The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-31
HIS HIGH RANK IN COMMERCE
RECENT COUP IN BRINGING THE b.
CYCLE. TRUST TO TERMS.
Plans of Morsan-BeImont Syndicate
"WOrld Scope" Enthusiasm.

bicycle trust in New York next Thursday
brings to mind the coup of Charles r. Flint.
who brought the mammoth combination to
terms and who is now becoming a king of
industrial as we'll as commercial activities
in America. Mr.. Flint has so long been
identified with commerce that outside of
New York few financiers realize his new
influence back of industrial enterprises. 1t
is known here that Mr.. Flint, emboldened
by his success in dealing with the bicycle
trust, has appeared as a power behind the
throne in the threshing machine trust, the
managers Of which will meet in New York
Tuesday. He seems to be a very important
factor in the Morgan-Belmont syndicate
which Is whipping the great trust schemes
In America into shape. and those who have
been watching these immense fotations pre-
dict that Mr.. Flint will be of incalculab BILE
value in the new American commercial cru
SADIE to uttermost parts of the earth. The
shrewd builders Of these trusts are not CAL
culating merely on economy in labor, pro-
duction and distribution, but are laying
plans to force American products - under
their control into European and other for
eign markets with a rush that will simply
render breathless our English and German
friends. Perhaps no stronger combination In
America could be devised than that with
which Mr.. Flint is associated.
Mr.. Flints peculiar hold is on foreign
commerce. He can go down to the docks of
New York any day and find some of his
ships there. Every week several of them
cross the equator, too, and from the rich
countries to the south he brings vast GUAM
titles of rubber to this country, from his
own plantations. When the war with Spain
came on it was Mr.. Flint who was COM
missioned to buy ships abroad for use of
the United States in its impending trouble.
He not only knows foreign demands. but
ne knows the best ships to carry commerce.
The manufacturers are fguratively stand
ing in line in front of the Morgan-Belmont
syndicate's office, waiting their turn to be
o OaganiZed into trusts and have their con-
Germs underwritten. The threshing machine
trust is the next one. While it is one closer
10 the farmer than any OF the others
preached 1t is not apt to increase the spread
or popuhstic theories to any extent for the
farmer who finds he Is getting his machines
much cheaper will hesitate, perhaps to
ascribe 1t TO the crushing hand of monop-
oly Maintaining agents and advertising
mas been the source of great expense TO
these machine manufacturers and they
claim they will be able to reduce prices a
considerable extent by the abolition of This
tature alone when the trust is put on its
feet One of the principal Western concerns
10 go into this combination is the Indiana
ManuIacturing company, of INDIANAPOLIS
which has valuable patents and manufac-
lures on an extensive scale. Just what in
terest Mr.; Flint has in this trust is not
revealed, but one of the Eastern manufac-
turers admitted to-day that he was some
what of a factor" When the bicycle people
undertook their organization Mr.. Flint had
along without him. and although they made
an eHort TO do so they soon came around,
and as a result Film, gets all the tire plants
In the country under his Rubber Goods
company and the trust will Guy all its
bicycle tires of Mr.. Flint. The Morgan-Rel-
mont syndicate would not act unless an
agreement was made with Mr.. Flint
MR.. FLINT'S AMBITION.
Mr.. Flint has been known as the largest
importer in this country, and until recently
MS sphere of influence has not extended
back into the country from New York.
What his wealth is is largely a guess: per-
haps 100000, perhaps more In the john
son building, at 30 Broad street, New York.
he has more than eighty clerks attending to
his shipping business, transacting the cleri-
cal work of which necessitates the occu-
pancy Of several floors. While he has kent
In close touch with all business life he ha
not heretofore followed Western industrials
wary wary f be Ii Now and then, in an offhand
enterprise without scrutinizing the million
very hard before letting CO. Ambition is q
marked trait of Mr.. Flint and he sees in
ton an opportunity to demonstrate his abil-
ity. His friends say he is enthusiastic
IN the project of flooding American com.
merce over the globe. To do this. he must
De In touch with the goods to be exported
heretofore his line has been imports. Now
dustries ~ 0iio III
Mr.. Flint is a man to be recognized
Wherever one meets him, as a person az
great force He is little under the medium
neignt, OF dark complexion, and wears a
mustacne and short beard, on the Eng
Ish style. He has large, prominent ewes
and is brainy looking In appearance he is
young at hfty-two or fifty-three His
father before him was a shipper the bust
ness, Wnich mas grown to such large pro-
portions having been established i'm 1897 In
prompt habits he is a marvel business
engagement may be made with him in tha
summer time at or o'clock in the morn
ing on board his yacht and at O'Clock he
may pc round at his offices. This yacht is
one or ms chief sources of pleasure. and In
the evening he may be seen riding up and
down North and East rivers 1T is in
terestlng TO take one OF these trips with him
ana as the boat goes along have him point
OUT thls and that ship. tell of its tonnage
pert on ship construction. Fishing is a d.
version ne often resorts to, and while he is
TOO BUSY man 10 go in for athletics his
compact build tells of active physical ex
periences In his youth Mr.. and Mrs. Flint
nave no villa at Newport, nor anywhere else
along the coast, as he and his wife prefer
10 go from place to place each year Thev
are interested 10 some extent in phiIan
tnropic works, but Mr.. Flint makes no mar
ade whatever of religion or charity. illus
the business world, the New England hanL
erS some time ago rendered him q hanoua.