West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-12-03
CONFIDENCE STILL HIDING.
The Advance Agent Of Prosperity
VIII Please Call This Way.

III seems, after all, that conf
dence has not been fully restored.
Or, II 1t has, 1t hasn't arrived here
yet. The New York World and
other leading Republican papers,
have been publishing long accounts
OF the rush in business and COM
plete restoration of confidence,
since McKinley's election, but the
most Of 1t is lie, pure and simple,
and published for effect. The plain
fact OF the matter is, that we have
not enough money to do business
with, and every sane man knows 1t.
A striking example Of this "lack
OF confidence" and the scarcity Of
money was exhibited here in King
wood this week, at the front door
of the Court House. The admin.
lstrator OF the estate of the late
Martin l.. Shaffer offered $4,000
Bank stock at public auction, and
could hardly get bid on it at all.
and failed entirely to sell any part
OF it. 1t had been well advertised
and the sale was generally known.
but Few were present, and DR.. r..
+. Lanham, of Newburg, one of
the Advance Sub Agents of Pros
perity, tried ali the afternoon to
get bidder and sell at some price.
The genial Doctor stood aroand the
front door Of the Court House all
the afternoon, running great risk
OF pneumonia or getting his death
OF cold, but no buyers appeared.
Mrs. Lanham is the administrator,
but the Doctor attends to the bust
ness and p. j. Crogan Is their at
torney. They both used every g.
fort to sell, and appealed in person
to such men as Maj. U. N. Orr,
Col. John Martin, Hon. G. M.
Bishop and others, who are sup
posed to know good thing when
they see it, but all declared they
did not have the money. Messrs.
Lanham and Crogan offered to sell
on time, but still no bids. They
first offered 1t all in lot, and then
in lots of $1,000, or any way to
suit the purchaser, and the only
bud was from Sheriff Shaw, who bid
5000 on the first thousand. DR.,
Lanham bid $3.50 to save it, and
after that no one bid and they had
to give it up for bad job.
Some of the Bank officials who
have been investing their money in
the blizzard swept and grasshopper
scourged prairies of Kansas, and
alligator aud malaria swamps of
Florida, and bleak and rugged
mountains of Tennessee. and get
ting badly bitten thereby, stood
around and looked on, but made
no effort to Invest in good stock,
under their own control at home
in the banner Republican county,
recently swept over by 1920 ma.
jority for Sound Money aud Pros.
perity." Bank stock here has al
ways teen considered preferred in.
vestment, and always sold at big
premium heretofore. In fact, it
has hardly ever been offered for
sale, and when it was, 1t was
snapped up eagerly.
This IS a bad advertisement for
the promised prosperity, and proves
that our people have not the conf
dence they profess aud that money
IS very scarce in this country. So
far as the Bank here is concerned.
1T Is as sound financially as any
Bank in the State, and what the
public cannot understand is, why
inc othclals allowed this choice
stock to 60 by default. 1t is con-
trolled entirely by Republicans and
so-callod "souud money" men,
who were going to commence a big
business the next day after McKin.
ley's election.
We have received No. I of Vo'.
1 Of the Parsons City Adcocate, the
new Republican paper just started
at Parsons, in Tucker county, with
William Gustavus Conley as editor
and our old friend, the celebrated
JEFF LipscOmb, as local editor. Gus
is an old Preston boy aud used to
work in this Office and has - spec.