The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-17
FIXING UP PRICES.
CURIOSITY AROUSED OVER A NIGHT
MEETING AT THE CAREY.
Reno County Lumber Men Hold a
Meeting at u Strange and I'm
usual Hour, 1t is Alleg-
ed That a Com bine
Was Formed.
"What are you here for'n

"What are you here for?"
That is the question put to every one OF
about fifteen Reno county lumber mon at
| the Carey last night.
"Oh, we are here on a little business u
| was about the only response that could be
got out of them.
The natural instinct of an American is
to be iuouisitive and when he can't find
out the business of somebody else he be-
comes suspicious
At the supper table at the Carey last
| night about fifteen men were gathered in
a group and all of them. while strangers
in the city, appeared to be very
intimate among themselves. Dur
ing the day arrangements were
made with the hotel management
for room in which to hold night meet
ing, and it was at once suspected, upon
seeing the group of strangers, that there
was some connection between them and
the meeting that was to be held.
The hotel people were reticent and either
did not know what the reom was wanted
for or did not care to tell. At all events
about every guest in the hotel desired to
know something about the meeting.
'Where art all these people from" ask
ed a reporter of one of the group.
''They are all from Reno county," he
replied.
What are they here for?"
"Oh, on little business" he replied
1--WE are to hold a meeting here among
ourselves: We are lumber dealers"
us there nobody concerned but Reno
county men!"
mo"
That is all he would say, or, at least,
that is all the reporter could get out of
him. The fact that all of the gentlemen
were from Reno county and came to
Wichita to hold a meeting. seemed some
what strange.
AT 10 o'clock the meeting commenced.
That was also strange, and excited the
curiosity Of the guests still further. 1t
lasted till IL o'clock. That was still
rather strange In fact, the whole thing
was strange. and it ia no wonder that the
curiosity of the guests was aroused. 1t is
not every day that class of business men
living in one county go to distant city to
hold business meeting and then hold
that meeting at an unusual hour. 1t
looked as if they had something on hand
that called for the utmost secrecy.
The lumbermen of this city knew moth
ing concerning the meeting, whatever.
They knew, like others, that such meet
ing was to be held and that is all.
One guest whose bump of inquisitive
ness was more developed than the rest
made up his mind to find out, and at II
O'Clock he told a reporter that a "com-
bine" was to he effected at the meeting
In other words that the lumber
men Of Reno county had met for
tho purpose of fixing scale
of prices. He understood that the compe-
tition among the lumber dealers of Reno
county has been pretty close for some
time; that on account of this competition
they were unable to keep lumber uD to the
usual profitable prices, and that it was for
the purpose Of coming to an understand
ing and adopting schedule OF rates that
the dealers met in this city. The fact that
they met here, he thought, was for the
purpose of keeping the matter of their
mutual understanding secret from their
customers; for usually the country people
are very much.opposed to combination in
any business and are prejudiced against
buying from dealers who are combined to
keep prices up.
Whether the gentleman referred to
heard any remarks that would justify him
in arriving at the above conclusion is not
known, but it is very evident that the gen.
tlemen were here on some extraordinary
business connected with their lumber
interests.