, get topside. All
right, get up on the top deck.

All right, folks, take it up.

Railroad, man.

Up, up, over here. All right, folks.

Don't worry, Bill. No problem.
No problem. Navigating at night.

I don't like it.

Even with a full moon, I don't like it.
We're going to compete with the railroads.

We've got to speed up our schedule.

What's the use of speeding up our
schedule if we end up without a boat under us?

What's the use of having a boat under
us if we sail half empty? Take over.

Now, let's take men like you with
your knowledge of boilers. Why,

there'd be a great future for you
with the railroad. Ah, shut your ear.

And that goes for you, too,
Mr. Carney. Good job, good pay,

all you gotta do is say the word.

Listen, do you want to stoke your
life away on an old river scowl?

Well, a man with his
experience and knowledge could be a...

A locomotive engineer. And that's
practically like being the captain.

It's you that blows the whistle, and you
merely choke your pockets with money. Now,

get up before I lay you out!

Get out of here.

Get up!

I said, get out!

Let me use this on him,
Skipper. I'll shut his big mouth.

Now, I'm going to tell
you this once, and I'm

not going to repeat
it, so don't forget it.

You're a passenger on
this boat, and that's all.

Don't try to enlist any labor for
your railroad gang from among my crew,

because I'm going to stop the
boat, put you in a sandbar,

and leave you there for the catfish
and the crows, is that understood? Sure,

Captain, sure. Now get in
your cabin and stay there.

That's the way you want it.
Yeah, that's the way I want it.

Now what? Black boat
coming alongside. What?

Ahoy there! What do you
want? You be the captain.

What are you, a river pirate?

Ah, Captain, take a look at it.

You can see we're clean, decent citizens,

and all we're asking for
is a tub of pig's tallow.

You look like you ought to
ask for a bar of soap instead.

What do you want with the hogs and the
pig's tallow for at this time of night?

Burn down a bridge.

What?

Burn down a bridge.

Don't you know where you are, Captain?

You're just below Rock Island.

Rock Island?

The railroad bridge.

You know, Captain, I ain't no preacher,

but it could be like fire
raining down on Sodom and Gomorrah.

We'll burn that bridge down to the
water's edge till it sizzles in the Mississippi.

Ah, the drunk.

Yeah, whiskey and fire,
they go together, mister.

Now, how about giving us that tallow as
your contribution to the festivities?

Hello! That's what you use to
heat up your fires, ain't it?

I'll give you the back of my paddle
wheel. That's what I'll give you.

Where do you think we are? A bunch of
drunken river rats like yourselves?

Well, we're brave men.

Whiskey or not? Brave? You're stupid.

You'll get no help from us burning
and destroying private property.

Now, shut up!

Whose side are you on, mister? I'm on
the side of my boat, the Enterprise.

Well, all right then.

But that bridge ain't
gonna make beggars out of us.

We'll burn it down if we
have to use this jug of

whiskey to start the
flame. Go on, move out.

Go on, move.

Hold those men.

Hold them right there.

Where are you going? I
heard what those men said.

They're going to burn down the bridge.
I want to get a closer look at them.

Why? So I can report it to the
authorities of Rock Island. Now get out of my way.

You're not going to harm any river men.

My duty lies with the railroad,
not to you, Captain. Now move.

Those men are just
drunk. It's whiskey courage.

Go on back to your cabin. You heard
Captain Holden. You heard what he said.

First man to step foot on my deck, I'll
kick you right back into the Mississippi.

I don't get you, mister.

You knocked them down to protect
us, didn't you? As you river men,

and you're drunk and you don't
know what you're doing. Now go on,

forget about this burning and destroying.

Find some nice, soft, grassy place in the
riverbank and sleep it off. Now, shut up!

I hope you hit a snag in the
river, Captain! Are you all right?

Huh? Oh. Yeah.

I'm gonna have to
learn how to duck, though.

This fella's got a kick like a canal mule.

That's very pretty, Marcerie.

The kind of music girls
learn in the convent.

You know, gentlemen, My law practice
depends upon the prosperity along the river.

If they collar the father of
the waters with a bridge wire,

it would strangle me down in New Orleans.

You will again, sir.

Matter of luck.

I've had enough.

I suppose my debt is considerable.

Well, let's see here now.

You all, gentlemen, sir, make it
double or nothing between you and me?

Why not?

Good.

Play it again, ma chérie.

