The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-09-11
SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT. ii.

any of us had expected. The board had been
cutting down expenses right and left, and the
cashier had been saving up all the hard money
he could get, so that when the time came Tor
paying the old notes as promised, it was found
that veiy few people cared to make the
change.
"Did you ever hear of the Dutchman who
had some money in a savings bank, and who,
hearing that the bank was in trouble and
couldn't pay, determined to have his money.
So he went to the bank and demanded his
money. He wanted it very much and he must
have it right away When the teller counted
out his money for him he looked up in aston
ishment and exclaimed; Wy vat is dat? You
monish Eff you got my monish you can keep
him, and no want him. 1t was just so with
our creditors, whei they found that we could
pay in hard money they preferred the compa-
ny's notes as they were so much handler.
Well, the credit of the company was helped
far more than anybody had expected. Every
body seemed anxious to loan the company
money and at rates of interest far below any
thing ever heard of in this country. This en-
abled our financial agent to take up the old
notes OF the company by the issue of new ones
at less rate of interest, by which the saving
In interest each year was just immense. Why
my boy, the amount of money saved in this
way by this good management of our financial
agent to say nothing of the amount of debt he
actually paid, would be sufficient to buy a good
farm every hour in the day of every day in the
year. think 1t was just the greatest piece of
financial engineering | ever heard OF. And
then the good effects of this condition of affairs
wore seen on all sides. So much had all kinds
of business depended our company that
with this increased credit of the company bust
ness revived everywhere Old furnaces that
had lain idle for years were put in blast again;
railroads were repaired and new ones built;
manufacturing establishments were crowded
with orders more than they could fill; every
where there vas great demand for labor and
any man who was willing to work could find
plenty to do at good wages. Merchants found
ready sale for their goods and the farmers good
prices for their products. In short. don't be-
lieve there is any people on the face of the
earth more prosperous than ours. Our COM
pany is earning big dividends and every stock
holder ught TO be happy, but it's hard to SUIT
some folks If you should put them in the
garden of Eden they wouldn't be happy ii they
had tasted of the frcit of every tree in the
garden, though they might know that they
would have 10 clear out in consequence And
now our annual meeting is coming around and
some of the stockholders say they think they
had better have change, and when you ask
them why they simply reply, .Ohl Cause and
If you ask them j. the present board hasn't
done we'll enough hey say, 'Oh! we'll, they've
done pretty WE'LL but they don't deserve the
credit of it, It's God Almighty and our folks
that deserve the credit and then it's good
thing to have CHANGE and who do they
want to put i'll the management? Why the
very men who made all the trouble these past
years. The men who did their very best to
break down the company. and who when they
failed in that tried every way they could to
ruin its credit, and with a very few exceptions
every one of them has cheated his creditors by
putting his property in his wifes name and
telling his creditors to whistle for their pay.
My eyes! what a cheeky lot they are. have
heard of Satan rebuking sin, but that's no
match for these fellows calling other people
bad names.
What's that you ask? Do think they will
succeed? Succeed! Why, my boy, what do
you take us for? Do you think we have all
gone crazy mad? Succeed? Not much. Do
you think We have gone through all these
years of trial and Distress fighting against
open violence at the loss of a great many
precious lives, and then fighting for years to
establish the credit of the company, with su CHI
magnificent success, too, now to turn the con-
Germ over to the men who have done their ut
most to break it up? Don't take us for lot
of simpletons Oh, yes, they're smart. They've
put forware man, a real good looking fellow,
who was on our side part of the time. He is
frst-rate fellow, but he doesn't know anything
about business, for since he got to be a man
he's been studying astronomy, and knows as
much about business as do about the stars,
and that's next to nothing. Tain't the man
that our folks are looking at. It's the crowd
behind him. Now dou't you be uneasy Our
folks are not all blamed idiots, and we shall
just show these chaps that there's no use of
tnoir hnocking luis ulne. Iney can't come IN
have never held any office in the company
l am only stockhelder, but all that I have is
juvested in the concern in one way or another,
and am good deal interested.
Now, my boy, you had better go to he'd. I
have kept you up pretty late. This has been
long story, but think you can see that 1 am
good deal interested. Some other time,
when we get this matter disposed Of I'll talk
with you about politics, but not now. Good
night"
With this the kind-hearted old gentleman
took up his lam p and went off to his room.