The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1899-11-22

a2u ~ co. erS have the ur-
limited nerve to ask for $50. O00 more
of bonds which toe V have made ONLY
very poor excuse Of an attempt to
earn.
Below we quote from d communi-
) cation resolved .froa .MI. Pientiss
The letter is good all the wav
through, but for want of space we
are unable to give only tie mos t
important parts of it. Mr.. Prem tiss
was formerly trustee of the road,
and knows whereof he speaks. He
says:
Mr.. Prenfiss' Letter
Next he (Sabfn) descended q wolf
on the fold-unto Bayfield, County, and che
usual result followed In fact if this man
Sabin ever started an enterprise that did not
go-in Jim Fisks expressive language
where the woodbine twineth L never
| heard Of it.
Can one look at jolly Harry Pott working
to pay the loss sa5in put on him-carefnl and
honorable Ben Ungrodt shouldering q loss of
100000 because of sabin's peculiar ways-D.
". Corning, who would rather make an old
| coat do. and pay his honest debts. loaded up
with S1G00.00 or SO of claims against Sabir's
Washburn enterprise the hundreds of
men who earn their bread by the sweat of
their brows carrying around W. E. & T. r.
Ry time checks until they are worn opt, and
| the county bonded for 1885, 900 for which they
got worthless stock-without indignationg
Is this man-in view of all this and his man
agement' Of the funds raised to build the
w. B. & L. r. Ry as detailed ia nv last
letter-the proper person for Bayfield, county
to entrust $4,000 more 10? And now as TO
Senator" Sabin's compatriot A. c. Frost
and the w. B. & [. r. Ry matter.
When the S1760 600 received from the sale of
the S1S5 600 bonds of Bayfield, county had
been placed where cit would do the most
gCod,' there was need of more money. Of
course. TWAS easy to print w B. s. ]. b
BY. bonds, but who to saddle them unto
there was the rub. Mr.. Frost had made one
or two investments for Geo. A. Ball that had
turned out well. Mr.. Ball had started at
Muncie, Indiana, with a soldering iron and a
hunk of solder, and out of hard work, and
MasOn's Fruit Jars, etc, had accumulated
many sheckels.
The Sabin-FrOst combine wanted the
shecKels, but Ball was doubtful Finally
Frost exclaimed. Il will go up myself and in
vestlgate the w. b. &. [. Ry." and return
ing reported that 1t was all right, and a big
thing, etc. SO Ball acquired confidence and
some nicely printed bonds at about fifty
cents on the dollar, and Sabin ct al got
Balls cash. and everything was lovely
OF course the Sabin headquarters at Pro-
bert's fort, at Washb1rn, about this time re
sembled beleagured fortress with unpaid
Worlmen Storming about it, but what of that
why dwell on such small matters-weren't
the high muck-a- mucks'' all honorable
men!' But confidence on Mr.. Balls part
gave out, and SO was sent up trust ee. by
Frost. to see that no funds went astray
promptly reported to Frssst that this thing
is rotten to the core. etc" but this and mum
erous other letters all during the fall of 1858
were not shown to Ball. but on the contrary.
Frost kept giving favorable reports to Ball
and the receiy ership much surprised him.
But owning the bonds, and 100000 to $780,
COO of labor liens, made Ball practically own
er of the road in December, 1898
80 confidence was restored" and Mr..
Ball let Frost run things another five or six
months until the spring of 1899 when Mr.
Ball, who knew nothing about lot Of re-
coiverS certificates having been issued, aWoke
to the fact that S134, 800 receivers certificates
had been issued and more in sight. and that
the owners of these certificates really owned
the road and not he. So Mr.. Ball stood shiy-
eIing in the wind, holding the bag while
Sabin and Frost got his cash.
And this is the result of his trusting un-
reservedly his, and my FRIEND" a. c. Frost
May be Mr.. Frost will make up Mr.. Balls
loss of some $l37 000-well we viii believe il
when he does it.
But how about the business ability and
skill of this trio? They took some 81, 900 of
the money received from the receivers GER
tifcates and built the Port Wing extension
treating it as a permanent Improvement.
worth all it cost. It is in effect merely q
logging spur that has sunk money righs,
along. and in the end must be taken I'd. and
net nothing but the rails and if there is not 4
clear loss of some $4,000 on this piece of
folly, would like some one to demonstrate
it,
NeXtthey bought one hur dced great cars in
St. ais for some $4,000. These might do on
trunk line with a fine road bed and track
but on a logging road where cars frequentlT
go off, they are a gigantic blunder fer where
one of them loaded, goes off, it is nearly des.
nalf what these cars did. would be ever so
much better. | estimate the damage first
and last from purchasing these caIs at S35.-
coo more. These are but samples OF the
wonderful business Judgment of these two
Napoleon's of business.
More than that. lee is the result OF their
work in road that from Dec 9th, 1898.
to Aug 1st. 1893. earned some $4,000 ess than.
its expenses. and was Owing some So, coo on.
its rolling stock.
Contrast this With my advice to Frost in
the ea1ly fall of 1898 to the effect that there is
not cert of profit ia laying down and taking
up spurs, hauling, unlt ading and booming all
Tor 81 90 per 1000 feet OF such small logs
advised that no more road he buiif-that
what there Was s.o.ld be put in shaDe-no
hauling Gone wint>r and sold out as
quickly as possible.
As busin IS man--if there ever was AN
utterly visionary and hair-brained opepator-
u. ri. sabin IS tat man. AMI if A. G. Frost
who assumes to know everything and boss
and Greet tne whole affair is any bef1er.
the record of blQndorn:r wraclx ma ,..,i,,