Encore!

Oh, may my age is permitted
a few weaknesses, will you?

Oh, I've got two.

My charming wife and Gavlik.

You see, I am very grateful to
you, gentlemen, and to you, Capitán,

for this particular pleasure. I have an
expensive pleasure, isn't it? Fortes!

Fortuna iubat, Latin gentlemen.

Fortune favors the brave.

Well, do you feel a little
courageous tonight, Mr. Murray?

Why? Oh, see, sir. Well, that's
$300 you owe me. Keep it down.

Will you take my I.O.U.?

I am somewhat short of cash,
because of my charming wife.

I kept buying you gifts all the way
along the river, didn't I, ma chérie?

That is the way to
keep a young wife happy.

And to keep her from thinking
about your age. Buy her gifts.

There.

There.

Now.

Is that satisfactory,
Capitaine? It'll be just fine, Mr. Bray.

Cash in the chest, Waller.

Tell me, monsieur, are we serious about
this situation concerning the bridge?

Miss Murray?

Go away.

Leave me alone.

Oh, now, now, now. What's
the matter? What's happening?

I'm not the right wife for him, Captain.

I know I'm not the right wife.

What are you talking about?

I try to be a good wife to him. I try to
do the right things. I want to help him.

No, that's all right. Don't move away.

He thinks I'm still a child.

So he treats me like a child.

He doesn't show me any
way to help him at all.

No?

No.

You know, it's funny,
isn't it, Miss Murray?

How fate happens to
bring two people together.

Well, we ran into the bridge.

Got lobbies. Anybody hurt?
How are you? You got it?

Put it on. That's the boiler.
Anybody hurt? Let's go back in here.

Deliberately! Deliberately! You ran
into that bridge deliberately! Shut up!

Get out of here! Bashing the whole
Texas deck! How did we get here?

Well, the current ran us into those
pilings and the top timbers came over on us.

A hundred times I've been through here. A
hundred times and nothing ever happened.

Now they put up a bridge.

Well, I got a stove in the galley.

Cook's watching over
them with a meat cleaver.

Let's take $400 worth of
damage up there alone.

Yeah, well, $300 or $400 we
don't have. Yeah, I know. So?

What are we going to do about it?

Don't say what I'm going to do.

I'm gonna get this
money from the railroad.

My name is Grimes, sir.

I'm here to speak for the railroad
bridge company. Come right on in.

We've been expecting you.

Well, we can get right
down to cases, Blake.

Now then, sir, my boat, the
Enterprise, was damaged by your bridge.

The damage amounts to $400.

Just like that. Yeah, that's
right, just like that. Why?

Well, now, whose floor do
you think it was? Ours?

That depends on who's
telling the story, sir.

See, I had a little
talk with our Mr. Bledsoe.

Yes, our Mr. Bledsoe last night.

And from what he told me,

it's my opinion that your boat
deliberately rammed our bridge.

Oh, you're so right, Mr. Grimes. I like
running into bridges. It's a hobby of mine.

That's the way I made my
reputation as the best pilot on the river,

by running into everything that got in my
way. You see, that's right, Mr. Grimes.

You see, the bridge has
got in Bill's way, so pow!

I'm in no mood for your
jokes, Captain Holden.

It's our opinion that this was a
deliberate act of willful destruction. Well,

you're not only misinformed,
but you are completely wrong.

That bridge shouldn't even be there.

Its angle is wrong to the current.

It's a menace to navigation.
On who say so, sir? Yours?

I'll have you know we use
highly paid expert engineers.

Highly paid, maybe, but expert, no. Not
on the results. Fire him. Now, look, sir.

All I'm asking for you is
$400. Not one red cent, sir.

You won't pay me?

I'll take you to court, sir.

And I just won't sue for damages.

What do you mean?

I'll get that bridge taken off the
river as a hazard to navigation.

It seems to me if anything is a danger
to navigation, sir, it isn't our bridge.

It's the Enterprise.

You know, Mr. Grimes, if you
weren't in such a hurry to leave,

I'd make you eat those words.

Are we gonna sue in a
court? And just not for damage.

I'm gonna get that bridge off the
river. That's a pretty big order.

You think we got a chance? Well,
we got a good case, haven't we?

Yeah, you think so, but will
a jury think so? Look, Gray,

I know a little about piloting a boat.

You know how to run a boat and
something about digging up the cargo.

