Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-02-14
G r a n V il1 e


their holdings"
But ultimately the loss falls on some
body"
And that somebody is the public who
cares Tor us-well-about as much as we
care for them"
NJ. Chabot remained closeted with the
banker for nearly an hour. settling the re-
naming details OF the dock scheme. A
printed draft OF the prospectus had to
De gone over; the first directors of the
company had to be chosen, care being tax
en- to place upon the board the names of
sueh capitalists as would inspire the pub
lie with confidence.
Let me see," said the banker, running
mis- eyes rapidly over a list which he
held in his hand. 1--WE have Liouelet.
Bousent, of Bousent; the elder Paltois-
ne is good; and Max Raumont says he is
with us In case we get to an issue. The
remainder of the board must be given to
the dock people. They will, Of course,
expect some representation"
10 be sure" acquiesced Chabot, "but
we must contrive TO have with us only
those who are open to arguments"
Yes, that is it, my friend; open to
arguments" echoed the vicomte.
VI your usually persuasive kind" add
ed Chabot. Every man has his price, to
be sure, nowadays"
And always did have. In these times.
commercial enterprises, my dear fellow,
assume proportions Of which our ances-
tors never dreamed. They were just as
dishonest then, If you call manipulation
dishonesty, which l candidly confess
don't-but their ideas were smaller.
Hence the difference. Besides" he added,
laying his hand impressively upon the
others sleeve, this thing must 60
through. l think you, above all others,
are aware OF the necessity. The fact is,
my dear Chabot, there have been many
heavy pulls on the Mutual Credit bank
lately. One cannot offer eight per cent on
special deposits and always be sure of
making more by using the depositors
money. Then there was the dividend on
the Ardennes Charcoal and Peat Com
pany. You know it was never earned !;
but we decided that it would be best to
pay one."
the bonds at par, didn't you?"
AT par to the public, of course, but
Herr Goldstein's commission took the gilt
off the gingerbread. However, he took
them all at eighty-ive. l could not have
placed them to such good advantage"
The interest comes due on the six
teenth. / suppose it is useless to cross
that bridge until we come to it."
Before the sixteenth this dock COM
pany will be foated. The banks profit
on that will more than meet the interest
OF the Charcoal and Peat Company
bonds"
"And if it isn't floated?" hazarded
Chabot.
If it isn't hoated the inevitable crash
will begin, or it can be averted in an
other way, my dear Chabot, about which
| cannot talk at present. But we will not
anticipate evil. Come, you must accom-
pany me to the Bourse this morning. l
have heavy deal pending, and shall need
your assistance"
As the Vicomte de Valiar and Jules
Chabot left the office of the Mutual
Credit and Trust Company a small-sized
man issued from cafe on the opposite
side of the street and walked in an ap-
parently careless and preoccupied manner
in the same direction. He followed them
until they turned into brokers' office.
Presently they came forth again, and in
company with a third person continued to
walk in the direction of the Bourse.
This third person was Herr Max Gold
stein, one of the shrewdest dealers in Sc
curities in the whole of Paris. He was
the broker to whom the vicomte had en-
trusted the sale of the first mortgage
bonds of the Ardennes Charcoal and Peat
Company. He was heavy, thickset fell
low. with little, cunning eyes, which had
been set together as closely as nature
would allow; had not an enormous nose
grown between them, he would perhaps
have had only one large eye In the center.
He had habit of cooking up his head
when in conversation, and Of listening
with his mouth wide open. He had COM
menced life in Berlin as bootblack with
second hand outfit. At the conclusion
of the first days work he had accumu-
lated enough to buy the best outfit in the
city. In a week he had concluded that
open air work was not to his liking, and
took his business off the street into
basement, where he thrived apace.
Then the brilliant idea struck him of
buying and selling theater tickets at cut
rates. From this he gravitated into lot
teries; from lotteries into small curb
stone speculatons. Hardly able to write
his own name, the trading instinct was so
strongly developed in him that in ten
years he mad accumulated a very consid-
erable fortune.
Why Herr Godstein had not continued
his uninterrupted career of prosperity in
Berlin was a mystery to his friends in
Paris AS he seemed to have plenty Of
money, however, nore of them had ever
dreamed Of inquiring why he preferred