The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-06-21
A VICTIM OF A CORPORATION.
How a President and General Manager
Was Frozen Out by His Companions.


Was Frozen Out by His Companions.
Speaking Of corporations" said
prominent ST. Louis banker, Il recall
witt painful Renaissance the first one
of which | had the honor to be a stock
holder It happened in 1865, and I was
just fifteen years Of age OF course
had no idea that it was really corpora
ton in which | bad invested, but as
look back upon the incident the realiza-
ton rushes upon me that was victim
of corporation methods.
at happened in this way. At very
early age my tendency for mercantile
pursuits developed At school noticed
d 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 q 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 a care
full survey Of the market decided that
the school was confronted by a conGi-
tiOn, not theory.
"In few days | had secured the CO.
operation of half 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 ou-
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 OIL
in admiration. then proposed that early
in the morning each stockholder should
bring with him five cents worth of
candy where with TO stock the juvenile
store.
"To my astQnishment 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 l
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 my treas
ure in the store It was quite dark when
[ reached home, and being unable to ac-
count for my whereabouts the presl-
dent and manager went to bed supper
less and with a back singing from the
effects of a switch literally applied.
Next morning fastened 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 empty!
"For a moment | was speeches.. The
stockholders bent their heads and sa1e
nothing. They looked suspiciously con-
tented, and when intimated that some
good man among us had gone wrong
thev we're all prepared to prove that
daring burglar had, in the midnight
hour, deprived the corporation OF its as
sets.
.sTen wears later one of the stockhold-
ars admitted that he had helped his
brethren in disposing of the stock. st
Louis Republic.