The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-07-09
HARTMAN OUT IN
OPEN AGAINST
FISH
FOR THE CONTROL OF THE ILL.
NOiS CENTRAL RAILROAD
AND ITS AFFAIRS.
ACT A BIC SURPRISE
Wall Street Did Not Expect Any Def
mite Move Until Mutual Tangle
Had Been Cleared up--Un-
usual Proceedings.

New York. July Sc, H. Hartman
and several Of his friends, who for
some time have been prosecuting a
proiect to defeat Stuyvesant Fish as
president of the Illinois Central be
cause of Mr.. Fish's stand for thorough
renovation of affairs OF the Mutual
Life Insurance company apparently
have secured enough Illinois Central
stock to Justify themselves in coming
out in the open for the first time since
the project was born.
There have been sent ont from
Wall street TO the offices Of the news
papers statements a, favorable as the
street considers possible to the IIarri
man side Of the controversy To a
considerable eXtcn the re statements
came AS a surprise, for a great many
had been led 70 believe that Hartman
would defer the meditatcd contest for
Il year in view Of the indictment Of
two officers of the Mutual and the
criminal investigation which the d's
trict attorney has not yet completed.
one of these statements, distributed
in typewriter form, was as follows;
although the annual meeting of
the stockholders of the Illinois Central
railtoad company will not be held un-
iii October 18th. more than three
months hence. there are unmistakable
indications that there will be a con
Test To Get control The first, evidence
tion this point seems to be confined
in The brief circular which has been
addres sed 10 the stockholders OF the
company by Smyvesant Fish, not as
president. but as an individual That
is. he did not sign the circular as
pre.id ident nor does ha state that he
sends II by authority Of the board OF
directors.
Directors Nc Consulted.
There is excellent authority for the
statement that the directors Of the
company wera not consulted. either
formally or informally. regarding the
circular. The peculiar leatue of the
circular is the following statement
namely:
while no special meeting of the
stockholders has been called and may
be none will be called, yet in order TO
provide for such a contingency If the
case should arise. and on the assump
ton that you may not be able to at
tend. you are requested to kindly exc
cute the inclosei proxy and mail II
in the stamped envelope nclosed here
with TO the secretary of the company
in Chicago.
THE inference drawn from this cir
cnlar by many of those who have re
ceived il is that there is possibility
that a special meeting of the stock
holders for some purpose not yet an
rounced may Zee called, on the usual
thirty days notice. IN advance OF the
annual meeting i'm October. Moreover.
the request that the proxy be mailed
Ia the secretary of IA COMPANY.
which reuue-t is repeated in a notice
at the bottom of the proxy. aapnaIeai-
" is intended 10 convey the impre'-
sion that the proxy is an official one
that is. one asked for boy the present
management. As a matter of fact, the
proxy runs to Stuyy- ant Fish, or fail
ing him. to John G. yelling. who is
director Of the company. also fir
vice president
Entire Proceeding Unusual.
The entire proceeding is most un-
usual for the reasons given. that is.
the request for proxies 50 long before
the annual meeting. tne reference
10 poss bic special meeting. and the
effort to convey The impression that .
the proxy is in uppOrt of he present /
board of directors. whereas both cir /
cular and proxy are individual docu
ments"
Though none of me general officers
of The Illinois Central we.c 20 be
fourd. ii wa .tateI bv au associate .
Of President Fish. that the criticism
Of his action was absurd.
For twenty years" he said. even
before Fish was president Of the
road. il has been the custom 90 send
ont proxies at this time. The stock Is
not speculative stock. bat investment
stock Fish has done wisely. both this
year and in a score Of previous years.
in giving 10 tne investors ample time
to dec d. whether or net they desire
a change ia management