But neither you or me
knows this much about the law.

Well, we don't need an
expert. We'll get one. Yeah, well,

what are we going to pay a lawyer with?
20 years free passes on the enterprise?

We don't need to get a lawyer. I've got
one. I want a lawyer. Fed and married.

Please rise.

Hear ye, hear ye, First Federal
District Court is now in session.

On the docket, Captain Gray
Holden of the Steamboat Enterprise

versus the Rock Island,

Illinois Railroad Bridge Company.

Who is representing the plaintiff?

If it please the court, I am, your honor.

Ferdinand Marais of New Orleans.

And who is representing the defense?

I am, your honor.

Abraham Lincoln of
Sangamon County, Illinois.

Whereas these being the charges,

therefore claimant is
suing for damages and loss

of time and for the removal of this bridge

and further to restrain
the railroad from building

any future bridge across the Mississippi.

The claimant contending that
such bridges are a permanent

threat to free navigation on the river.

Are you ready to proceed,
Mr. Moray? We are, Your Honor.

Captain William Blake to the stand.
Place your left hand on the Bible,

raise your right hand. Do you solemnly
swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,
so help you God? Yeah, I do.

Now, sir, your full name and
profession, if you please.

Captain William Blake, master
pilot and partner in the enterprise.

I understood you, sir, and I
believe I heard you correctly.

I understood you to say
that you were a partner.

That's right, yes.

Well, that is a general statement, sir.

Is it exactly precise?

What's I got to do with it?

Why, I was referring to the figures.

Well, get to the point.

Now, Captain.

How much of a partner?

Half partner. I own half,
and Captain Holden owns half.

How do they tell the
junior partner, Counselor?

By age?

Sit down. Do you hear me? Sit down.

Mr. Lincoln, you will confine
your remarks to cross-examination.

My apologies to the court, Your
Honor. And to Captain Holden.

Proceed, Mr. Moray.

Thank you, Yolanda.

Now, Capitaine, let us go back in
time to that fateful night when steaming

peacefully up the father of the waters
with passengers and crew all serene.

Let us go back to that
night when the Enterprise was

tragically ambushed by
the pilings of the bridge.

Objection.

Your Honor, along with anyone else, I
appreciate a dramatic recitation or speech,

but counsel is leading the witness.

Oh, I think Mr. Murray is
within his rights at this time.

Overruled.

May I thank the court for its
reasonable attitude, Your Honor.

Reasonableness is the
very cornerstone of justice.

A little less language,
Mr. Murray, and a little

more substance, if you please. What?

You mean don't talk so much.

Silence!

Well, uh... Will...

Now, Capitaine, where were you
when these tragic events occurred?

I was in the
wheelhouse. It was at nighttime.

We were only going
about five miles an hour.

In that part of the river,
there's a very tricky current,

and all of a sudden this current seized
the boat and smashed us into the piling.

You didn't deliberately strike the bridge.

What are you saying?

I'm a master pilot, not a fool.

That bridge doesn't belong
in that part of the river.

It doesn't belong any place on the river.

Objection.

Witness is stating an opinion.

Sustained.

He's telling the truth!

Order.

Order in the court.

I'm well aware that this case has
aroused strong feelings along the river,

but I will tolerate no demonstrations.

Is that clear? Proceed, Mr. Murray.

I am finished with the witness.

Step down.

What do you mean you're
finished? You didn't even begin.

Please, Capitán, let me handle the case.

The law has nourished me for years, and I
understand her petite quirks and secrets.

Approach discreetly and
intelligently. She can be a man's friend.

Why don't you stop talking
so much and saying so little?

What kind of a lawyer do I own?

Your Honor, if Captain Holden wants a
few more questions asked of Mr. Blake,

I'd be glad to oblige. That is,
if Mr. Murray has no objection.

Mr. Murray, any
objections? None, Your Honor.

Mr. Blake, will you return to the stand?

Well, Mr. Blake, from the looks of you,
you must be quite a veteran of the river.

Oh, flattery will get
you no place, Mr. Lincoln.

Now, if you want me to admit that I am an
accomplished master pilot on the river,

I'll be guilty to that charge.

Your Honor, would you please
instruct the jury that Mr.

Blake is not charged
with any wrongdoing? No

need to, Your Honor.
I'll take care of that.

Gentlemen.

Mr. Blake was just using a figure of
speech. He is not a defendant in the case.

