The Portland daily press., 1896-04-16
HE WILL SELL OUT.
John b. Curtis to Retire from the
Casco Bay Company.


MIR. Curtis To Be Succeeded by G. w. L.
Cooling, and Probably by Stock Com
pany-Manager Cooling Will p ut on a
Larger Boat-Mr. Curtis the Pioneer
in the Business Accepts a Give or Take
Offer from MIR. Cooling.
Today John B. Curtis, SO long the
autocrat of the island steamer business
will retire from his latest company, the
Casco Bay, and will be succeeded by G.
W. T. Cooling.
For some time past Mr.. Curtis has been
understood to be ready to make transfer
of his stock at what he regarded as fair
rate. The increase of his business in
other lines made it hard for him to give
any considerable attention to the island
steamers.
Those who were associated with him
while anxious that the pioneer in the
steamboat business of Casco Bay, should
remain at the head of his company, final
ly made give or take offer, and Mr..
Curtis decided to draw out. Mr. Curtis
went into the business years ago when no
one else was ready to invest money in
what promised to be a losing enterprise.
He did sink money for while, but in
in the long run was a winner.
1t will be remem bered that last year
Mr.. Curtis sold out his ferry line and
the transfer to be made today will end
his direct connection with steam boating.
Mr.. Curtis said yesterday afternoon
that he simply accepted a opposition
made to him by Mr.. Cooling. He was
unable to say whether Mr.. Cooling would
operate the line alone, OF in connection
with others. He spoke pleasantly of his
long connection with the business, and
said that his only reason for retiring
| apart from the fact that he received a
good offer for his stock from Mr.. Cooling,
was his inability to give his personal at
tention to the management Of the line.
Under such circumstances he did not feel
like remaining the controlling owner of
the stock, and president of the company.
and his late business associates have been
entirely pleasant.
Captain Willard declined to talk about
the transfer, except to say that the docu-
meDts will be signed today. He referred
all questioners to Mr.. Curtis himself
G. ". 7. Cooling, said he had bought
out the interest of Mr.. Curtis, but that
his plans are not as yet sufficiently do
veloped to en- able him to speak of the
future of the line.
He said he had been long convinced
that the lines should have the best boats
in the harbor, ones capable of taking 800
passengers or more, and that Mr.. Curtis
did not agree with him, holding that the
business of the line could be done with
the present boats.
This failure Of President Curtis to
agree with his associates regarding the
purchase of a larger boat. led to the
making of an offer for his stock. Mr..
Curtis held the offer under consideration,
and it seemed had decided to accept Mr.
Cooling said that Mr. Curtis had not
reached final decision when he saw him
during the forenoon, but the papers had
been prepared, and would probably be
signed at once.
Mr.. Cooling declined to say who would
be associated in the deal, but said that
new boat would be put on the line at
once. He spoke in the highest terms of
Mr.. Curtis, but said that new boat was
an absolute necessity from his point of
view. but not in the opinion of Mr..
Curtis.
Mr.. Daniels, who was seen yesterday
afternoon declined to state what might
be his connection with the company, in
fact he would not talk about it.
Mr.. Curtis is very proud of the line he
himself built up, and would not have
disposed of his interest to any one except
his late associate and general manager.
The pioneer in the business, Mr.. Curtis,
spent money freely, put on first class
boats, built up the 'business during the
last few years in the face Of bitter COM
petition, and leaves his company in q
better condition than at any previous
time in its history.
Mr.. Cooling, who succeeds to the in
terests of Mr.. Curtis has for some years
been the general manager of the line,
having been selected for that position
by Mr.. Curtis, and his associate Captain
Willard.
M. Cooling is well known business
man, and under his management the line
will be even more successful in the future
than in the past.
While Mr.. Cooling made the deal with
Mr.. Curtis, and is the only man Mr..
Curtis knows in the transaction. there is
NO doubt that strong stock company is
back of the purchase, and that some
radical changes in the Casco Bay steam
er service will follow the important
transfer of stock to be made this morn
ing.