Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-12
John Wards Mistake.

way. ANY company having u large
number of stockholders is sure to have
among that number some disagreeable
crank who is against the management
of the company, and who endeavors
at the annual meeting to make him.
self as obnoxious as possible, and
John Ward was one of this kind OF
people. One day he had attempted
to give some advice to the manager
of the road, and that advice had not
been received in kindly manner.
Mr.. Plumkins, the manager, told
Mr.. Ward rather shortly that he had
been engaged for the purpose of man.
aging the road, and he proposed to do
it. Mr.. Ward called the managers
attention to the fact that he was a
stockholder in the road, and interest
ed in its financial welfare. Mr.. Plum
kins admitted that, and told him if he
had anything to complain of he might
bring it forward at the meeting of the
stockholders, and in the meantime he
would be very glad to have his room
rather than his company in the Office,
as he had business to attend to. This
made Ward the deadly enemy of the
manager, and he tried his best to have
that gentleman dismissed, but without
success.
Now, Mr.. Ward was a persistent
crank, and when he set his mind up
on thing he generally managed to
carry his point, and if Mr.. Plumkins
knew this, which, perhaps he did, he
showed very little diplomacy in max
ing bitter enemy of Mr.. Ward. At
the annual meeting a dead set was
made against the manager, but Ward
could not bring enough proxies to over
throw the directors, and, consequently,
he was defeated. He had Dragged
too much about what he was going to
do, and, accordingly, the disappoint-
ment was the more bitter However,
Mr.. Ward set about his next campaign
with more deliberation. He took a
trip to England and interviewed diff
ferent stockholders Of the road who
lived there, and just before the annual
meeting was to convene it was discov-
cred by the friends of the manager that
Mr.. Ward held enough proxies to
overthrow the directors and put in
whom he pleased as manager. All
this happened at critical time in the
history of the road. Big negotiations
were just about being completed, and
if the manager had another year to
serve it was thought that the road
would be out of its difficulty, and on
such highway of prosperity that his
place would be secure for long time
after. The directors felt that if they
were overturned at this critical mo-
ment and new manager put in who
might not be able to carry to sue
cessful conclusion the negotiations
which were then about completed, the
result would be disastrous for the in
terests of the stockholders and disas-
trous for the road. However, the
trouble was that there was no time to
communicate now with the English
stockholders and explain to them the
true condition of affairs and get them
to withdraw their proxies or give their
proxies to some one else, for the latest
proxy given renders all given before
null and void. There was consul
tation at the managers Office, and it
was clear that the directors had been
outwitted, and that while they had
rested in peace and security, the ene-
my had been going around gathering
in proxies.
81 tell you what must be done,"
said the manager to the president of
the road. "you will have to see Ward,
and, if possible, come to terms with
him. He is not so much an enemy of
the directors as he is of me. Let us
adjourn and see what terms can be
made with the gentleman"
Shortly after this the president re-
turned to the manager and said |:
There is nothing for it, Plumkins; if
we are to get the benefit of Wards
proxies we shall have to throw you
overheard"
"That Is his ultimatum, is it ?"
"Ycs, that is his ultimatum. lie
says he will consent to re-elect the
present directory only OH condition
that each one promises him to vote
against you as manager
The manager muscd little. "Well,
| would accept those terms" he said.
"But, my dear sir" said the pres.
dent, eve are not going to desert you
in this way. The negotiations which
promise such success have been all
your doing, the scheme has been you're,
everything been yours, and if the road
is to be brought to success the credit
ought to be yours. You see, if we
make these terms with Ward it will
be impossible to get out Of them, for
he has insisted that each one of the
directors shall sign n written declara-