The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-25
Confined from Yesterdays Daily)

troll and the name was altered TO the
Great Northwestern Mining company.
Then II became involved in litigation.
and one suit. the outcome OF which
meant millions to the company. was
carried TO the supreme court, whore
Judge Rossmore was sitting. The
judge had by this time forgotten al
about the company in which he cwned
stock. He did not even recall It's name
He only knew vaguely that it was
mins and that 1t was situated In Alas
ka. Could he dream that the Great
Northwestern Mining company and
the company to which he had intrust-
ed his few thousands were one and the
same2 In deciding on the merits OF
the case presented to him right seemed
to him to be plainly with the North
western. and he rendered decision to
that effect 1t was an Important de-
cision, involving large sum, and for
a day or two It was talked about But
as # was the opinion Of the most learn
ed aud honest judge on the bench no
one dreamed of Questioning it
But very soon ugly paragraphs be
gan to appear In tie newspapers One
paper asked if It We're true that Judge
Rossmore owned stock IN the Great
Northeastern Mining company which
had recently benefited so signally by
his decision. Interviewed by Il report
er. Judge Rossmore Indignantly denied
being interested in any way ~ the
company Thereupon the same paper
returned to the attack, stating that the
Judge must surely he mistaken, as the
records showed a sale of stock to him
at the time the company was known
as the Alaskan Mining company.
when he read this the Judge was over
whelmed. II was true thenl They
had not sandered him. 1t was he who
had lied but how innocently in
nocentlyl
His daughter Shirley. who was his
greatest friend and comfort. was then
in Europe. She had gone to the con-
tlnent to rest after working for months
on a novel which she had just pub
lished. His wife, entirely without ex-
perience In business matters aud some
whit of an invalid, was helpless TO adj
wise him. But to his old and tried
friend, ex-Judge Stott, Judge Ross
more explained the facts as they were.
Stott shook his head. ITS conspr-
acyr' he cried. "And john b. Ryder
is behind It," Rossmore refused TO be-
lIeve that any man could SO deliberate
ly try to encompass another's destruc-
ton. but when more newspaper stories
came out he began TO realize that stott
was right and that his enemies had in
deed dealt him deadly blow. One
newspaper boldly stGted that Judge
Rossniore was down on the mining
company'e books for $4,000 more
stock than he had paid for and it went
on to ask II this were Payment for the
favorable decision Just rendered Ross
more, helpless, chillllke as he was in
business matters, now fully realized
the seriousness of his position "AIy
Godl Ny Godl' he cried as he bowed
his head down on his desk. And for a
whole day he remained closeted In his
library, no one yenturng nUr him.
AS John Ryder sat there sphlnxilSe
at the head Of the directors table he
reviewed all this In his mind. His owD
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. Cries of .'rhe chair. Tile
chair" arose on every side. Senator
Roberts leaned over 10 Ryder aud
whispered something In his ear.
with an acqulescent gesture John
Ryder tapped the table with his gavel
aud rose to address his fellow direct
ors. Instantly the rooE was silent
again as the tomb One might have
heard pin drop, SO intense was The
attention. All eyes We're fixed on the
chairman The air ITSELF seemed
charged with electricity that needed
but spark to set 1t ablaze.
Speaking deliberately and dispas
sionately, the master dissembler be
gan.
lhey had all listened carefully, he
said, TO what had been stated by pre-
yious speakers. The situation no doubt
was very critical, but they had wealth
cred worse storms. and he had every
reason to hope they would outlive this
storm. II was true that public opinion
was greatly incensed against the rail
roads and, indeed, against oh organ
ized capital and was seeking 70 lnjure
them through the courts. For time
this agitation would hurt business ant
lessen the dividends, for Il meant no
only smaller annual earnings. but thai
lot OF money must be spent in Wash
ington.
The eyes Of the listeners. who werI
hanging on every word. lnvoluntarlly
turned In the direction OF Senator Rob
erts, but the latter, at that momen
busily engaged IN rummaging amon'
lot VI papers. seemed 10 have missed
this significant allpsion to the road
expenses IN the District OF Columbia
Ryder continued:
In his experience such waves OF re
form were periodical and soon wea
themselves our. when things 90 OF
Just as they did before. Much Of IN
ogltation doubtless was strike 70
graft They xoul6 have TO go down ii
their pockets, he supposed. and thel
these yellow newspapers and thes