I bet you wish I was,
though, huh, Mr. Lincoln?

Mr. Blake, you will please confine
your remarks to answering the questions.

Yes, Your Honor.

Well, Mr. Blake, now that
we've established the fact,

and I freely concede the point,
that you're an experienced pilot,

would you tell me when
in the course of a day's

run you're usually in the wheelhouse?

Well, that could be most any time
from sunup to sundown, all depending.

Depending on what?

Well, depending on the
condition of the river at that time,

the trickiness of the current,
the shoals, the bends, anything.

Then would you say that you spend a
considerable amount of time in the wheelhouse?

You could say that again, Mr. Lane.

And would you say you
were always at the wheel

when the navigating was
difficult or dangerous?

That's my responsibility.

And were you at the wheel
at the time of the crash?

I was.

Why, Mr. Blake?

Was there a problem?

Oh, no. No, there was no problem.

It was just that... Would you
finish that sentence, Mr. Blake?

It was just that... What?

Object, object! Why? It's a
proper question. Silence!

What's the matter, Mr. Blake?

Cat got your tongue?

No, it was just that it was...

Nighttime.

Night, you say.

And is it usual for a
riverboat to travel at night?

No.

Then why were you?

We were trying to speed up our
schedule to compete with the railroad.

It looks like the current kind
of knocked us out of competition.

That's all, Mr. Blake. You can step down.

What are you doing, mister?

Hello, Sonny.

Hey, I know you.

You're the lawyer.

Why aren't you at the trial?

Well, it's a recess.

I've been trying to figure something out.

You live around here, Sonny?

Yep.

I suppose you could tell
me all about this river.

Sure.

Well, I guess you're the
expert I'm looking for.

How fast does the current run under here?

Oh, I couldn't tell you that, mister.

I don't know.

How would you like to help
me find out and make a dime?

I'm your man, mister.

Here's your dime.

Now, you see that point?

When a log comes floating around
that point, you let out a yell.

I'll start taking the time on my watch.

Now, when it comes under us here, you
yell again, and I'll quit taking the time.

That'll give you the speed of the current?

The time it takes for it to
travel from there to here,

that'll give me the
current speed. You ready, sonny?

And don't forget, yell.

Captain Gray, hold into the stand.

You know, I've been waiting
impatiently to get you on

the stand, Captain. That
is, ever since yesterday.

Well, I'm here.

You shall, Miss Word, tell the truth,
the old truth, nothing but the truth.

Do I help you, God?

I do.

You don't especially like
me, do you, Captain? In fact,

I guess I'm not so popular with any of
you river men, am I? Now that's a fact.

You ain't the belle of the ball.

Order. Order in the court.

Well, I...

I guess I'd be a lot safer if I'd
applied for a job on your side, Captain.

Captain Gray Holden.

Well, you're maybe the
first good-looking steamboat

captain I've seen since this trial began.

You know this river,
Captain? You from Illinois?

You know it all?

I guess maybe there's some parts
that don't. Well, I'm not so careless.

I know all the river, from New Orleans to
St. Paul, from St. Louis to Cincinnati.

I know it all.

You're a fighting man,
aren't you, Captain?

Objection, Your Honor.

Counsel is obviously
attempting to bait my client.

It is unsporting and ungentlemanly.

Why don't you sit down? I can take care
of myself. The witness will control himself.

Calls for you too, Mr. Lincoln.

You want that bridge off the
river, don't you, Captain?

We want all bridges off the river.

You insist. You really believe that
a bridge is a peril to navigation?

It's like a snag.

Now, if you don't know
what a snag is, Mr. Lincoln,

I'd be glad to explain it to you.

Naturally, you're a
fighting man. That's right.

But I don't burn, and I don't
commit sabotage, and I don't lie.

I do my fighting, or I'm
supposed to be doing my fighting,

right here in a court of law.

Now then, steamboats been coming up
and down this river for nearly 30 years.

And nobody's got the privilege of
interfering with their right of way.

Order! Order! Order in the court!

The country's changed in 30 years. The
railroad's changing it, not the people.

Tell me, Captain, how much
time do you spend on the river?

I spend all my time in the river, every
day and every night, weeks, months, years.

Speaking of how you spend your time,

I understand you were playing
blackjack the night the accident occurred.

Won yourself a lawyer, I believe.

Objection, Your Honor. Sustained.

Well, there's no telling what a man's
likely to win at blackjack these days.

