Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-03

family wished to protect her, and therefore
he was authorized and prepared to pay the
whole sum in default, amounting to more
than 100000
The captain in making his preliminary ar
rangements to carry out his plan, found it
convenient to consult one of the leading
business men of the community, with whom
he had previously talked of the affairs of
the bank. and informed him of the decision
which had been reached. The leading bust
ness man, whose word was as good his
bond"-a man noted for his faithfulness in
carrying out all his obigations-imme-
diately he found that the claims of the de-
positors were now worth 100 cents on the
dollar, went out on the street and directed
some of his agents to buy, without making
any noise about it, all the depositors' claims
they could lay hands on.
SHINING the Depositors.
The wretched depositors who supposed
that their claims were practically worth
less, eagerly accepted as a windfall the offer
of from 10 to 10 per cent of the face value
of their deposits, and thus a majority of
the depositors, comprising all those who
needed the ready money sorely lost the
chance just within their grasp to get the
money which was really their own.
The enterprising business man CLEANED
up large sum in the deal" Many shrewd
men applauded his promptitude and sharp
ness. Respect for his business ability grew
apprecably in the business community The
miserable depositors suffered, but the man
who had made the sharp stroke had vio-
! lated no law. He had violated no conf
! dence. He had simply taken instant ad-
vantage of valuable information which had
/ 'providentially" been thrown in his way,
i M l.l
ness like way. The depositors had suf-
| fered by their preciptancy. but that was
the way of the world. He had done as other
business men would have done. and ac-
| tually are lying awake O nights to have
| the chance of doing, and a failure on his
part to seize a perfectly legal chance like
! that would have been regarded by his asso-
| ciates as piece of foolish quixotism. That
was the shrewd attitude of the sharp bust
ness world of his locality. But what ought
the man to have done?
An elderly man who had escaped from
the Johnstown flood because he was On
the edge of the main sweep of the waters
and because he was warned by the he.
roic efforts of some of his fellow towns.
d, men to get the news to him and his neigh,
bors in time, recently expressed his view
of the case thus:
81 don't pretend TO he overly pious and
good said he, "and perhaps | might tax,
| advantage of such a situation just like any
one else, but il that information wer,
brought to me about my fel.ow-townsmen
think my Irresistible impulse would he |,
tell them that they were going to get thei1
money and TO warn them not to sacrihc,
their deposits. II seems TO me that Their,
is just as much AN obligation resting on m,
to act in that way, even if it is called
business, as there was imperativ,
humane duty for the persons who first go
the warning Of the Johnstown flood {,
spread the news and save lives. som,
of the people who lost their money wer
crushed and ruined lrretrievably, and
cannot how any humane man can
justify that kind Of sharpness by calm,
II business"
what Would You Do.
What ought the business men to haV
done? This case is analogous to myriad
OF transactions in the daily business realm,
one thoroughly reputable man TO whom III
question was put said that he would hav
done the same thing. and would have trie
TO make the profits in that way, even il n
had pondered beforehand on the losses 1
the unfortunate depositors. because tina
kind OF thing is all in the game. and bus
ness is business and not play OF philan
thropy But" be added after a pause. a.
voald. OF course. rather make my none
in some other way IL possible"
The matter may be put in a stronge
light by suggesting the question. .'woul
gentleman have done as the shrewd bus
ness man did?' Fright thoughts elea
deeds. consistency. fidelity. bounty and gen
4 enous honesty are the gems OF nobl