The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-04

that he is not the owner Of dollar worth
of stock or bonds in the company, and II
would naturally occur to most business
people that, if he wants to know anything |
about the business of the company, he
should first present to the officers of thu
company some evidence as to who or what
he represents.
He has probably heard of the Abbott
Green Merritt Body meeting in New
York, and of its utter and disgraceful fizzle,
and if this Mr. Osterburg really represents
anybody it would be well for him
to try and avoid such an ut
ter extinction Of his principals as
befel the Body gang by the publication OF
Mr.. Hassler's honest, straight forward re-
port.
1t is not probable that Mr. Cable will
neglect the business of his company to
trot around the country at the bidding OF
anybody, especially of persons who have
no interest in the company.
Mr. Osterburg has taken pains to tele-
graph to the Chicago Tribune, among 9th
err pleasing fctions, the following:
Mr.. Osterburg says further that, as the present
management have Iailed to run the road success
fully, he shall ask them to rrlnquish it 10 its right
fu owners the bondholders, who had invested their
money in it,
Modest Mr.. Osterburg Did it ever
occur to him that in this country, swim
died stockholders have rights as well as
swindled bondholders? and that they will
be very likely to protect their interests by
every expedient the laws of this country
warrant for that purpose?
1t is quite apparent that Mr.. Osterburg
is not yet well enough informed to say
whether the business of the road has been
well managed or not The net receipts,
under the present management, from the
day Mr. Gable took possession, tell very
different tale from the Body man
agement, as Mr.. O. will perceive when
he informs himself During the Body
management the net earnings were about
$3.50 month. or some $4,000 in all, dur
ing the Body administration. Under Mr.
Cables management the net earnings have
been over 1000 a month, or about hall
u million of dollars, in about the same space
of time, which does not look ike an en-
| tire failure or very poor management
The present managers of the road are
in no conceivable manner responsible for
the projecting of or the building of this
road, or for the frauds and rascally mis-
management connected with its early his
/ tory, nor do they propose to shoulder any
OF it. On the contrary they have been
| hard at work to ferret out and bring to JUS
tice the perpetrators OF those frauds, for
the benefit of the company. Every tran
saction, every contract, every dollar re-
ceiycd or paid out, since Mr.. Gable be-
came president of the roads an open book
to all who are interested in the company.
There is no privacy, no secrets from peo-
pie who have right to know.
Mr.. Gable thinks more of his honor, bis
integrity as a business and railroad man'
than the entire value of the road in ques
ton, and he will not be likely to be party
to any friendly suit which does not pro
vide for the payment of every cent of float
ing and local Indebtedness OF the company
and guard well the interests of the com
pany as well as the bondholders No mar
in Illinois has fairer reputation for honor
honesty, uprightness and integrity than r
r. Gable, as Mr. Osterburg will find if he
will visit every town on the line of this
road, and MIR. Gable will take good care
to protect his own reputation and the in
terests of the company as well as the bond
holders
This is good deal larger country, prob
ably, than Mr.. 0sterburg is aware of
and it might enlarge his vision to leave
the vicinity and peculiar Establishments o
the Boody-Abbott clique and the luxurie.
of metropolitan life in New York, ant
take a trip over our Western Praries wher,
he can see the railroad he is in pursuit of anC
see the people who manage it and patron
ize it. He will thus be more likely to ac
| complish something for those he pretend
t to represent than by remaining under tn
: shadow of the disaffected and discomftte,
Q original swindlers of the road in New Yorl
! and sending forth over the whole countr
, pompous kilograms inspired from tina
e source and artfully calculated, and perhap
-
will find in Rock Island all the informatio
e he needs, and if he really has evidenc
4 that he represents anybody he viii b
o treated with all the consideration that hi
principals would be If they were presen