Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-13
j. P. Morgan and j. @. Osgood
About to Engage in Battle.
FOR POSSESSION OF BIG CONCERN
Ossood, One of the Principals in the
Reputed Forthcoming Financial
War, Is Well Known in This City
Where He Formerly Resided.

are about to fight battle in the tinan
cial world. according to dispatch sent |
out from Denver. 1t is said that Mr..
Morgan fears MI Osgood as a rival
in the steel business. The latter is
president of the Colorado Fuel & Iron
Co, Colorado corporation with much
wealth back of it.
Mr.. Osgood is known to large num-
Der of Ottumwa people and the fol-
lowing story sent out from Denver will
be interesting to them
]. Pierpont Morgan and his steel
trust are face to face with the first
battle which shall decide whether the
trust shall dominate the steel business
of America.
Mr.. Morgan has discovered that he
must control the fast developing metal
and coal interests of Colorado and
Wyoming, or MS trust will soon have
a powerful rival. He must turn John
G. Osgood out of management OF Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron or in the near flu
ture Osgood will rival Morgan.
Morgan believed when he organized
United states Steel that Colorado Fuel
was unimportant; or, if important
1t could easily be gathered in. 1t has
proved both important and difficult to
capture. 1t is managed by man who
in twenty years has raised from the
cashiership of a little Iowa bank to
be captain of magnificent $50,000,000
industry.
Osgood is business man, not a
stock gambler. He has no use for
United States Steel. He expects. if
he wins in the present fight, to extend
his company into domination of the
immense richness of Colorado and Wy
oming iron, coal and oil fields. He
expects to make this region a new
Pennsylvania, as he has already earn
ed for Pueblo the name of Little
Pittsburgv He does not believe one
man can or should control the coun
try's steel industry. He will fight to
the bitter end
4 Gates Stands for Morgan.
Morgan sent Gates-so the universal
belief is-to capture Colorado fuel last
summer. Osgood didn't say much, but
he won. Gates was disastrously rout-
ed. He has returned to renew the
fight. The annual meeting is to come
off December H. 1t will be an event
of national interest industrially. Its
interest will be greater with those who
know most about it's real significance
Gates is a star promoter and manip
ulator of the country-always except
ing Morgan, of course. He is a specu.
lator. He invented the barbed wire
trust, and made it win. He is credit
ed with furnishing Morgan the plan of
the steel trust
On the other hand Mr. Osgood has
nothing of the stock gambler in his
composition. He is quiet, reserved,
but withal forceful and bulldog fight
er, as his rebuff to Mr.. Gates showed
He has had remarkably brilliant ca,
reer, considering that he has hardly
passed his forties Mr.. Osgood was
born in Brooklyn, but moved west
when young man, settling in Iowa
He was the cashier of small Goa
company at Ottumwa and for severa
years was cashier of the First nationa
bank of Burlington Iowa. In 1882 Mr.
Osgood took trip to Colorado at the
request of officials of the Chicago
Burlington & Quincy railway compan.
to Investigate the resources of the ia
western state. He visited every Goa
camp in the state and came to tn
conclusion that there was room for
mighty industry in the rich coal leld
that had hardly been opened He OIL
ganized the Colorado Fuel and Iro
Company.
Great Opportunities.
Believing that there were great Of
portunities in the manufacture of stet
Mr.. Osgood turned his endeavors toV
ard making a mighty plant out of tn
&
crowned his efforts from the start an
today the Colorado Fuel and Iron plal
is model of its kind, having excite
the admiration of Andrew Carneg
and other steel magnates of Pittsbur
The great plant at Pueblo covers
vast acreage, and improvements al
constantly being made. Only lie
months ago it was decided to sper
$15,000,O0O for Improvements TIL
vast sum was voted without questit
by the stockholders, absolute relian'
being placed in the judgment of tt
man who has made the Colorado Flu
and Iron company what it is today
During the skirmish with the Cat
faction last summer the employees we
solidly with Mr.. Osgood. The reast
for this devotion to their employer
found IN various SOCIOLOGICAL. PA
which have been put in operation al
which have vastly benefited the COM
ton of the Fuel and Iron employes.N
Osgood is believer in helping his M
in other ways than through the givi
OF money. The standard OF wages
the steel plant and in the coal mines
high. In consequence the Colora
Steel and Iron company has never h
any difficulty that could. be digniti
with the name of a strike. At Pueblo
complete hospital has been built
the benefit OF the employees. The h
Is pital is an imposing building of Sp;
ish architecture. There is hare
less imposing building as resider
for the physicians. These buildir
were declared IAN extravaganza"
\ Mr.. Gates, but Mr.. Osgood says
hospital has saved the lives of ma
of his employees and that his course
building it has been justified.
Bank Statement.
New York, Nov. 10.--The weel
eh lnun ,