Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-25
account of the explosion and destruction by
fire of their mills, in 1879. The destruction of

oSSouAU VI GAS CApAOS1Ou duu OcoSIuCtAOA Wy
fire of their mills, in 1872. The destruction Of
these mills was
PRECISELY PARALLEL CASE
to mine. / read this letter to you, in which
they said that they had EGO, 900 $3.50, 000) in
surance and that the companies paid them all
without suit, but e200.. The next day we met
as you agreed. Many arguments were made
use of to induce me to compromise, the prin-
cipal of which was, that it would cost me a
great deal Of time and money if I had
to litigate; all of which admitted.
Expressed preference for going before the
courts. I said to Mr.. Covington that Isupposed
that the companies at Cincinnati would be
willing to have one suit decide the liability of
all, to which he responded very quickly and
emphatically, No! which satisfied me that it
was not justice that he wanted, but to threaten
me with annoyance to get better compromise,
and responded that only made the sugges-
ton. supposing that it would be agreeable.
then suggested my
WILLINGNESS TO ARBTTRATE
the matter, saying that the arbitration should
be here, where the witnesses all were, and the
facts well known; but when acceded to an
arbitration, your anxiety for one seemed to me
to quickly depart. No result having been ar
rived at. babe you all good-by. not expecting
to see you again, and expecting, SO far as all
the companies not represented in the State
were concerned, that I should have to assert my
rights before the proper tribunal.
To my surprise, however, you called upon me
the next morning to say that you had called
on me, not as an insurance man at ALL but as q
friendr' thought that very kind in you
considering our friendship one of so recent a
date, having met you for the first time three
days before. You expressed great regret that
would not entertain proposition of compro-
mise. You were sure that would regret that
| had not done so, because it would cost me
more to itigate than l would lose on COM
promise. But another point you pressed with
good deal of force, and that was that many of
my companies, as you knew, were very weak,
and you offered to
BET Me SILK HAT
that twelve of them would fail before could
get judgment against them. l took the bet
and you, at my request. made a memorandum
of it in your book and I did the same in mine.
You then took pencil and made figures, which
l now have. They were to the effect: That
you, Mr.. Covington and Mr.. st. John, repre-
scented 10000, and that if would take $780,
600 you were certain that the matter could be
settled. declined and again we shook hands
| for goodbye, but an hour or two later l re-
! ceived note from you, saying that if 1 was
going to call that you wished that would do
! so at P. NJ. | called at 3 P. d. and then
said to you: do understand that if l should
|
| that you are prepared to close it here and
now?" You responded that you were not, bnt
would submit the proposition and recommend
| it, and you had no doubt the companies repre-
senting the $4,000 would all accept it. Mr..
| St. John said, speaking for his companies, thai
| he was prepared to close the matter then or
| that basis.
replied to you that if you had no authority
to close the case did not want to talk any
more about it, but said that when the compa
MES not represented in the State made tn,
proposition indicated by you l would answe
whether would accept it, yes or no, and lef
you with the positive declaration that woule
not make any proposition for compromise
Mr.. Covington was not present at this last in
terview. [ ought to have said before this tina
at our meeting the day before / recognized tina
you had me at a disadvantage so far as tn
companies not represented in the State wer
concerned, and said, referring to those com
panies ''If you make me any offer looking t
a compromise, tell you in advance that an,
offer that contemplates a deduction of over
per cent, will not be entertained. SHOULD
say further that you all agreed that the com
panies represented in the State would pay M
in full, voluntarily, with one or two excep
tions, which for the honor of those companie
you did not name.
face of my policies from your companies
should feel bound to notify all other compa
MES as to what had done and why had don
it, and if they were willing to get down to tn
same level should give them that privilege.
l have endeavored to make you full AM
truthful statement of my intercourse with you
and if 1 have failed in any way beg you t.
to say in answer to this letter. as I am no
willing that my position should be misundel
stood by anybody. Yours very truly,
&C. WAsHBuBN.