Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-02
CHAPTER M.-(Continued)

receive certificates of stock for double
The amount he had paid for. At the
same time he received a letter from
the secretary of the company, explain
ing that the additional stock was pool
stock and not to be marketed at the
present time. 1t was in the nature Of
bonus to which he was entitled as
one of the early stockholders. The let
ter was full of verbiage and technical
"details of which the Judge understood
nothing, but he thought it very liberal
OF the company, and putting the stock
away in his safe soon forgot all about
It, Had he been business man he
would have scented peril. He would
have realized that he had now in his
possession $4,000 worth of stock for
which he had not paid cent, and fur
thermore had deposited it when a re-
organization came.
But the judge was sincerely grateful
Tor Ryder's apparently disinterested
advice and wrote two letters to him,
one in which he thanked him for the
trouble he had taken, and another in
which he asked him if he was sure the
company was financially sound, as the
investment he contemplated making
represented all his savings. He added
IN the second letter that he had re-
ceived stock for double the amount of
his investment, and that being a per-
feet child In business transactions he
had been unable to account for the
extra $4,000 worth until the secretary
OF the company had written him assur-
Ing him that everything was in order.
These letters Ryder kept.
From that time on the Alaskan
Mining company underwent mysterious
changes. New capitalists gained con-
troll and the name was altered to the
Great Northwestern Mining Company.
Then 1t became involved in litigation,
and one suit, the outcome of which
meant millions to the company, was
carried to the Supreme Court, where
Judge Rossmore was sitting. The
judge had by this time forgotten all
about the company in which he owned
stock. He did not even recall its
name. He only knew vaguely that 1t
was mine and that it was situated in
Alaska. Could he dream that the
Great Northwestern Mining Com
pany and the company to which
he had entrusted his few thous-
ands were one and the same? In de-
Gliding on the merits Of the case pre-
sented to him right seemed to be plain
ly with the Northwestern, and he rem
dered a decision to that effect. 1t was
an important decision, involving a
large sum; and fora day of two it was
talked about. But as it was the opin-
ion Of the most learned and honest
judge on the bench. no. one dreamed Of
questioning it.
But very soon ugly paragraphs began
to appear in the newspapers. One pa
per asked if 1t were true that Judge
Rossmore owned stock in the Great
Northwestern Mining Company which
had recently benefited so signally by
his decision. Interviewed by reporter,
Judge Rossmore Indignantly denied
being interested in any way in the
company. Thereupon the same paper
returned to the attack, stating that
the judge must surely be mistaken as
the records showed sale Of stock to
him at the time the company was
known as the Alaskan Mining Com
pany When he read this the Judge
was overwhelmed. 1t was true then!
They had not slandered him. 1t was
he who had lied, but how innocently-
how innocently
His daughter Shirley. who was his
greatest friend and comfort, was then
in Europe. She had gone to the Con-
tinent to rest, after working for
months on novel which she had just
published. His wife, entirely without
experience in business matters and
some What of an invalid, was helpless
to advise him. But to his old and tried
friend, ex-Judge Stott, Judge Rossmore
explained the facts as they were. Stott
shook his head. TITS conspiracy"
he cried. And John B. Ryder is be-
hind It." Rossmore refused to believe
to encompass another mans destruc-
ton, bnt when more newspaper stories
came out he began to realize that Stott
was right and that his enemies had
indeed dealt him deadly blow. One
newspaper boldly stated that Judge
Rossmore was down on the mining
company's books for $4,000 more
stock than he had paid for, and it went
on to ask if this were payment for the
favorable decision just rendered Ross
mort, helpless, child-like as he was in
business matters. now fully realized
the seriousness of his position. my
God! My God!" he cried, as he bowed
his head down on his desk And for a
whole day he remained closeted in his
library, no one venturing near him.
AS John Ryder sat there sphinx-like
at the head of the directors table he
reviewed all this in his mind. His own
part in the work was now done and
well done and he had come to this
meeting today to tell them Of his tri-
umph.
The speaker, to whom he had paid
such scant attention, resumed his seat,
and there followed pause and an in
tense silence which was broken only
by the pattering Of the rain against the
big windows. The directors turned ex-
pectantly to Ryder, waiting for him to
speak. What could the Colossus do
now 10 save the situation? Cries of
t'the Chair! the CHART" arose on ev-
cry side. Senator Roberts leaned over
to Ryder and whispered something in
his ear
With an acquiescent gesture John
p,,do, +o,,pod the toblo with bie uovol