The morning call., 1892-03-10
WHY HE LEFT FRONT STREET
How Charles Webb Howard OMIT
the Liquor Business.
His First Transaction in Spring Valley Stock
Recalled by the Death Of Fred
A. Harnden.

well, well, Fred Harnden is dead" said
pioneer insurance man, looking up from
his CALL the other day.
"Dd you know him ?'' asked a CALI
man.
Know him? / knew him as well as il
he'd been my own brother. Why, every
body in the insurance business knew him."
The pioneer laid aside his glasses and
folded up his CALL reflectively.
Now there was man for you-a gen.
uine, whcle-souled man."
Wasn't he of HarDden's Express?"
1es-the first express company ever
started On this Coast He married the
daughter of Sheriff Charles Doane You We
heard Of Doane. OF course He was the
Marshal OF the second Vigilance Committee
There was a curious story about Doane's
estate. And SO Fred Harnden's dead"
But about the story-whom does il CON-
cern?"
"Chsrles Webb Howard for one. Why. I
could tell You good thing 1 could tell you
how Howard happened TO get into the
Spring Valley Water Company. It's all in
connection with this Harnden and Doane
business. You see. Doane's daughter WAS
the chief person named in Doanes will
when he died. Doane left quite big es-
tate, but it was involved, and his family
had a whole lot Of trouble trying to
straighten it out and get some money out of
II. They hired lawyers. who went TO this
and that creditor and tried to get things
smoothed over. One Of the biggest debts
was $500 due to the Spring Valley Water
Company on stock assessments. / tell YOU
those were days when they knew how to
assess. just think, that $500 was due on
ffty-seven shares, which WAS all that DOane
had held. The company would want to
raise money, and it would send out a notice
that the stockholders would have to pony
up So or-Sl0 or SIS a share. Some of them
could stand the assessment and some of
them couldn't. Doane was one OF those
who had to pass. But the company didn't
call in the stock. j suppose it would rather
wait and get its assessment money and fire
In more assessments"
well. what's all this got to do with
Charles Webb Howard?'
Just wait and I'll tell you. You see
DOaDe'S daughter-this was just before she
became Mrs. Harnden-took these shares
around town aud tried TO get some business
man interested in clearing up her father
transaction and realizing something on the
stock. The shares were at that time worth
$500 apiece, there having been that much
paid up on them. Their face value was
$1,000 each, or $4,000, which was certainly
worth saving.
AFTER good deal of trouble the young
woman managed to get Howard Interested
in the matter. He was then In the LIQUOR
stock az one OF the executors Of the estate,
and 1t may be said, TO his credit, that he
managed the affair admirably. Soon after
the Spring Valley Company bought up the
property of the Bensley Water Company,
IL watered Its stock. and the 81 shares
became $40 shares. These were sold for
the Doane estate by Howard to O. l..
Shafter and Fred +. Low for So, 600.
1t was while he was engaged in this
transaction that Howard saw how good a
"A a rrnn N.ll. L.
closing out his liquor business and putting
all his money into the stock of that concern.
From that day to this he has been the lead
ing figure in the company. and although his
holdings In it have varied from time 10
time. dropping down as low as five shares,
he has held the presidency, which was
given TO him not long after his entrance
into the company.
but he owes his present position to the
circumstance l have related"