The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-05-06
Drinks High Balls and Rides
in Auto at Expense of
Gostlin, Meyn.
WANTS FACTORY SITE"
Claims He Represents Eastern Shoe
Firm and Agrees to Purchase
Plant Here; Then Fades.

Members of the real estate firm OF |
victims of a most peculiar case of petty /
grating, in which eonsummate nerve /
played an important part, or there is I
a deep mystery still TO be solved.
About week ago a man appeared at
the Gostlin-M -Meyn office and asked TO
see some one who could sell him a
factory site. The man said his name
was Lyman and that he represented
the Queen Shoe company. the factory
of which was located near Boston,
Mass.
Lyman" said 1t was his purpose to
establish a plant in the west and that
he did not know Of locality that was
better adapted to the needs of his con-
Germ than the Calumet region.
He said it was his purpose to install
270 cutting machines and that as each
machine would take up six square feet
of space, an idea could be had of floor
space that would be needed in the plant
he proposed to build here.
To Employ Thousand Men.
He casually remarked that the con-
Germ would employ several over a
thousand men and would be a big
thing for the city. Two of the mem
bers of the local firm secured an auto
mobile and took the preventative of
the eastern shoe company around the
town.
| At first he was shown factory sites
along the river and then in the east
ern part of the city. Finally after
| considerable looking around the party
was shown one of Hammonds biggest
manufacturing concerns. The owner
took him through the whole plant from
i cellar to garret and the wise man from
the east was very much impressed and
finally asked the price of the plant
stripped of it's equipment.
He was given figure up in the hun
dreds of thousands. but seemed at once
satisfied with the price and said he
would buy. 1t was agreed that one
half of the money should be paid in
cash and with the contract of sale
should be placed in escrow until the
deed to the property could be investi-
/ gated.
Money in "Second National Bank.'
This was satisfactory and the party
returned to the business portion of the
city where the transaction was to be
closed The party went over to the
| Commercial bank in this city and Mr.
Lyman said to Mr.. Dyer, the cashier
| TN get that money this afternoon,
and Mr. Dyer not knowing what he
was talking about said, "All right,
thinking that the matter would be
cleared UP later on.
Mr.. Lyman said that he had decided
to pay down all of the money and
would go into Chicago to make his ar
rangements at the Second National
bank in the city.
OF course that was satisfactory and
so the mysterious Mr.. Lyman left fol
the city on the first train and the mem
bers Of the real estate firm congratu-
lated themselves that they had brought
an industry to the city so easily.
1t has only cost them a days time
the gasoline and the wear and tear OF
the automobile, in addition to th'
whopping big highballs that the fellow
so frequently gulped down.
, Patiently the members Of the rea
, estate firm waited for the return O
. the representative of the Queen Sho'
company of Boston, but he never cam
back. Then they learned that ther
was no Second National bank in Chica
= go.
: The Indignation of Gostlin, Meyn
Co. has been growing ever since an
I today one Of the firm said that if
r bona fide shoe man ever does come I
! Hammond to buy a site for a neY
q factory he does not believe he will &c
t out of town alive.