The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-09-15

to vote or. inquisitive enough to- ask
questions. Then he was very sorry, but
the annual meeting could not be held at
the time stated 1t must go over for
thirty days. The secretary was not present
aud in the q ,sence of the annual report
it would be impossible to hold a meeting.
He had come all the way from New York
in special car and brought. his friends
with him to make that statement
The, Canton lawyer was apparently
satisfied. He was sorry the meeting
would not go on, as 1t might be difficult
for him tu be present in thirty days. He
would go home.
So he boarded train, but he did not go
home. He went to New York direct and
got there before Abner. He went tu
the place where the office of tho firm was
supposed to be located, and was directed
to the third floor. The stakeholder who
relates the story says the lawyer reported
on his return that he met there very
affable gentleman. The lawyer lied and
said he had come from Mr.. Mckinley
with privilege to look at the books of
the firm and see what was going on.
The secretary supposed he was onto the
scheme and let him look through. The
lawyer found many names that we're
familiar on the list of stockholders
Many men In public life had thai names
written there, and many names well
kno Rn in Canton appeared on the roster
of investors. What might have been
space lett for dividends was still blank,
but 1--WE have just about closed con-
tract for 400 machines in Wall street"
There were no orders visible on the order
book. The office consisted Of two rooms,
and Abner must have spent nearly a
hundred dollars of the s45, 90 he got out
Of Canton, for office furniture.
After having earned what he wanted
at the Office, the legal representative went
to the factory" This proved to be
In one of the numerous power buildings
In New York. There was room about
30x60 and benches that would permit of
the occupancy of a. total of about two
workmen. There wero two of the
machines, but no evidence of an output.
No orders were being filled. In the
whole shop there was an outlay OF prob
ably 5000 or s7OO. This, with the office
furniture and first investment OF s65 for
the patent, made the sum total of the
visible assets. not counting Abner's plug
hat.
Repairing to a hotel the lawyer was
preparing for a brief stay when in
walked Abner. The report the legal
man made to the stockholders when he
came hack made them laugh in spite Of
the gloomy outlook, when this meeting
and its outcome was related. Said
well known Catonian yesterday ore
who bit on the original proposition: :
why, after all that had happened and
after ell that was known about the
workings of the company, that fellow
actually tried to get the lawyer we sent
to Investigate to take hold of a scheme
newer than the one we had stock In. He
wanted favorable report, and he would
let the lawyer in on the ground floor too,
If it were forthcoming. The company in
Its present shape was great thing, Abner
declared, but he was about to get some
Boston capitalists interested and
the oil company was to be merged
into new company With name yard
long. The title called for a stronger
Investment. aud the new company would
be incorporated at s4,O0O,OOO. 1t was
going to be the sensation Of the market.
He was particular to get just the right
people in on this deal to start it, and
then the old stockholders would be
taken care of. Il want you In on this
yourself, said he to the lawyer, and I'll
let you in at the very lowest figure posi-.
BILE. Telephone stock will not be in il
with this stock when we get things to
working right. But our representative
only promised to consider the matter
and camo home and told Of his investiga,
ton and its results. Just how mad
Abner was later when he found that our
lawyer had been to the office to see the
books. and had seen them, we have nc
means of knowing"
Another stockholder in conversation
said that the way Abner worked thu
thing was wonderful. He came into hi
office, shut all the doors, and then sa
down close to him and whispered into hi
ear. From some of his tales the stock
bolder, who was then prominent manu-