Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-12-21
a VICTIM OF A CORPORATION.
How President and General Manager
Was Frexen Out by His Compositions.

Was Frsxen Oat by His Companions.
Speaking of corporations, said a
prominent st. Louis banker. II recall
with painful feminiscence the first one
of which had the honor to be a stock
holder. 1t happened in 1855. and / was
just fifteen years of age. OF course 1
had no idea that it was really corpora
tion in which | had invested. but as I
look back upon the incident the ressiza-
tion rushes upon me that l was a victim
of corporation methods.
1T happened in this way. At a very
early age my tendency for mercantile
pursuits developed. At school noticed
a very general demand for candy and
cakes and an exceedingly limited supply
IN the market. Many of the children
possessed coppers and nickels. but it
was nearly mile from the school house
to the country town, and the boys were
compelled to forage upon the neighbor-
ing sugar cane fields and orchards TO sat
isfy the youthful stomach After care
full survey of the market decided that
the school was confronted by condi-
ton, not theory.
''In few days had secured the CO.
operation of half a dozen boys, with a
capital of thirty cents. in which held
ten cents of the stock. and was conse-
quently named as president and man
ager of the candy store which we pro-
posed to open on the grounds. We found
an enormous dead and fallen tree, whose
butt end offered little resistance TO on.
penknives. At noon one day l notified
the stockholders that a meeting would
be held Immediately after school. and at
that meeting /, as president and man
ager, cut an opening into the dead tree,
fashioned shelf therein and attached
door, while the stockholders looked on
in admiration. l then proposed that early
in the morning each stockholder should
bring with him five cents worth of
candy wherewith to stock the Juvenile
store.
''To my astonishment it was moved
and seconded and carried that the candy
should be purchased and delivered at
once. so that the store might have an
early and perfect opening. Tired as /
was repaired to the town, invested my
ten cents in cheap candy, returned to
the school grounds, where already the
twilight was making ghostly figures
among the trees, and deposited nay treas
ure in the store. 1t was quite dark when
reached home, and being unable to ac-
count for my whereabouts the presi-
dent and manager went to bed supper
less and with back singing from the
effects of a switch literally applied.
Next morning l hastened to the school
grounds in order to be first at the cere-
monies. Imagine my surprise when ]
found there, seated in row, all the
stockholders. / congratulated them on
their interest in the enterprise, and then
threw open the door of the candy store.
1t was emptyi
"For moment was speechless. The
stockholders bent their heads and said
nothing. They looked suspiciously con-
tented, and when intimated that some
good man among us had gone wrong
they were all prepared TO prove that a
daring burglar had. in the midnight
hour, deprived the corporation of its as
sets.
''Ten years later one of the stockhold-
ers admitted that lac had helped his
brethren in disposing of the stock" st.
Louis Republic.