Order in the court. That's
enough levity, Mr. Lincoln.

I won't warn you again.

I'll tell you something, Captain.

You steamed up that night too
close to the Illinois shore. Yeah?

You should have been closer to
the West Bank, the Iowa side.

What makes you think you're a navigator?

It's spring, Captain.

The river's at flood stage. Current
comes down hard and fast this time of year.

Runs at 15 miles an hour
heading for those pilings.

The water drop at those
pilings is four feet,

thus an eddy and cross current are formed.

By the way you hit, you got caught
and swung some 35 feet to the pilings.

Then you got stuck in
the eddy with your bow up.

Traveling at five miles an hour,
you couldn't fight off that current.

It swung you like a toy.

Well, I guess you do know
something about the river.

Well, now that you admit that, I'm
going to admit something to you.

And to you too, gentlemen of the jury.

I'm going to get something out of the way.

Gentlemen, I did a little
investigating during lunch recess,

and I want to say here
and now that in my opinion,

the Enterprise struck
that bridge by accident.

Now we admit it was not done deliberately.

The current being such and the bridge
being where it is, it had to happen.

We candidly admit this.

But, and this is the vital issue, No man,

no one has the right to ask the
railroad to remove this bridge

or to impose a restraint
against any such future building.

The defense asks for a
recess, Your Honor. Granted.

You just lost your case, Mr. Lincoln.

Did I admit you?

Did I? Mm-hmm.

All I admitted were facts, Captain.

And the facts only proved
that the bridge should have

been built at a
different angle to the river.

Not that it shouldn't be there at all.

He has given us our
case, Captain. He has given

us all we need. I can taste the victory.

I can taste it.

Yeah?

Yeah, whose?

His or ours?

Now, Captain, I've called you back to
the stand for a few final questions.

Fire away.

To which I hope to get
some honest answers.

Well, that's the only kind of answers
you ever get out of me, is honest ones.

By now, I'm sure of that, Captain.

Actually, it's only one question.

Captain, the
steamboats handle all cargo and

traffic up and down
the river and across it,

don't they? That's right.

Products from the east to get to
the west have to use the steamboats.

Yeah, that's right. Seems like you've
got something of a monopoly, Captain.

That's all there is.

Steamboats.

That's all there were.

Until the railroad reached the
Illinois shore and started across.

Now you've got competition, Captain.

That's right. And that's why
you're fighting the bridge.

No!

That bridge is a
menace to safe navigation.

For 30 years, men have
been living on this river.

Keelboatmen, flatboatmen, riverboatmen.

The witness will sit down and
stick to the question at hand.

That's all right, Your Honor.

Let the captain speak.

It's easy to talk about competition.

Make it sound like we're greedy.

There are people who live on this river,

and that's what I'm
thinking about right now.

Women, children, families of river men.

What's going to happen to them?

What will their future be now?

Where will they go? Where will they
go if the river goes dead on them?

Will the bridge take
care of them, Mr. Lincoln?

No, of course not.

But the riverboats will.

I'm not fighting competition.

I'm fighting for a living for
every one of us here on the river.

Are you finished with
the witness, Mr. Lincoln?

That's all, Captain.

What do you mean, that's
all? I haven't even begun yet.

The witness will step down or be
in contempt. What do you mean?

Order.

Order in the corner.

You will step down.

Well, Mr. Lincoln?

The defense is finished, Your Honor.

Then there will be a 15-minute recess.

We'll listen to closing
arguments after that.

Court is dismissed.

Why didn't you say something?

Why didn't you object? My good
man, there was nothing to object to.

First you open your mouth too
much, then you can't say a word.

Madam, I bet you told me your husband
was an important lawyer, a good one.

He is.

Please, my child.

Go away.

This must be extremely painful to you
too, to see me embarrassed, abused.

Ferdinand!

You do talk too much.

Absolutely do.

What?

I have despaired of ever
finding a weakness in you.

But now I have, and I'm glad.

Not for your weakness, for that I am
sorry, but it does tell me you are human.

Because of that, I can reach you
as a wife should reach her husband.

And this, this I've not
been able to do before.

Marie, ma chérie, Marie.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Well, maybe part of our side will get
something out of this trial after all.

Gentlemen of the jury, you have
heard many reliable witnesses

testify to the fact that
no bridge should be there.

You have heard candid
omissions by the defense, all of them.

