The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-11-01
HOLMES A CLEVER YANKEE
FORMER NORFOLK LAWYER WINS
SUCCESS IN LONDON.
ONCE PRAcTlceo IN NORFOLK

D. A. Holmes, Who Has Been Success.
fuI Every Time He Has Moved,
Takes a Hand In London Affairs and
Wins His Point.
a dispatch from London Is OF I'M.
usual interest to people of this local
ity, where ID. A. Holmes was widely
known when he was engaged In the
practice of law In Norfolk In partner.
ship with present Postmaster John Il.
Hays, under the firm name of Holmes
& Hays From Norfolk he moved TO
Sioux City, then to Chicago and from
there to New York, and he has been
growing In success from the time ho
entered the practice of law a quarter
Of century ago. Now he has taken
a hand In London affairs and seems to
be attended with his usual achieve
ment as he won his point and secured
the title of "A Clever Yankee" from
the Londoners. Following Is the dis
patch:
London, Oct. 90. - Delavan A.
Holmes and Joseph T. McCaddon to-
day faced stormy meeting OF angry
shareholders of Barnum & Bailey's
greatest show on EARTH" which con-
vened for the purpose OF voting APP
prevail of the contract made by tho
directors to sell the circus to A. A.
Stewart, agent for Ringing Bros, for
100000. motion to sell finally car
rio ot,,II 10 NO ~
ed as chairman, but not before he and
McCaddon, the real chairman OF tho
company, were subjected to many In
sulting remarks.
McCaddon opened the meeting by
stating that Holmes, as deputy chair
man of the company, would preside.
When the latter, wearing the usual
American clothes and his hair little
longer than usual, rose to speak he
was greeted with many signs OF hos
tility and several disgraceful Interrupt
tions, one man shouting In loud
voice: Are you the freak?"
81 am the freak" said Holmes,
speaking firmly and deliberately, "but
am not here to be told So l am
here TO answer every legitimate ques-
ton, but will tolerate absolutely no inn
pudence or impertinence. I will quick
ly disabuse the mind of any man who
| thinks So"
The meeting seemed unprepared for
such display of firmness, which effec-
| tually silenced all Interruptions and
settled down to a clear and disap-
pointing story of the company's losses.
After Holmes had explained how the
circus had been steadily losing money
since the death of the genius who
made it a success and how the divl-
! dends of the last few years had not
been paid out of the earnings of those
years, but distributed by the late ]. A..
Bailey out of a surplus of 100000,
he began to get the meeting with him.
His further statement that this sur
plus was now cut down to less than
half and that this years loss up to
Sept. IA was $4,000 seemed to sllay
most of the objection, but later both
Holmes and McCaddon were subjected
to many unpleasant questions,
All these were so satisfactorily an
swered by Holmes who incidentally
cracked real American jokes at the
psychological moment, that the meet
ing passed the resolution to sell amid
great laughter. Afterward the stock
holders were told they would get So OF
$3.50 on a share, the first installment
of 80 per cent being payable probably
next January. Then they didn't smile
bat cheered Holmes and voted him a
| clever Yankee.