The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-10-07

Hercules Powder Co. Mr.. Dupont
was about so years of age and a man
of whom even bis business rivals
could speak no i'll.
A Sun reporter met G. III Kerr,
adjuster of the firm. who was here
settling up some accounts of the Her.
eules Powder Co., and from him
learned many particulars of L. Du,
points life. His life has been an
eventful one and reads like a 70.
nance.
In 1861 sec etary Seward sent fol-
one of the Duponts to come to Wash.
ington Immediately. Lamont was
selected by his uncle to answer the
summons, and arriving there was adj
nitted TO a secret consultation with
the secretary and President Lincoln
They wanted to know what supply of
sait-petre there was in the country
and were greatly disturbed to learn
that it was very small and totally in
adequate to carry on such a war as
the country had evidently become
involved in. After long consultation
it was decided that Dupont should go
to England and buy up all the salt
perre he could. He returned to VIII
mington, made his preparations, and
the next day started for New York,
carrying letters of credit from this
government for half a million of dol
lars. Mr.. Seward agreed to send an
other letter for a similar amount by a
steamer leaving Boston couple of days
later. On the trip over Mr.. Dupont
met party of congenial friends and
they proposed leaving the steamer
on the Cork mail boat, spend few
days in that city and proceed to Lon
don by rail. Mr.. Dupont had great
difficulty in getting out of this expe-
dition but finally hit upon the happy
plan of giving the party a grand
dinner the day before landing, and
then pleading the urgency of his
business as an excuse for leaving
them. After this royal entertainment
they could not refuse to 'excu, him.
Arrived in London he visited the
brokers and carelessly examined their
samples, finding fault on all sides for
one thing or another, and apparently
having no anxiety TO buy. just
about the hour that trading closed he
privately contracted with each broker
for all his supply. In the course of
the afternoon it leaked out that Du-
pont had bOu hit up every pound of
salt,petre in England. The dealers
were frantic. 1t would take a year
or two to get another supply and
with the American war coming on
prices would naturally be extrava-
CANT. ALI London docks was in q
trement, brokers and dealers were
anxious to kick themselves and each
other for their stupidity. Finally
they put their heads together and
decided to rush the deliveries on to
Dupont so fast that he could not pay
them. By special permit they had
the weighers on the London docks
working all ght and by morning
three immense vessels were loaded
with salt-petre. They then began
pushing In their bills of lading on
Dupont for collection. He had about
81 900, 900 worth of salt-petre, which
if they had guessed bis intention,
would have cost him several times
that amonnt. He promptly checked
out against Brown Il Co, the great
London bankers, with whom he had
deposited his letters of credit, paying
each bill as it was presented. By
noon his money had run out and he
excuse himself on the plea of going
out for lunch. He went to the bank
ing house and explained his position,
asking them to advance him $500, 900,
and telling them that another letter
of credit would follow him on the
Boston boat due in a day of two.
They deliberated for some time and
finally agreed to do go if he could pro-
duce the welI-known signature of E 1.
Dupont de Nemours, bis uncle and
head of his firm. This he could not
do. They refused him the money.
He hurried then to Morgan Bros. who
afterward were of great service 10 cur
government during the war. He
laid his W nts before the elder Nor
gan, explaining his dilemma, and
asked them to advance him the
money. Of course he did not kaow
Dupont but after satisfying himself
of the truth OF his story he decided
70 let I'm I'm nave the money. This
Dupont Immediately transferred to
Rrn.r-,n & L.. "a O q, hnnAla Ill Z q.