All this goes to prove
our contention that danger

to free navigation of the river exists.

Competition is not the
issue, but safety is.

The unimpeded freedom for river
traffic, the right of the river man.

To guarantee secure
transportation to their clients.

On the question of damages for
injury to the vessel and for time lost,

on the question of the existence
of a bridge crossing the river,

you must in all conscience,
gentlemen, find for the plaintiff.

Order!

Order in the court!

Mr. Lincoln?

Well, now, that was
quite an inspiring speech.

Counsel for the plaintiff
sounded like a different man.

Changed for the better, which is fine.

I only wish his legal
position had improved, too.

He's still dead set against
the bridge crossing the river.

Now, gentlemen, must that crossing always
be by canoe or ferry boat or steamboat?

Must the railroad come to a
halt at the riverbank, unload,

pile all its goods and
products on boats, Sail them across,

then reload them on railroad cars
to continue their journey west?

Wouldn't this hold back
the progress and development

of that great region to the west?

All that's wrong with
that particular bridge is

that it was built at a
wrong angle to the river.

We will correct this, gentlemen.

But a bridge must be a conceded
right if a nation is to grow and expand.

Now, I'm not going to let
counsel for the plaintiff

outdo me in respect for your patience,

so I'm going to be brief, too.

I'm going to conclude with
just one more point that

I think puts the whole
problem in a nutshell.

It seems to me that one man
has as good a right to cross

a river As another has the
right to sail up and down it,

provided each doesn't
interfere with the other's rights.

It's like a highway or a street.

You cannot deny that a
man has the right to

Cross it or another to
pass up and down it.

As long as they don't
get in each other's way.

This gentleman is an undeniable right.

And it is the issue at stake.

Thank you.

Order!

The jury will rise.

Gentlemen, you will
retire to the jury room.

The court is recessed until
a verdict has been reached.

You were wonderful and
marvelous, wasn't he, Captain?

Well, we'll see you
when the jury comes back.

Come on, I need a drink.

Been in that jury room for one
hour. Oh, it's a good sign, Skipper.

Sure.

For us.

Mister.

You obviously have a head of
iron just like your railroad.

You know nothing about jurisprudence.

I got more sense than you, mister. I live
on land, not on water, like a river rat.

Why, you... Carney!

I ain't no sodbuster's
gonna call me names.

There's a trial going on. At
least wait till it's over.

Yes, sir. Drink your drink.

Well, hello, strong.

Tully, have a drink on the railroad,
will you? Sure. Well, there you are.

Boys have been looking all over for you.

Now, the jury's still out.

And it looks like the riverboat
men are going to come to grips. Oh,

it'll be a sad day for them.

So why don't you join
up with the railroad?

Now, here's what we're going to... Put
your money away and shut your mouth.

Wages are still the same.

A dollar a day, plus
tobacco, plus whiskey.

Now, look, boy, we can't beat
them, so why don't you join them?

The jury's bound to vote for
them. All right, boy, just sit down.

I've stopped riding before, and I can
stop it again. Now, just take it easy.

I've owed you that ever since the boat.

Now, if your men will turn you loose,
I'll give you a little bit of interest.

That a fact.

Oh, now that's a good sign. A
sure sign of victory for all. Great!

Gray, the jury's coming in.
Court's about in session.

You know, Mr. Carney, maybe you're right.

Maybe it's a good sign after all, huh?

Come on, boys.

What happened to you, Captain?

Oh, just another little
disagreement, Mr. Lincoln.

And who won?

Well, the river men.

Naturally. Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

And what is your verdict?

We, the jury, fine for the defendant.

They have the undeniable right
to put a bridge across the river,

providing it's at an angle that
does not interfere with navigation.

And on the subject of
damages, we fine for the plaintiff.

I guess we might as
well take on them. Uh-oh.

Captain, I'm coming on
board as a passenger.

Do you mind if I ride
home with you two gentlemen?

Welcome to the Enterprise, Mr.
Lincoln. Permit me to say, Captain,

you put up a very good fight.

We haven't given up that fight
yet, Mr. Lincoln. No, no, no.

That bridge is here to stay.

You know, you might have spoke
up for progress, Mr. Lincoln,

but you didn't make yourself
so popular along the river.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't
sorry about that, Captain Holden.

But that's the trouble with progress.

Someone's always getting hurt by it, one
way or another. All right, cast our lines!

Keep those airplanes on!