The herald., 1897-04-18
BRICE'S FIRST BIG DEAL.
The Sale of Little Ohio Railroad That
Laid the Foundation of Fortune.

Charles Foster was responsible for
Cal Brice's first big deal, but he did not
discover Brice as clerk in Lima, o.,
neither did he secure portion of the
embryo financier in New York. The
true story is romantic enough in itself.
and Is an index of Brice's chief stock in
trade-colossal nerve. Foster was the
controlling spirit of '''tle railroad run
ming from northe. southwes;
through his own t. ru @. 4oria. 1t
began in the mud n0j ended n mire,
but it was rich r possibilities. 3, e
day it would strech au a ferty~flve de
gree line from Lake Eris down down
into the region. dominated rs Jay couid.
and when that .aF should oena tbe
great southwest wouid know of no 9Th ~
trunk line that could se.y 80 wei
Positively the only thing the "a need
ed to build it was the money tha ro-4t
be required to construct it. Finanu- ara
of all calibers and qualities had hawked
the profile and prospectus about New
York, until the topic was dangerously
near the laughing stock stage.
Brice was known to Foster as bright
young lawyer, who had shown much
ability in thinking out "big things" but
who had not developed much of a repu-
tation for carrying them to successful
completion. He was hundred ton To-
comotive which had been placed on the
track properly. So one day when Brice
suggested that he be empowered to go
down and try to take some money out of
Gotham on the railroad deal Foster ac-
quiesced in somewhat mixed frame OF
mind. OF course Brice might be success
full, but it looked like sheer waste of
good ambition that would have made
several winnings in a Justices court.
Brice reached New York with stock
of enthusiasm that would be worth mill
lions-possibly-to any man. A few
days in New York, however, took a
large amount of energy out of him, ana
by the end of week he was contemplate
ing a trip back to Lima with anything
but pleasant anticipations. On the
eve of his departure he noticed among
the cable news of one of the New York
journals the statement that certain for
eign gentlemen were contemplating Il
trip to this country with a view to max
ing heavy investments in American rail-
roads. Brice turned at once to the
shipping intelligence and saw that Gu
harder was billed to leave that afternoon
Then he rushed to a telegraph Office anG
wired the leading gentleman in the Eu-
ropean party not to start, saying that he
was on the road over with matters that
would interes them. And he did interest
them. So much that they decided that
the Lake Erie and Western was the one
particular investment that they were
looking for, and that Calvin s. Brice was
the proper man to look after their inter
ests in the matter. Gotham financiers
who were waiting to give the investors
the glad hand upon their arrival in New
York were much disgusted when Brice
returned with all the money in sight
In putting the railroad on its feet,
Brice laid the foundation for his own
fortune. He was keen enough to refuse
a money fee for his work, but took SER
vice with the road instead. Very soon
he was it's assistant general counsel,
then general counsel, and within year
or two the president of the road. Then
he surprised the staid old directors of the
Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton by
breaking into their circle before they
fairly knew that he was on earth. And
wherever he secured foothold he in
troduced methods that made the old
men rslt up. rol iHstdHCe, tAe hi ~
time Brice appeared at a board meeting
of a certain road he had bought into he
had lively tilt over what the roads pol
| icy should be.
What do you think railroads were
built for, anyway" finally inquired
| Brce.
Railroads, SIR" replied snowy-hair-
| ed financier of the old school, railroads
are the great distributors of the products
| of nations. They are the grand avenues
of commerce, which bind the west and
| the east, the north and the south"
"Bosh," said Brice, railroads are bulls
| to SELL"
And that is the keynote of the man.
He is a wholesaler of railroads.-Chicago
Times1 Herald.