Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-06-07
M'a5hiuatou Standard
OLYMPIA, WASH.
friday MORNING, June I, 1907.
The "Col. Sellers Spirit.

The "col. Sellers" Spirit.
Under the somewhat significant
caption The Wireless Telegraph
Bubble" Success of June publishes
the first article of the second series
Fools and Their Money, by Frank
Fayant. which possesses much inter
est to our people here. some of whom
have very magnanimously subscribed
for stock on a practical drmonstra-
ton promised at the theatcr. which
by no means d,m"nsffuted that it was
of any practical value, and the prom
iSts of its exploiter that were pro-
nounced unauthorized by subse-
quent representative of Mr.. George
H. Parker. General Fiscal Agent of
the United Wireless Telegraph Co.
for the Pacific Coast.
So many of our friends have asked
for the STANDARDS opinion as to the
reliability of the company and the
soundness of their claim of its being
an except ionally safe and lucrative
means of investment, that we have
been at some trouble to gather in
formation regarding the status of
the enterprise and reliability of it's
projectors.
Now with reference to Mr.. George
ii. Parker, the gentleman who repre-
sents the United" on this coast,
we learn from the commercial re-
ports that he is 48 years of age;
married; that he moved to Seattle in
1905 from Colorado, where he resided
for 20 years or more. For IL years
he was District Manager of the Mu-
tual Life Insurance Co. in Southern
Colorado. Since coming to Seattle,
has looked after the interests of the
American DeForrest Wireless Tele-
graph Co., and is also the General
Fiscal Agent for the Pacific Coast of
the United Wireless Telegraph Co.
of New York city. On interview, at
date, he states that he holds $50, 900
worth of stock in the American De,
Forrest Wireless Telegraph Co., and
holds $4,000 of stock in the United
Wireless Telegraph Co. Claims that
this is fully paid in and non-assess-
able. Also claims to have a few
thousand dollars in cash. In other
quarters nothing is learned regarding
the stock held by Parker in the tele-
graph companies, though since COM
ing here he has been accredited with
a cash balance of few thousand dol
lars. So far as learned, his liabilities
amount to but little, and he has the
name of taking care of his obligations
in a satisfactory manner. Is well
spoken of in personal respects, and
is said to be man of good character
and habits, and it is not thought that
he would be likely to abuse any rea-
sonable amount of credit if granted. :"
Now the claim of the exploiter,
A. E. Salisbury, who gave the dem
onstration with the wireless instru-
ments that did not succeed in catch
ing o single message from the many
stations said to be waiting for tuning
in rhapp0rt with our demonstrating
station, was that the DeForrest and
MarcOni systems had both been
brought under the control of the
United Wireless and that soon Us
possible these two systems, and prac-
tically all other means of aerial tel
egraphy would be merged with it;
that the United Wireless would soon
be authorized to take up all stock of
these companies and issue in lieu
thereof United stock; that within
ninety days permanent station
would be established at Olympia and
become an active competitor with
wire-lines for commercial business at
greatly reduced rates. He then told
how single share of Bell telephone
stock. purchased before development
for nominal sum, advanced in value
SO as to be worth $3.50, 900, and had
paid in the last couple of decades
half million dollars in dividends.
These figures seemed large, but no
body was prepared with pencil and
paper to do little aside figuring and
it was all taken for gospel" truth
and Dollars-and- Dimes in the pockets
OF wOuld-be investors began to clam
or for the beautiful stock-certifcates
displayed, in the hope of promoting
similar expansion. The subsequent
visit of N. 7. Pentreath disclosed
many misstatements of Mr.. Sails
bury, although both claimed to be in
the employ of Mr.. Parker. False in
one thing, false in ALL" is judicial
maxim that passes unchallenged in
> exempli6oatiouu Of points in law.
Now Mr.. Fayant comedies that
wireless telegraphy is one of the
most remarkable scientific achieve
ments of modern times, as well as
that it will be forever of inestimable
benefit to mankind, but condemns
the exploitation of the discovery to
bounds far beyond its possible devel-
opment and rational application to
the necessities of life. A gold mine
may be poor investment unless care
in details and common sense direct
its development. Good money may
be Squandered, and often is. for moor